IPA ~ GRANITE BREWERY

Sampled on cask, this IPA poured a light golden-orange, with a finger of loose white head. As the head settles into a cap, it leaves some lacing. There are lots of English floral notes on the nose along with a little citrus, some orchard fruit, and light malts. The taste follows the nose with English floral hops, subtle sweetness, biscuits malts, subtle fruits and a light citrus. The brew was medium bodied, with soft fine carbonation. This straight-forward English IPA is quite sessional and easy drinking.

5% from Toronto, Ontario 40 IBU

MORALITÉ ~ DIEU DE CIEL! & THE ALCHEMIST BREWERY

Moralité is an IPA, created in collaboration between Quebec’s Dieu de Ciel! and Vermont’s, The Alchemist Brewery. Sampled on draught, the beer poured a slightly hazy golden amber with a generous frothy off white head, that left lots of lacing. The nose is bursting with hops and tropical fruit (pineapple, papaya, mango). Notes of resinous pine, citrus (lemon, orange and grapefruit), bready grains, caramel, earthiness, and yeast also make appearances. The flavour follows the complexity of the nose. Pine, grapefruit, caramel, fruitiness (citrus & tropical), floral, grass, combined with a slight sweetness swirl and party on my palette. The finish is somewhat dry with a lasting bitterness. The body is medium-full and the texture is creamy and smooth. The carbonation was on the soft side. It is rare that I have a beer from DDC that I don’t enjoy, this was no exception. Quite quaffable for such a high IBU and ABV. I loved the complex flavours and the balance between the bitterness, sweet fruitiness and the malts. Bravo!

6.9% from St. Jerome, Quebec & Waterbury, Vermont, USA 100 IBU
Hops: Simcoe, Citra and Centennial

LOVE TRIANGLE ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

Love Triangle is a three hop IPA from Indie Ale House in Toronto’s west end. Each time it is brewed a different combination of three hops are used. I believe this batch used Ahtanum, Cascade and Centennial hops. Sampled on draught this brewed poured a slightly cloudy golden yellow with a hint of orange. It had a very generous frothy white head with good retention before receding into a cap and leaving some lovely lacing. There ware lots of citrus (grapefruit and orange) and tropical fruit, along with a herbal quality and mild malts on the nose. The flavour is quite hoppy – impressive for the not so high ABV. Notes of tropical fruit, citric hops, a touch of resin and a subtle malt made up the flavour profile. The finish was dry and crisp, with a lingering astringent bitterness. The carbonation was lively, and it had an average body with a creamy mouthfeel. I am fast becoming a big fan of IPAs. Nice one Indie Ale house!

6 % from Toronto, Ontario 40 IBU

ALPHA BOMB ~ BIG RIG

Alpha Bomb is an unfiltered IPA made with three types of hops and additionally dry-hopped twice. Sampled on draught, this beer poured a hazy coppery colour with a lasting frothy white head, that left good lacing as it receded. The nose has lots of piny and citrus hops with notes of grapefruit, florals, tropical fruit with a malty caramel backbone. So far very nicely balanced. The flavour is not a taste-bud shredding hop explosion, but rather a nice balance of hops and sweet malts. Lots of pine, resin, grapefruit and orange in the hops and a light malty sweetness balance the brew. The finish is moderately bitter…but not too much. The beer had a medium body, with average carbonation and a slick texture. IPA’s aren’t my go-to beer, but I enjoyed not having a palette shedding hop experience and the balance of their smooth and refreshing brew.

