Flying Monkeys Hoptical Illusion Almost Pale Ale

Brewed by Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery
Style: Amber Ale
Barrie, Canada

Serve in English pint, Shaker

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Amber pour, off-white head. Aroma - plenty of hops! Flowers + caramel. Hoppy taste, slight citrus flavour and some caramel, though I don’t know if I’m just smelling that. A little bitter on the back end, but not unpleasant. My favorite Canadian beer!

UPDATED: MAY 15, 2010 On tap at the KW OCB/ribfest. Pours a nice slightly hazy dark amber. Very nice aroma here, ample hoppy goodness matched perfectly with some toffee malts and dry earthy aspects. Flavour is a bit of a mixed bag, a tad watery with some mild malty sweetness, very dry on the finish but in a hoppy way, not earthy. Lacks balance. Palate is light as I was led to expect. Almost seems like a mild ale to me. A bit rough around the edges at this point, but it’s still extremely sessionable and tasty, and a huge step up IMO from the Roberty Simpson days. I look forward to buying this at the LCBO. In bottle form it’s just as good, and has a remarkable amount of hop activity without the IBU’s being there, which I can appreciate. Very well done. EDIT: Hop activity seems to have been tweaked lately for the better. On tap I get a very pleasant cannabis-like quality. This truly is one of the single best things being made in our otherwise cowardly and boring provincial brewing scene.

355 mL Bottle. Deep amber body with an off-white foamy-bubbly head that settles to a long lasting film that laces the glass. Pine-like and floral aroma with notes of autumn leaves, grapefruit, sweet malt, crystal malt, and toffee. Sweet malt and crystal malt are there in the flavor and if an autumn breeze had any taste, this beer has it along with an innuendo of black pepper. Hops express in the aftertaste without being too overpowering. Grapefruit lingers a bit in the finish. This could be Canada’s very own "Oktoberfest" beer. Perfect for an Indian Summer barbecue.

UPDATED: NOV 8, 2010 Re-Rate: Bottle right from the Brewery. Medium brown with slight copper tinge. Slightly sweet with a strong hoppy mouth.. slightly drying.. The Hops lasted longer this time around. Deeper, richer and smoother then my first sampling. Not sure why this got a lower rating my first tiem around. Agree with the citrus in the finish,.. almost grapefruit.. A very solid brew.

UPDATED: APR 12, 2011 1. From the Bottle at Chris O’s pre GBBF tasting, Kensal Rise 31/07/2010 (Thanks Jeremy) Hoppy aroma. Golden coloured and hoppy with some alcohol present. A hint of dryness in a bitter hop finish. 2. From the Bottle at Chris O’s, Kensal Rise 05/08/2010 Fruity hop aroma. Golden coloured fruity and hoppy with a pineapple flavour. A hint of dryness in a full malt finish. 3. 355ml Bottle in Powassan, Ontario 04/11/2010 Big hop aroma. Amber coloured very hoppy and fruity with orange and pine flavours. Nutty dry slightly creamy and bitter malt finish. 4. 355ml Bottle in Powassan, Ontario 05/11/2010 Big hop aroma. Amber coloured very hoppy and fruity with pine and orange flavours. A hint of dryness in a nutty and bitter malt finish. 5. 355ml Bottle in Powassan, Ontario 13/11/2010 Big hop aroma. Amber coloured hoppy and fruity with a pine flavour. Smooth on the palate with a hint of bitterness and dryness in a pale malt finish.

On Tap at the Brewery Amarillo Hopping makes its presence well known in this deep amber Pale Ale. Small head continually refreshed all the way to the bottom of the pint. Crystal malts gives a middle sweetish point, but this beer is really bracketed by the orangey citrusy hops that start and finish on the palate.

Gift bottle, LCBO or Beer Store. Small head, nice copper colour. Nice and hoppy, but not overwhelmingly so. Hint of caramel. Feels good on the back of the tongue. Just a nice beer, want more.

It’s so refreshing to finally find a Canadian, nay Ontario beer that is a smooth hoppy ale. Pours a golden brown with a retaining white head. Aroma is hop and caramel. Taste is a great swell of hop bitterness that is smooth with toffee/caramel aftertastes. So well balanced, this will be a staple in my fridge.

definitely a hard beer to describe. good hop profile, but fairly subdued at the same time. body is extremely light. certainly a good beer, but far from great. more for people who want to slowly move from macro brews to something worth drinking.

355ml bottle poured into pint glass. Pours amber with off-white head that leaves a little lacing. Aroma of hops, flowers, caramel. Taste is lots of hops, a little citrus and caramel malt. Well-balanced with a bitter finish. This beer is a standout in the Ontario craft beer scene. Very nice.