Lazy Hazy IPAzy
MacLean's Beer

At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From the Walker Rd. LCBO in nearby Windsor. Lot number 5030 1507. My second beer from the Thornbury, Ontario brewery, and for 2025. With Gracie the cat...

 

 

Dec 8 2025

Lazy Hazy IPAzy from Maclean’s Ales in Hanover, Ontario. 4.8% alc. Billed as a New England style session IPA.

This beer pours a hazy golden colour with a frothy white head that after a few minutes turns kind of soapy and then peters out.

The smell is your stereotypical melon hop aroma - overall somewhat subtle. This transfers to the taste. The beer is light bodied with a soft wet mouthfeel and a kind of bland dry finish.

In the world of session IPAs this is a bit unremarkable. I far prefer Sunnyside Session IPA from Great Lakes Brewery or All Day Session IPA from Founders. Still I’m glad I tried it. The beer is very palatable and enjoyable.

Final grade: B+

 

Tallboy from the LCBO; best before Aug 29 2019 and served slightly chilled. This is the third can I've had in the last several weeks, giving me extra time to solidify my opinion of this beer.

Pours a lightly hazed pale golden-yellow colour, topped off with one finger of foamy white head that falls apart within the next three minutes or so. A modest collar of froth lingers on, encircling a wispy thin cap; lots of sticky lacing has also been left behind. Orange and grapefruit citrus come through on the nose, along with fruity suggestions of mango and lychee. Slightly floral too, with hints of crackery, grainy pale malts off in the background.

A serviceable session pale ale, but the term 'juicy' isn't quite appropriate. It tastes of grainy pale malts and crackery sweetness, backed by notes of grapefruit, lemon, apricot and indeterminate tropical fruit - I'm leaning toward passion fruit, but it's up for debate. Some floral, earthy hops and resiny notes begin to come through on the back end, remaining dominant through the finish; the earthiness even lingers into the aftertaste briefly, which is not ideal here. Light in body, with assertive carbonation that prickles and prods the palate, resulting in a crisp, fairly refreshing mouthfeel. I found this easy to drink and reasonably palatable, but it's a poor representation of its style.

Final Grade: 3.46, a B-. I know that New England IPAs are all the rage these days... but if you designate your pale ale as such and it's a borderline case at best, you should probably expect some criticism. As a session IPA there is nothing wrong with Lazy Hazy IPAzy, but it barely qualifies as an NEIPA and so I must at least attempt to grade it accordingly. The mouthfeel lacks the smooth, weighty feel I've come to associate with this style - but given that this is a session beer, I can let that one slide. The real problems are with its bitter finish and decidedly not-juicy flavour profile. Go into this one with an open mind and you might find it to be a passable summer thirst quencher.

Can from the LCBO with a best by date of August 29th, 2019.

Pours a ‘hazy’ golden, if by ‘hazy’ one means the same thing one means when one uses the word ‘seedless’ when speaking of seedless grapes. Sight head. Moderate lacing.

Nice citrus aromas. Lime, grapefruit, a little lemon. There is even a little earthiness here too. Bodes well.

Aromas do not translate to the tongue. Short bitter burst of lime that fades before half a swallow. A little bready to finish.

Crisp, good body but with a quickly fading finish that leads to an overall disappointing sip.

A hazy NEIPA in a revisionist vocabulary where haze means almost clear, and juicy means bitter, but thick water with very little fruit involved at all.

Meh.