6.6% from Ottawa, Ontario 87 IBU

LEFT FIELD BREWERY ~ PROSPECT SINGLE HOP: MOSAIC

This is the newest offering in Left Field’s Prospect single hopped IPA series. Each incarnation is brewed to the exact recipe except it is single hopped. Sampled from a bottle the beer poured a clear orangey straw colour with a white frothy head, which left nice lacing. The nose is somewhat fruity, especially citrus, but also contains, an earthiness, pine and grassiness. The flavour is hop forward with notes of orange and grapefruit, tropical fruit, and pine. Bready malt is present and provides a good backbone for the hoppiness. The finish is medium bitter with a touch of sweetness. The carbonation was on the lively side and the body was medium. Hops are definitely present and take centre stage but don’t shred your taste-buds. A solid brew!

6.1 % From Toronto 60 IBU

Picture Courtesy of Left Field Brewery

DANFORTH BREWING ~ VIADUCT IPA

My 400th beer goes to Danforth Brewing’s premier offering. Well done guys this is a beautiful beer. Sampled from a tin, the beer poured an orangey amber colour with a generous frothy white head. The nose had lovely caramel malts as well as a complex array of hoppy nots. On the palette the malt backbone is beautifully balanced with piny, grapefruit and spicy hops. Subtle fruitiness can be found mid sip as well. The bitterness is there but does not overpower and highlights the complexity of flavours. The beer is brewed with four types of hops (Chinook, Cascade, Centennial and Simcoe) each added at different stages of the brewing process (brewing, flameout and dry-hopped) imparting the brew with some complexity. The body was medium and the carbonation was moderate. IPA’s are not my favourite style of beer (sorry hop-heads) but it is beer like these that are bringing me around and making me a fan. This is a beautifully crafted beer – look for it at the LCBO and at a few select Toronto Bars.
Viaduct IPA was named after the Prince Edward Viaduct built almost 100 years ago (AKA Bloor Viaduct). The viaduct stimulated growth and development along the Danforth and Toronto’s east end.

6% from Toronto, Ontario 60 IBU

CLASS V ~ WHITEWATER BREWING

Class V is an IPA from Ottawa Valley brewery, Whitewater Brewing. Sampled fro a tin, from the brewery, the beer poured an ever so slightly hazy deep golden amber, capped with a frothy off white head, which struck around for a few minutes before disappearing, into a small collar and a few patchy bits of lace. The aroma is on the light side and contains subtle notes of bread, caramel malts, a tiny bit of fruitiness and citrusy hop notes. The beer itself was more malt forward than many other IPA’s, and did not taste anywhere close to the 72 IBU’s it advertises. The beer begins with bready malts, a little caramel, a touch of stone fruit and piecrust, followed by lots of grapefruit and a touch of pine from the hops. The bitterness outlasts the malty sweetness in the aftertaste. I actually really liked the balance of the malty sweetness and the hops – I have friends who generally avoid hoppy IPA’s but would gladly drink this. The mouthfeel was smooth, medium-light and somewhat dry. The carbonation was on the soft side. I would even classify this as an English IPA instead of a North American one. A very pleasant brew, worth a try. BTW Whitewater Brewing is located in the Ottawa Valley along the Ottawa River, well known for its rapids. Rapids have a classification system with a ‘Class V’ rapids being the most challenging. 5.5 % from Forrester’s Falls, Ontario 72 IBU
Hops: Cascade and Centennial

FARM TABLE IPA - BEAU’S

This IPA is the latest in Beau’s farm table series. This series are brewed close to the classic style. This farm table was formerly known as Beaver River I.P. Eh? Sampled on draught the beer poured an unfiltered coppery golden with a good sized off white head. The aroma had lots of floral-piny hops, with light citrus, a grainy breadiness and a touch of caramel. The taste was fruity and bitter. It contained tropical fruit (orange and grapefruit), citrus, with biscuity malts, a wee bit of caramel and a resinous piny floral hop at the end. I found it to be hoppier than a British I.P.A. but less so then some of the aggressively hopped American I.P.A’s. (the beer was dry-hopped during brewing). This is a well-balanced beer; its assertive hops are beautifully balanced with the malt. The finish has a lingering bitterness. This beer is on the light side of medium bodied and is moderately carbonated. A very decent I.P.A.
6% from Van Kleek Hill, Ontario IBU 60

