Pengo Pally
Bush Pilot Brewing Company

Pengo PallyPengo Pally
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From:
Bush Pilot Brewing Company
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
Saison
ABV:
6.5%
Score:
90
Avg:
4.08 | pDev: 6.37%
Reviews:
11
Ratings:
27
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 21, 2020
Added:
Jul 07, 2015
Wants:
  4
Gots:
  6
The Arctic herbs for this brew were hand picked in the Nunavik region. After obtaining a small sample batch of several herbs (Labrador, Small Labrador, Crowberry, Ground Juniper and Cloudberry, we experimented with different combinations and ratios. In the end, we settled on three herbs: Labrador tea (Rhododendron Groenlandicum), Small Labrador tea (Rhododendron Tomentosum) and Crowberry leaves (Empetrum Nigrum).

Our long-time collaborator, brewmaster Ryan Morrow brewed a balanced yet complex saison-style beer infused with these exotic herbs. Sip Pengo Pally on its own, or with a nice summery meal of cedar-planked salmon, served over wild rice or mushroom risotto and steamed fiddle heads.

We sincerely hope you will enjoy both the beer and the story behind it. Cheers!
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Ratings by StormAles:
Photo of StormAles
Rated by StormAles from Canada (ON)

4.56/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.75 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

Jun 29, 2017
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.74 by bikko from Canada (ON)

Jan 21, 2020
 
Rated: 4.2 by kier from Canada (ON)

Jul 27, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Jotora from Canada (ON)

May 21, 2018
 
Rated: 4.12 by Simon212 from Canada (ON)

Jan 02, 2018
 
Rated: 4.04 by ikidunot from Canada (ON)

Aug 23, 2016
 
Rated: 3.81 by peensteen from Canada (ON)

Mar 16, 2016
Photo of biboergosum
Reviewed by biboergosum from Canada (AB)

3.96/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
750ml bottle, with more northern Canadian lore depicted on the label, i.e. the first bush pilot of Inuk heritage and his ride (with some cool native text front and center). Made with Crowberry and Labrador tea, two Arctic herbs, apparently.

This beer pours a rather hazy, pale golden yellow colour, with a teeming tower of puffy, loosely foamy, and fizzy bone-white head, which leaves a bit of sudsy arched lace around the glass as it slowly but surely abates.

It smells of grainy and crackery pale and wheat malt, aged lemon, overripe peach, and bruised banana fruity esters, a strange bit of mint-adjacent herbaceous character, ground white pepper, and some plain earthy, leafy, and floral bitterness. The taste is weirdly green and floral straight off, like something you're not supposed to step on (but do) when hiking in the mountains (almost soapy, but more perfumed, I suppose), with some semi-sweet grainy pale malt, a twinge of spicy wheat, um 'flakes', more mixed stale fruit juice, subtle yeast, generic white and black pepper dust, and some further leafy and herbal bittering that could be either hop or Arctic flora in origin.

The bubbles are quite invasive and incisive on my waiting palate, what with their sassy frothiness, the body a decent medium weight, and more or less smooth, depending on how you approach your expectations for the base style. It finishes off-dry, the malt reminding everyone gently how they keep this household running, yadda, yadda, yadda, but it is still those wacky tundra herbs that continue to inform one's impression here.

There's a pleasantly rendered saison simmering quietly here, as implied, but yeah, the spiced and herbal thing is what's really worth talking about. Overall, it's not over the top, but just different enough to make my Western urban educated ass wonder a bit more about the 'real northern' part of the Great White North - y'know, in that Canadian Heritage Minutes TV spot sense, and I mean that in a good way.
Dec 27, 2015
 
Rated: 4.24 by joemcgrath27 from Canada (AB)

Nov 23, 2015
Photo of Bwedwards
Rated by Bwedwards from California

4.54/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Beautiful taste. Cloudy golden look, apricots when sipping and herbs on the long long finish.
Oct 25, 2015
Photo of Phyl21ca
Reviewed by Phyl21ca from Canada (QC)

