Rally Cap
Left Field Brewery

 

This beer is making me very happy. I’ve had a couple of sessions left IPAs this evening already and this little can is really standing out.

It pours a turbid orange/grapefruit juice-looking beer with a fluffy head. It’s aroma is pineapple with a hint of ripe stone fruit.

The flavour is slightly sweet tropical fruit with a nice subtle bitterness on the back end but I’m detecting a little heat. Almost peppery.....? It’s just there, nothing heavy but it makes this beer one of the most interesting beer I’ve had all year.

I bought it in Loblaws so hopefully it’s available in LCBO and other super markets and all year round.

I love it

A-Light yellow with a white head that is not very visible
S-Pine and dank aromas with a bitter citrus aroma
M-Light mouthfeel with medium carbonation, that packs an acidic bite
T-Odd acidic taste with a subtle sweet element that isn’t enough to balance the bitterness. Characteristics of grapefruit, but more pith flavour that desired
O-Not one of my favourites. Fine as a pale ale, I suppose. Not sure that the lactose helps.

A lovely light and refreshing beer pours a peach colour with citrusy piney hopping and a smooth underlay from the lactose which makes this beer very approachable.

355 mL can from Superstore; dated Jun 4 2020 and served slightly chilled.

Pours very hazy, with a lemon drop yellow-hued body that is briefly topped with a quarter inch of bubbly white froth. It fizzles off within thirty seconds or so, leaving behind a sickly-thin collar and nothing else of note. Not exactly a looker, but since when is beauty only skin deep? Grapefruit and tangerine come through on the nose, along with lesser notes of peach, mango and pine forest - it mostly smells juicy, but there's hints of sweetness buried in there, too.

It's pretty tasty; the lactose sweetness is a subtle nuance throughout the sip, being most noticeable mid-sip and in the aftertaste. Hints of mango, tangerine and canned peaches in syrup towards the forefront, with pithy, piney, slightly earthy bitterness building up towards the finish. Medium in body, with moderate carbonation and tiny bubbles which continuously tickle the surface of the palate with each sip; feels quite smooth on the tongue, and a little slick. Effortlessly easy to toss back, and quite refreshing to do so on a hot, early summer afternoon.

Final Grade: 3.95, a B+. Left Field hasn't disappointed me yet, and Rally Cap has pulled off yet another timely W. Personally, I think I'd take their Greenwood IPA over this one, but that's entirely my own preference - this one is about equal in terms of quality, it's just that lactose in pale ales isn't really my thing. Don't misunderstand me - my thing or not, Left Field did a fantastic job on this one, so if you're in the mood for something hoppy with just a little twist of sweetness then keep your eyes peeled for these short cans at your local shop.

 

 

 

 

355 ml can served cold into a pint glass. LCBO purchase for around $3.20 CDN.

Appearance - Hazy, pale golden color with a small half finger of white head that fizzles out pretty quickly, leaving little bits of billowy lacing at the edges of the glass.

Smell - Grapefruit mostly with some orange and even pine resin mixed in. A little more earthy than some.

Taste - Juicy flavors with grapefruit and papaya leading the way. A touch of orange pith and lemon zest in there too. Juicy but not too much so.

Mouthfeel - Medium-heavy bodied, carbonation is at the lighter end of things.

Overall - A yummy pale ale that is New England Inspired. The lactose may be in here but to me is not the distinguishing feature of the beer.

 

 

This is a really nice Vermont-style APA. It's a bit like a hazy, sweeter, and slightly more bitter version of the brewery's Maris pale ale with some juicy Azacca hops added in for good measure.