Vic Park Pale Ale
Prince Edward Island Brewing Company

473 mL can received in a trade - thanks to ewpass for sending a selection of PEI brews for me to try! Dated Nov 20 2023 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a foggy golden-amber hue, topped with one finger of frothy, foamy white head that wilts away over the next two or three minutes. A sudsy cap is encircled by a soapy collar, with a ring of lace clinging to the glass above - lookin' good so far. Inviting aroma of orange, stone fruit, toasted grains and floral hops.

An unassuming pale ale that exhibits excellent balance of flavours - indeed, it took me a few sips to fully appreciate its subtleties. I'm getting a little bit of stone fruit alongside notes of grapefruit, mandarin orange, grainy malts and some light honey sweetness. Finishes spicy with some earthy, piney hop bitterness; the aftertaste is citrusy, earthy and malty, lingering for a second or two before dissipating. Light in body, with gentle carbonation that softly agitates the palate, contributing to this pale ale's very smooth, pleasing mouthfeel. Wow was this ever easy to toss back.

Final Grade: 4.11, an impressive A-. I'd buy Vic Park Pale Ale if it were available in Ontario - and actually, given that the LCBO does (occasionally) stock some of this brewery's products, it's not entirely impossible that I'll get another chance to enjoy this fantastic pale ale at some point in the future. A true session ale with a proper malt bill: I'd take this over practically any session IPA without a second thought. Thanks again ewpass - I dare say this might be the best pick of all!

473ml can - my version is the Gahan-branded one. The 'island life' mentioned on the label isn't the one most people think of.

This beer pours a slightly hazy, medium golden yellow colour, with a teeming tower of puffy, finely foamy, and somewhat bubbly off-white head, which leaves some thick, chunky, and streaky lace around the glass as it lazily sinks out of sight.

It smells of grainy and crackery cereal malt, muddled domestic citrus rind, a stoney flintiness, and some leafy, weedy, and dank piney green hop bitters. The taste is gritty and grainy pale malt, some orange and red grapefruit citrus peel, a damp minerality, and more earthy, musty, and resinous piney verdant hoppiness.

The carbonation is adequate in its palate-teasing frothiness, the body a decent middleweight, and generally smooth, with nothing really a cause for concern at this particular point in the game. It finishes trending dry, the hops sort of snuffing out any lingering malt aspirations.

Overall - this comes across as a pleasant enough pale ale, sort of a mesh of west and east coast brewing attributes. Simple, and easy to throw back while I enjoy watching the sunshine (and rising temperatures) outside of my fortress of solitude.

 

 

Another tasty CANBIF treat. This is a lovely, yellow/orange with a bit of haze and a soft foamy white head. The nose and taste line up nicely - citrus, white pepper, and malt make for a tasty treat. This is easily the best beer I've had from Gahan and I would be happy to seek it out again.

All-around solid APA. Firm malt backbone, Citra hop nose and smooth finish. Enjoyable. Currently my favourite beer.

Pours a super hazy orange body with just around half a centimeter of white, bubbly head. The aroma is big with west coast and east coast IPA fruitiness, with peach, tangerine, pine, and some dankness. The taste starts with a smack of bitterness, radiating into some fruity, yet still complex, flavors with very mild malt throughout. It definitely has a very silky smooth, and large presence despite being a lighter pale ale (I often find session pale ales are too watery). The best I've had from them so far, I would buy again in a heartbeat!

A-Unfiltered yellow with a hint of orange
S-Fruity and sweet aroma on the Citrus side of the scale
M-Light mouthfeel with carbonation also on the lighter side with a peppery bite
T-Sweet upfront with some caramel and honey malt notes. The bitter balance comes at the back of the tongue and there is a bitter resin that coats the gums
O-This APA was quite enjoyable and easy to drink. Thanks Alain for bringing this back, although the 1772 was what was intended...

 

 

On tap at brewery pub in Halifax.

Golden body with a decent head and excellent lacing.

Fruity and floral aroma. Hoppy for style but with moderate bitterness. Tropical fruit and faint slice notes. Clean finish. Medium body and carbonation.
Recommended.

My first PEI brew! A little hazy. Delightfully hoppy on the hose with a nice soft malty smooth finish with fruity hop notes throughout. A well balanced pale ale

 

 

Serving Type: 473 mL Can

A- Pours a Light Amber colour with a 2 finger lumpy white head with outstanding retention. Heavy lacing on the glass.

S- Fresh Citrus and resiny Pine hop aromas

T- Light grains followed by the hop aromas mentioned in the aroma.

M- Crisp Moderate carbonation and a light-medium body.

O- A solid APA that's both flavourful and easy drinking.

I would strongly recommend this beer. It has a beautifully crisp taste with a nice citrus finish. Feels great in your mouth.