I was in Niagara Falls (on the Ontario side) with the wife and kids a couple of weeks ago. When we checked into the hotel after a 6 hour drive, I decided to saunter down to the hotel bar to treat myself to a beer. For some reason, I'd never heard of Alexander Keith's, but apparently the "IPA" is a big seller across the border, so I got a pint of it.
Bleecchhh! I've had alot of IPA's that stretch the boundaries of what an IPA can be, but this beer tasted (to me...and my wife for that matter) like BMC. It poured clear (I think Bud light has more color), with no discernible aroma - maybe some feshly mown hay if anything. No hop presence whatsoever, no malt, nothing.
How in the world can this beer be classified as an IPA?
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Some useful sites I think deserve promotion:
For craft-roasted coffee: www.hasbean.co.uk
For European beer: www.beersofeurope.co.uk
For rare beer: www.pitfieldbeershop.co.uk
For quality reviews: www.bottledbeer.co.uk
The only people who like this beer either seem to be hired guns trying to get "free advertising" for the company, or they're more into drinking lots of beer at once. I love the guy who says "drink it quite cold"; obviously this beer is better if you can't taste it...
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So many beers, so little time off...
www.michaelolsononline.com - Drop in and say hi! WAY better than the old one.
Last edited by fretlessman71 : 06-28-2005 at 02:31 AM.
Originally posted by hops99 How in the world can this beer be classified as an IPA?
I agree. Must be no truth in advertising North of the border.
I had a Canadien friend reccommend that to me, as he knew I was an IPA fan. I came away with the same conclusion:
"I CAN'T TASTE MY BEER!!"
Save the stuff for some unknowing soul at a party or for lawn mower beer.
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I've seen better looking hops on a one-legged rabbit..
Originally posted by hops99 ...but apparently the "IPA" is a big seller across the border
Yup, it sells well due to the advertising behind it. Just like Molson Canadian and Labatt Blue. It's really just another macro aimed at the masses.
If you're back in Canada again, look for Tree's Hophead IPA, or Wild Rose's IPA. These are both made in Western Canada. I'm not sure what to suggest in Eastern/Central Canada.
I would echo all of Meridian's recommendations above. Last October I was in Montreal and I visited a decent brewpub that had a very passable IPA and I took a sip of the Hemp Ale too. The place was a hangout for college kids and was packed. We sat outside and watched them pile in.
Just as long as you avoid their Grasshopper wheat ale, which tastes intriguingly like grass (so not really false advertising, other than the fact that they have hidden the 'wheat' component atonishingly well).
Don't be put off by Keiths (great article, btw: starts off subtle and slowly degenerates into a rout), as there are actually, as mentioned above, some very good IPAs in Canada. I've found that the best ones seem to come in upwards of 500ml bottles, if that's any help when you go to a liquor store (generally speaking, don't go for a carton of 330ml bottles).
Also, don't expect much from British IPAs. Although we may have invented the style (I'm not actually sure on this), you clever Americans have developed and improved it in a very tasty way.
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Some useful sites I think deserve promotion:
For craft-roasted coffee: www.hasbean.co.uk
For European beer: www.beersofeurope.co.uk
For rare beer: www.pitfieldbeershop.co.uk
For quality reviews: www.bottledbeer.co.uk
Still in BC, but I'm leaving in about a week, so I'm going to have to put Seattle on hold until I return (and to think it didn't occur to me to go with a friend a few months ago when he visited his parents in Seattle). It may be a couple of years, though.
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Some useful sites I think deserve promotion:
For craft-roasted coffee: www.hasbean.co.uk
For European beer: www.beersofeurope.co.uk
For rare beer: www.pitfieldbeershop.co.uk
For quality reviews: www.bottledbeer.co.uk
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