Plowman's Ale
Grand River Brewing

Plowman's AlePlowman's Ale
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From:
Grand River Brewing
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
ABV:
4.7%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.7 | pDev: 12.7%
Reviews:
55
Ratings:
95
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Aug 18, 2018
Added:
Sep 16, 2007
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  11
This is a big, bold beer that is loaded with five types of hops but also backed up with a hearty grain that establishes balance and body. This deep copper coloured beer has beautiful spicy and a slight citrus hops note right from the start with a rounded malt finish accompanying the hop bitterness.

Immediately after pouring the beer, you will notice a full, rocky head form at the top of your glass that preserves all the flavour and allows the slow release of the hop focused aroma. As you drink and enjoy your beer you will notice the head take on a thick and rocky appearance as it creates some wonderful lacing down the side of your glass. All signs of a well made traditional style beer.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of eberesford
Rated by eberesford from Canada (ON)

3.75/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.75
Pale amber with medium off white head - aroma caramel. Flavour adds some toast and herbal hops.
Aug 18, 2018
Photo of Easton70
Reviewed by Easton70 from Canada (ON)

2.92/5  rDev -21.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
Drinking from a can from Loblaws. It pours a copper colour with a satisfying head that stays throughout.

I’m not getting much aroma but the flavour is similar to an ESB. Sweet, but not too sweet with just a hint of caramel but a slightly bitter and harsh finish.

It’s pretty good. I could drink a few of them happily.
Jan 24, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by GoHabsGo from Canada (ON)

Aug 07, 2017
 
Rated: 3.59 by kelvarnsen from Canada (ON)

Jul 10, 2017
Photo of Roby923
Reviewed by Roby923 from Canada (AB)

3.86/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Dark amber in color. Slight hop presence on the nose. Plenty of caramel with hints of licorice on the pallette. Good hop presence at 60 IBUs. Canned from the LCBO.
Jul 02, 2017
 
Rated: 4.29 by Boo-urns from Canada (ON)

Aug 13, 2016
 
Rated: 3.92 by OneTuffPony from Canada (ON)

Jul 09, 2016
 
Rated: 3.77 by EdwardPW from Canada (NL)

Jul 03, 2016
 
Rated: 3.55 by Mousel from Canada (ON)

May 24, 2016
 
Rated: 4.1 by bryanzk from Canada (ON)

May 05, 2016
 
Rated: 3.04 by CurtisD from Canada (NB)

Apr 28, 2016
Photo of CanadianBacon
Reviewed by CanadianBacon from Canada (QC)

3.76/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Appearance - This beer pours an amazingly beautiful hazy dark amber color with 2 fingers of off white head, The head fades and leaves a layer of bubbles over top. Carbonation seems really lively. This is exactly what I want to see when looking at an American red.

Aroma - a sweet caramel hits the nose right away. followed by some light citrus, mostly orange and a bit of grape fruit. Then I get some really roasty smells and it finishes off with some earthy floraly hops

Taste - Caramel but not as sweet as on the nose, almost like salted caramel or buttersctoch, floral/earthy hops dominate the caramel and are then balanced again by some sweet orange which mixes well with a bit of grape fruit. all the while a light roasty flavor is sitting on the back of the tongue. Very interesting.

Feel - medium-light body dense but not prickly carbonation.

Overall - This beer is more than I expected from a red ale, It is agressively hopped which Personally I like but also holds true to the style with Caramel and roasty flavors. The nose is amazing and the flavors do mesh well. When I first saw the bottle it interested me but the label looked plain and cheap. It goes to show dont judge a book by its cover. I would definitely have this again :)
Mar 27, 2016
 
Rated: 2.75 by fortyfield from Canada (ON)

Jan 25, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by CantankerousCaveBear from Canada (ON)

Aug 13, 2015
Photo of EricVonStein
Reviewed by EricVonStein from Canada (ON)

3.3/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
aggressive pour gets half an inch of off white head that settles to a film quickly. Nice orange amber colour and a little opaque.

sugary sweet caramel right away on the nose. brown sugar, malts are dominant. some light dates and prunes.

malts upfront with decent rye grains and sweetness that transitions in sour then bitter pine hop finish. Dry on the end. Tastes watered down, very liquid and light on body. dry bitter lingers.

Overall the nose is a little interesting but this brew turns out just average. An easy drinker that checks the boxes of an ale, but perhaps a bit too easy of a drinker. Not a lot of complexity or depth. Still, its got some good character, even if underdeveloped.
Aug 02, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by Jotora from Canada (ON)

Jul 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.39 by Long813 from Canada (ON)

Jul 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.58 by KrisDLSmith from Canada (ON)

Jun 19, 2015
 
Rated: 3.52 by Bf_89 from Canada (ON)

May 18, 2015
Photo of superspak
Reviewed by superspak from North Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
500 ml bottle into pint glass, bottled on 3/13/2015. Pours crystal clear deep orange/copper color with a 1 finger dense off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of caramel, toffee, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, light nuttiness, grapefruit, orange zest, light pine, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malt and moderate citrus/earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of caramel, toffee, toast, brown sugar, brown bread, light nuttiness, grapefruit, orange zest, pine, herbal, grass, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Good amount of herbal/piney bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of caramel, toffee, toast, brown bread, light nuttiness, grapefruit, orange zest, pine, and herbal/grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice robustness and complexity of dark/bready malts and moderate citrus/earthy hop flavors; with a nice crisp malt/bitterness balance and no cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, fairly creamy/bready, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is well hidden with zero warming present after the finish as expected of 4.7%. Overall this is a very good amber ale. All around good complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malt and moderate citrus/earthy hop flavors; and very smooth and crisp to drink. I definitely got some English yeast character from this, but the estery qualities were very well restrained. A nicely enjoyable offering.
May 05, 2015
Plowman's Ale from Grand River Brewing
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 95 ratings