3.7 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 15/20
On tap at C’est What? in Toronto. Clear copper colour with small white foamy head. Slight sweet malty and hoppy aroma. Nice balanced malty sweet hoppy bitter flavour. Lingering bitter aftertaste.
3.7 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 18/20
Impressive yet ’simple’ beer. Bitter and aggressive throughout with a remarkable hop taste towards the end, yet drinkable and refreshing. Had at Smokeless Joe’s Patio. Very fulfilling, will have again!
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Golden-amber. The aroma is a panoply of hoppage - earthy, citrusy (yuzu, grapefruit), woody, perfumey with light caramel malt. Woody palate is moderately bitter with slight caramel, toffee, and hints of brown sugar.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Tap at Caeli Cottage in Toronto. Pours a light amber- deep copper with a thin but lasting white head. Aroma is sharp nutty toasted malts caramel- crystal malts and light fruitiness with a ctirus and orange zest light pine hop kick. Flavor is hoppy, a bit resinous with some pine with a toffee and caramel maltinss, toast and a gritty hoppy bitterness in the end. I liked drinking the Hop Head IPA a bit more just because it was easier to drink- this was a bit too tacky in the end. Solid though.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 4/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Draught at Volo. Orange-amber colour with a tiny head. Aroma is mild, a bit earthy with a hint of hops. Flavour is quite hoppy to start, overpowering anything else that’s in there, but it settles down nicely after a few sips. Hops are of that pleasant grapefruity variety that I tend to like, and it’s backed up by good malts that are biscuity and a bit earthy/minerally. The brewer describes this as being influenced by the beers of the US Pacific Northwest, and I can see that in the hops, but the rest of the beer fits nicely with the UK style ales that Durham specializes in. All in all, a pleasant, non-pretentious pint.
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 3/5 TASTE 8/10 PALATE 3/5 OVERALL 15/20
Draught at Volo. Copper-brown body with a creamy white head and soft lacing. The aroma is full of piney wood hops, light caramel, and oranges. Solid earthy body with a good whack of hops up front making way for the sweet caramel middle. Loooong bitter finish. Good to see another IPA in Ontario!
3.6 AROMA 7/10 APPEARANCE 2/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 16/20
Objectively speaking:
A dry-hopped, rather potent hop lotion where hop leaves where still visible from the cask serving.
I like:
Extremely easy to drink. Pleasant citrusy notions. Highly pleasant bready malts make an excellent basis for the hops to shine on. Cracker-like chewiness- rather bright and certainly very clean also. Surprisingly high level of bitterness grow form sip to sip.
I dislike:
Rather unappealing appearance, totally headless and full of hop residues. No oiliness despite having fresh hops in the glass, it lacks any trace of fresh perfumey, floral hop aromas. Alcohol feels much higher (6.5-7%) than it really is.
3.6 AROMA 6/10 APPEARANCE 5/5 TASTE 7/10 PALATE 4/5 OVERALL 14/20
Sweaty, catty, citrus grapefruit and orange suggestions to the nose. Clear copper coloured body is topped by a low tan head that recedes slowly to partial cover with excellent lacing. Caramel malts are quite pronounced but blend well with moderate bitterness. Plenty of lingering citrus and grassy hop character in the aftertaste. Very dry in texture with moderate carbonation. Sampled on tap at Caffe Volo during Grey Cup weekend 2007.
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