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bottle: Poured a hazy blonde color ale with a large foamy head with good retention and some good amount of lacing. Aroma of rustic malt and light herbal notes is quite enticing. Taste is also a great mix of herbal notes with rustic malt and light residual sugar notes. Body is full with limited filtration and good carbonation. I love the dry finish and the level of attenuation of this beer.
Oct 20, 2015
Photo of kevinlater
Reviewed by kevinlater from Canada (ON)

4.5/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
750ml capped bottle into snifter. "best before oct. 16" on the label. consumed oct 6 2015

a: a beautiful opaque golden yellow topped with slightly off-white head

s: juicy lemon, peach and banana blended well, not overpowering. mild-to-moderate white pepper spice, with wheaty-bready malt. unique herbal, earthy notes which i'm guessing are the arctic herbs? i've never had crowberry and/or labrador tea herbs so it's not like i know what they smell/taste like lol. really wonderful aroma though

t: slightly tart lemon up front with a bit of peach juice. clove and white pepper follow afterwards, but are underneath the fruit flavours. then come the herbal, leafy flavours which are pleasant. what i'm enjoying a lot is that the phenolic characteristics of the beer are very mild. some wheat malt flavours towards the end, with a moderate-ish bitterness. lingering lemony tartness

m: medium-bodied liquid and medium belgian-style bubbly carbonation amount to an amazing medium, almost medium-plus mouthfeel

o: a super impressive, easy-going saison with a slight herbal twist. yes, it's expensive ($10/750ml) but i'd say it's worth it
Oct 06, 2015
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.8/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
A couple of months’ aging. Somewhat gusher. Bold taste: fresh tasty malting with lots of bold spice. Refreshing. Not too yeasty and thankfully not overly peppery.
Sep 25, 2015
 
Rated: 4.43 by MarkhamPete from Canada (ON)

Sep 19, 2015
Photo of Electros
Reviewed by Electros from Canada (ON)

4.14/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Package: 750 ml bottle.

Appearance - Medium cloudy golden colour, great head retention.

Smell - Floral citrus notes.

Taste - Very unique and hard to describe. Crisp, refreshing, a spiciness that I can't put into words up front, will a hardly no after taste. Interesting...

Mouth-feel - Very light, goes down so smoothe.

Overall - This is a cool brew with a great back story of herbs hand pick from Nunavik, one of three northern Canadian Territories. Definitely this is a must try.
Sep 12, 2015
 
Rated: 3.98 by RedAleMan from Canada (ON)

Sep 06, 2015
 
Rated: 3.36 by SikSyko from Canada (ON)

Sep 04, 2015
Photo of taxandbeerguy
Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)

4.03/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
750 ml bottle purchased from the LCBO for $9.95 CDN. Served cold into a Sam Smith's pint glass. Saison beer with Arctic Herbs? Sounds interesting and worth a try.

Appearance - Pale hazy bright golden color, with plenty of carbonation and a titanic three plus fingers of fluffy white head even with a gentle pour. Great retention and some super sticky lacing left behind.

Smell - Not a lot when cold, but as it warms, some juicy fruit flavors of orchard pear and fresh peach come through. Some candi sugar and a some herbal tones that are a little different, but quite pleasant and aromatic.

Taste - Light tasting, with some small elements of citrus being nectarine and maybe lemon. Also leafy hops are slow forming but noticable and a smattering of arctic herbs to give the beer as slightly different spicy characteristic as well as some herbal flavors.

Mouthfeel - Smooth with soft carbonation, light body and juicier than expected finish. Some heat from a combination of the booze and the herbs.

Overall - A very solid and unique saison, which I would be certainly happy to enjoy again, and would repeat this purchase if the prices were just a smidgen lower.
Aug 19, 2015
 
Rated: 4.05 by KrisDLSmith from Canada (ON)

Aug 16, 2015
 
Rated: 4.27 by DebbieK81 from Canada (ON)

Aug 13, 2015
Pengo Pally from Bush Pilot Brewing Company
Beer rating: 90 out of 100 with 27 ratings