Mill Street Pair O' Dice Ale
Mill Street Brew Pub

Growler from Mill Street Ottawa. Purchased and consumed January 28. Unsure of bottling date. From notes.

A - Poured a dark copper with tons of carbonation. Bright. One finger of white head leaving great lace and good retention.

S - Lot's of citrus, pine, orange and grapefruit with some resiny hops.

T - Pine and resinous hops again. Some slight caramel up front. Very straightforward.

M - Great carbonation, medium body and a bitter bite in the end.

O/D - Nice. Not an overwhelming IPA, but the ABV is masked well, the flavours are strong, and it goes down smooth while keeping you interested. It just lacks some depth.

Growler filled at the brewpub on Jan. 26. Review based on first pour, served at 40-45 F in a Mill Street tulip.

Pours a slightly hazy golden-amber colour with a small off-white head that burns off in a few seconds, surviving as a stringy collar without leaving any real lacing behind.

EDIT: Second pour had a much bigger head and rather heavy lacing.

The aroma is typical of an Ontario-brewed IPA. A melange of citrus smells like tangerine and pineapple sit against a sweet caramel-biscuit backing and are accented by a soft cherry-like tone.

The taste has a solid bitterness to it up front. A grapefruit taste washes over the tongue before a thick, toasted bread character takes hold. The bitterness comes back in the finish.

This is a full-bodied ale with just enough carbonation to pop on the front of the tongue. Quite heavy on the tongue with a sort of tea biscuit quality that carries through to the aftertaste where I also picked up a lemony flavour and a hint of pine. A Nice oily residue lingers between sips.

This is a really solid IPA that I'm elated to have available locally and in my opinion the star of the Ottawa-only brews available at Mill Street. I'll be sure to have my growler filled often, it's just a shame that this seems to be a seasonal rather than a year-rounder. Maybe we can change their minds.