Commuter
Hop City Brewing Co.

 

 

 

473 ml can served cold into a chalice. LCBO purchase.

Appearance - Pours a hazy dark golden and copper colored brew. Two fingers of dense fluffy white head. Very good retention and lots of spidery lacing.

Smell - Lots of tropical notes, some papaya and guava with a little pineapple in behind. Fairly aromatic and light smelling.

Taste - Middling bitterness, Initially quite malty then a small bit of tropical hops comes through in the form of guava and mango with some pineapple, then falls off and becomes leafy with tea like characteristics. Finishes witha surprisingly peppery and spicy flavor to me.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, a little gassy and finish isn't to dry. There's a ;little too much heft for a 4.1 % ABV session beer.

Overall - A passable session AIP with some unusual peppery and hot finish to it. Doesn't bother me, but I can imagine this may put off a few BA's.

Can, undetermined date:
An amber beer that gushed on opening, but ended up a medium amber beer with a light haze and a nice off-white head that lasts without much lacing.

Nose is more grainy with a bit of pine wood and maybe a hint of spicy hops. The flavor is a more balanced malt tea with a neutral bitterness that has random little hints of spice, grass, or pine - but nothing that sticks or stands out.

A little watery (though it is a session IPA), the beer is farily dry and quite refreshing. But overall, it's more of a light, easy drinking pale ale.

 

 

Yup, seasonable. Not overpowering in any way, not overburdened by trying to put on a hoppy muscle show. Pithy orange hops tamed by the fairly robust presence of malt which makes the thing seasonable. Drinkable if not memorable.

Light refreshing but with a clear citrusy hop profile over bready malt with a touch of orange pith.

 

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Feb 25 2018 and served barely chilled.

Pours crystal clear and effervescent, with more than an inch of fluffy white head floating atop an amber orange-toned body. It seeps away at an agonizingly slow pace, becoming lumpier and rockier as a beautiful coat of lacing is laid down in its wake. Orange peel and tangerine come through on the nose, along with - and this is a shocker for a session IPA - a rather sturdy malt presence. It's bready and lightly toasted with a touch of caramelized sugars, accented by some mildly spicy hops - not particularly aromatic, but what's there is nice enough.

Not bad for what is essentially just a light pale ale; its flavours are approachable, yet very dialed back. Toasted bread and wheaty grain are a continuous presence throughout the sip; orange peel also shows up quickly, buoyed by suggestions of grapefruit pith, biscuit and indeterminate tropical fruit. Finishes with a spicy, mildly bitter bite that doesn't last long, leaving the taste buds primed for the next gulp. Light-medium in body, with moderate carbonation levels that impart enough crispness to make this into a borderline refreshing tipple. Sessionable, but mostly unremarkable.

Final Grade: 3.67, a serviceable B grade. While I do love IPAs, I will admit to not really getting the whole 'session IPA' thing - sure, some of them are good, but they're still just a watered-down substitute for the real article (and if I'm going to drink something pre-diluted, I'd rather have a radler). Hop City's Commuter Session IPA is OK, and I'll give it the props it deserves by stating that it's totally inoffensive and very easy to drink quickly. I wouldn't discourage others from trying this beer, but as for myself... it's not likely to be a frequent pick-up.