Across The Nation Half Way IPA
Central City Brewers + Distillers

355 mL can from the LCBO, included in their Across the Nation Collaboration (Out West) mixed pack; dated Apr 11 2018 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a clear golden-orange colour, with one finger of soapy white foam collecting at the surface before falling apart within a couple minutes' time. A small amount of lace has been scattered about in its wake, with a thin collar being the only other remnant of note - nothing too exciting to look at... or to sniff, for that matter. I'm getting some orange peel and lightly caramelized malts on the nose, with muted suggestions of indistinct stone fruit and resiny, floral hops. A touch of coriander spice also comes through, becoming more noticeable as the glass warms.

A decent pale ale - it has a more substantial malt backing than most, giving it a pleasant grainy, wheaty sweetness that helps to blunt its more assertive hop characteristics. I'm also getting lots of oily orange peel, together with notes of floral hops, stone fruit and peppery spice; a hint of coriander also crops up towards the tail end of the sip, with the profile concluding on a persistent, earthy pine resin bitterness that lasts into the aftertaste. Medium-light in body, with middling carbonation levels that agitate the palate enough to result in a reasonably crisp, refreshing texture. I finished off my serving without too much complaint, but this is the sort of shrug-worthy brew that I expect to completely forget about within a week.

Final Grade: 3.55, a B grade. Torque's Half Way IPA is, if nothing else, an aptly named beer: on a scale from "good" to "not so good", I'd place it about halfway between the two extremes. In all fairness, white IPAs have never been my favourite stripe of IPA, so this one was working uphill from the start - and let's be honest, its age can't be helping matters. While I didn't mind this beer, I wouldn't say that I *really* liked it, or that it's something I'd be interested in trying again - pretty dull, IMO, and the weakest IPA of the four that were included in these samplers.

Can: Poured a light amber color ale with a large off-white foamy head with OK retention and minimal lacing. Aroma of dry hoppy notes with light bitterness. Taste is also dominated by dry hoppy bitter notes with some light bitterness and a dry finish. Body is about average with good carbonation. Too dry for a white IPA with wheat malt hard to notice.

Collaboration Torque Brewing, canned: Clear, slight haze, dark golden color, no activity. 1-2 finger head that last a minute or two, average legs and swirl reaction. Flavors of mangos, orange, sweet barley, wheat, coriander, caramel, light butter, and herbal hops. Slick and oily medium body with a moderate crisp. Strong strength finish, lots of tropical fruits and piney/citrusy hops, also grainy and spicy, with a subtle straw feel. Good freshness and the flavors are well balanced, still tongue coating and quite robust. The finish is slightly alcoholic and sour, but the maillard profile is below average. Feels a bit like a white IPA, though more of the latter. Overall very good quality craft, nice ripe tropical IPA without the haziness, more attenuated than usual.

Pretty even handed brew. Malt and hops nicely balanced. Dry bitter finish after a rather juicy start. Ordinary to look at beyond an oddly orange-peach hue. Drinkable especially for those who enjoy lingering biterness on the palate.

Very boozy feeling

Hazy amber with a good head with lacing. Mild pine hop nose. Light-medium weight due to the wheat bill. Good crispness.

 

 

 

 

355ml can, part of the 2018 Across the Nation collaboration pack with 12 different Canadian breweries, one from each province and territory. This one involves Manitoba's Torque Brewing, and is a White IPA.

This beer pours a clear, medium copper amber colour, with four fingers of puffy, rocky, and somewhat chunky ecru head, which leaves some layered streaky and sudsy lace around the glass as it lazily sinks out of sight.

It smells of grainy and bready cereal malt, some lesser spicy wheatiness, a bit of phenolic yeast, domestic citrus rind, and some plain earthy, musty, and piney hop bitters. The taste is gritty and grainy caramel malt, crackery wheat, mixed generic pome and citrus essences, a hint of earthy spice, and more understated leafy, weedy, and piney green hoppiness.

The carbonation is fairly laid-back in its insouciant-seeming frothiness, the body a decent middleweight, and generally smooth, as the hops and yeast kind of look the other way at this particular juncture. It finishes off-dry, the blended malt, yeast, and muddled fruitiness still mingling like kids at a junior high school dance.

Overall - yes, this one has the hallmarks of the style (Belgian IPA, that is), but they appear disjointed, and never really come together to provide a satisfactory experience. Not bad, just not all that good, either, I'm afraid to say.

Part of this year’s cross country collaboration pack, this is an enjoyable white IPA. The malt and hop resin mix happily, though it feels a bit more thin than I would prefer. Overall, an enjoyable IPA and first experience with Torque brewery.