MALTS: Pale Ale, Munich, Carafoam, Caramel 20L, Caramel 60 (all organic)
HOPS: Magnum, Pacific Gem, Cascade (all organic)

IPA ~ STONE BREWING

RED, WHITE & BREW ~ Sampled on draught, Stone IPA poured a slightly hazy amber golden colour with a soapy off white head. The head had great retention and left lots of lacing as it crawled down the glass. The aroma was hop heavy with piny and citrusy hops mixing with bright notes of orange and grapefruit, subtle cracker malt and an earthiness. The taste too was fairly hop heavy with piny hops dominating a more subtle malt backbone and an earthy grassiness. The flavour had some complexity as sweetness mixed with the bitterness. The carbonation was crisp and moderate and the body was medium to full-bodied. The beer was smooth and slightly sticky and the finish was dry and clean. An excellent offering, really enjoyed this one!

Hops: Magnum, Chinook & Centennial

6.9% from Escondido, California 77 IBU

IPA ~ LAGUNITAS

RED, WHITE & BREW ~ Sampled on draught, this beer poured a clear amber gold colour with lots of bone white head, that had good retention and then left some nice lacing. The somewhat muted nose contains toasted malts and piny citrus hops and some fruitiness in the back (both stone fruit and citrus). Flavours follow the nose; a nice balance between hops and malts. The beer has notes of citrus (orange and lemon) along with piny hops and a biscuity graininess. The carbonation was moderate and the body medium. IPA’s aren’t my go-to beer – I have had some mouth shredding hops that have left me unable to taste anything else, but this is a really pleasant, easy drinking IPA.

6.2 from Petaluna, California 46 IBU

DEAD ELEPHANT INDIA PALE ALE ~ RAILWAY CITY

Sampled on draught, Dead Elephant is an English style IPA. The beer poured a hazy caramel golden with a slightly off white head. The head did not last long but did leave good lacing. The nose contained floral hops, pine, a bit of malt, straw-grassiness, and a touch of citrus. The palate was much the same. The beer began with sweet caramel malts and fruit, leading to grassiness, grains and straw. The finish is floral and grapefruit hop bitterness, which lingers on the aftertaste. I quite like the balance of this beer. The English style balances this bitterness with the sweet malts. The beer’s carbonation was moderate and medium bodied. A nice change from the American style IPAs, very drinkable.

6.8% from St. Thomas, Ontario 46.6 IBU

IPA ~ GOOSE ISLAND

Again we discovered this one at a Blue Jays game on a very  hot evening.  For the price this sure beat the other domestic offerings.  The nose was quite hoppy with grapefruit and other citrus, pine and subtle florals.  The tastes were citrus and pine with a little spice and a bitter finish. Clean and very palatable.

Hops: Pilgrim, Styrian Golding Celeia, Cascade, Centennial

Malts: Pale

5.9% from Chicago, Illinois  IBU 55
-beer 100-

COUCH SURFER ~ INDIE ALE HOUSE

Couch surfer is an India Pale Ale, made for summertime drinking.  It is made with tropical hops (Tropical Hops, Citra and Calypso), to impart tropical fruit aromas, while still packing a bitter punch.  It pours a golden colour with a white head.  Nose is citrus and mango and hops.  Taste is citrus and hops.  A lighter bodied IPA with full hop flavour.

5% from Toronto    IBU: 60—65
-beer 96-

BOBCAYGEON IPA ~ BOBCAYGEON BREWING COMPANY 

Bobcaygeon IPA is the first product of this new upstart brewery. Currently being brewed on contract, the beer is designed to be a hop-forward session IPA, and features both Australian and North American hops
Pleasant and light tasting, with lots of floral and citrus notes. Good bitterness. Decent but not great.
4.6% made in Ottawa, Ontario IBU 42
-beer 81-