Upper Canada Point Nine

Brewed by Sleeman Brewing & Malting Co. (Sapporo)
Style: Low Alcohol
Guelph, Canada

Serve in English pint, Shaker

Originally rated June 2006. Sampled at D’Arcy McGee’s on Sparks street in Ottawa. Poured a light pale yellow colour with a small white head that was fast to dissipate. Lightly carbonated and left some little lacing. The nose was of sweet grain malt with hints of honey and notes of pilsener grass. The mouthfeel is a bit sticky, but mostly smooth and watery. Taste of sweet pils malt, grainy malt and some sweetness with the honey (which I still don’t see advertised on this one). Quite a surprise for a 0.9% ABV brew, with decent aromas and flavours.

Bottle from the Beer Store in Toronto. This is really one of the under-rated low alcohol beers made in North America. Frankly it’s unfair to rate it against beers in general since it is ultimately a different animal. However for it’s style this is vastly superior to just about anything else I have had. The beer retains some sort of watered down complexity and has evidence of both decent malt and a trace of hops. If you are looking for a less undefined taste like you’d find in O’Douls or the like this is a decent option. Not beer but near beer.

[1957-20090119] 341mL bottle. Cooked cream corn and fruity aroma has a slightly burnt dry firewood characteristic. Clear, light orange yellow body wih a medium-lasting creamy white head. Brewery yeast flavour continues with lots of fruity creamed corn. Light body is grainy, not too watery. Flavourful but not in a great way.
(@ Allen’s; Toronto, ON)

I can’t disagree more with most of the reviewers here. I discovered this during a period when I was not supposed to drink alcoholic beverages. I tried many things including de-alcoholized wine (DON’T EVEN GO THERE!! - It is simply and universally awful!!). I tried several beers including Becks 0% and wasn’t impressed (regular Becks has a more hopy taste that N.A. beer but the Becks 0% tasted like hops in water). So I was skeptical when I tried Point Nine but found it pretty good. I was convinced when I did a taste test and repeated it with others against Upper Canada Dark. When it was in a glass that is opaque (so you can’t see that it is lighter), most people had a hard time deciding which one was the dark!!! I have also been warned by Beer Store staff of what I am buying. When I ask if they have tried it they always answer no, they haven’t tried it. Don’t get me wrong, I still drink regular beer mostly but early in the day and at other times when regular 5% beer is not appropriate, it is MORE than acceptable.

Mistake in ordering this beer. The bartender did not know anything about it and I tried it. Well it is all water and bland witih a nasty corn flavor.

Corn aroma. Somewhat fluffy white head on a pale lager body. Flavor is again of corn. Lively carbonation, too much. I like the idea, and it’s drinkable, but it could be better.

Indeed, the ever hard to find point nine. Every time I ask for it, it’s not available at the beer store. As if people buy this stuff regularly. Pale yellow pour with a short lived white fizzy head. Aromas of wet paper and pepper with corn. FLavours match the aroma profile to a tee, and then add more fizzy corn for good measure. What the goal is here I fail to see. Pretty bland.

Point nine is pointless. <P>It looks like a paler UC lager... I really thought this would be good, I like to go dry once in a while but this just tastes like club soda that some pale malt fell into, with a boiled-out aroma...huge fake carbonation. I swear they reconstitute this stuff after cooking out the alcohol. This is typically poor AF.