An award winner², Brewmaster Joel Manning developed the recipe over 20 years ago and it remains his favourite, listed as in an LCBO interview as the beer he would choose if he could only drink one beer ever again.

It is an American-style pale ale, using five types of malts and plenty of Cascade hops, in true APA fassion.

¹Main production has since moved to Scarborough. The brewpub still exists in the distillery district location.
²Golden Taps Award, Toronto’s Best Beer: 2004 through 2007 consecutively.

Date: December 11th, 2011
Served At: Home
Served From: Bottle
Served In: Mill Street Tankhouse Ale 
Serving Size: 341 mL
Serving Temperature: 13°C

Apearance

The beer pours a rich copper colour. Overhead lighting produces highlights of burnt orange and lowlights of rust red, which round out the colour quite nicely. The beer is crystal clear in clarity.

A light, cream coloured head tops the brew, made of moderately tight bubbles. One and a half fingers. Head dissipates fairly quickly but lacing lingers quite a while longer (though it was absent in the later half of the beer). Small bubbles steadily rising from bottom of glass to meet the cap hint at a nice level of carbonation.

Aroma

Grapefruit notes, slightly metallic, from the Cascade are first noticed on the nose. A malt aroma is also present, slightly biscuity and toasty.

Taste

Bold, tart grapefruit flavor up front from the Cascades. Malt flavours (slightly roasted) evolve subtly but become more pronounced as the initial hop flavour disapates.  Nice bitter finish.

Mouthfeel

Medium bodied mouth feel. Moderately tingly due to carbonation.

Overall

A nicely balanced, nicely flavoured APA which would session well, though can be enjoyed as a sipper as well.

This review can also be found on BeerAdvocate.

This resolution got me out to the Liquor and Beer stores, always looking for ones I haven’t tried. I started trying different styles of beers and noting the differences between styles. This search elevated my appreciation even further. I was at the mall and found myself browsing through a bookstore. There was a tiny section on beer, most of the limited selection being books listing different beers and the breweries that make them. I found a book, The Naked Pint, written by Christina Perozzi and Hallie Beaune, two female beer aficionados, based in California. I read about the different styles of beers and learned much that I didn’t know about my drink of choice.

There was a section in the back of the book about home brewing, and this interested me greatly. I read all I could about home brewing before trying my first batch this past April, two Cooper’s Real Ale extract kits brewed together to boost the potency. After aging, it was surprisingly good (at least to what I thought it would taste like), and I haven’t looked back. Up to date, I have brewed 4 batches (the latest – a pumpkin ale – was a throw-away due to fruit flies ruining the batch).

The next step I thought I would take would be to review the commercial beers I drink, as well as document my ventures in home brewing. My domain had been sitting dormant for some time, so I thought I would buy some hosting, and set up a blog.

While not many people may find or read this blog, that is ok with me as I am writing it mainly for myself; to reflect upon it years from now, to see how my appreciation for beer has matured. If you do end up reading this blog, I would love to hear your comments.

As for my resolution, I have so far kept with it. And my quest for knowledge is continuing strongly as well. I recently subscribed to Brew Your Own magazine, and am currently reading both How to Brew by John Palmer and Tasting Beer by Randy Mosher. Hopefully this blog will last as well – for my own sake – and not end up on the back burner, only to be forgotten like so many other of my web projects!

Cheers!