Great Western (Canadian) Original 16

Brewed by Great Western Brewing (Canadian Brewing)
Style: American Pale Ale
Saskatoon, Canada

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tulip

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Single can purchased from a mom&pop liqour store in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan on 06/01/2012. Colour: medium-light yellow with low white head. Nose: Plain malt and light yeast with a smattering of melted caramel. Taste: Medium sweet, light bitter, medium-light sour. There is not much hop influence here, despite the label stating "five choice hop varietals". A crispy biting nature mid palate but then smooths out in the finish with a light sweetened barley trail. Very average.

Bottle. Pours fizzy yellow, small white head. Aromas of the usual corn and barley. Not much flavor. Some more corn and grains. Really not good.

Best Great Western brewed beer, no doubt about it. A new prairie favorite!

341ml bottle pours a pale straw color with a small white head that settles down with only a few specks of lacing on the glass. Aroma is very mild with a hint of grains and hops. Taste is mild malt sweetness and light hoppy bitter finish. Similar to most of the macro lagers out there and nothing special.

Bottle courtesy of my new beer friend Andrew. Clear yellow pour with a small white head. Aroma and taste of corn. There’s a bit of character here but not much. Glad I got to try it, though.

First had this Original 16 at a couple trade shows. Compared to Keith’s ’illegitimate IPA’ well you can’t compare the two. For a mainstream-premium Canadian pale ale I was impressed. Barley and hops come through strong yet the beer itself tastes light at 5%. I’ve used it a couple large functions, went over well both times. Also, I heard a rumor they stole Heineken’s brew-master to craft this beer.

Can 500 ml
Aroma: dusty sweet malts , hint of cardboard with soapy hop notes. 4+
Appearance: clear golden look , low carbonation. Flat head , light fizz in centre.
Body , Flavour , Palate and Final Notes: medium light bodied. Thin malt feel with slight sourness to it. Slight hop feel on can of corn. Quiet bad I must say.

Credit to presario for saying what I was thinking: "Gold with a thin white head. A lot of fanfare but not much different from all the other "Duff" beers. Grainy lager. Present sweetness but not too much."

341mL. Finally a Great Western beer that generates a head: thicker, bright white, with moderate retention. Fairly impressive lace. Nose on this one is some serious cooked corn/DMS. Much more in your face and blatant than GW Light. Old candies come to play in the nose like candy corn- probably a byproduct of this being hoppy at some unknown point in its life. Taste is metallic with soap and detergent water mixed with sweet corn. Feels like buttery corn atop suddy detergent water. Not recommended.

UPDATED: APR 8, 2012 This is actually a good beverage if comparing it to pale lagers. Sweet fruity aroma, very sweet and bready flavour. I wouldn’t compare this to APA, but it tastes like a very good quality pale lager.