Dead Man’s Switch
Lake of the Woods Brewing Company

Thick, near fog like opaque, good head, near zero lacing. Not offensive per se but certainly piney a bit on the gamey side is how I would describe it, as one would imagine a beer from Kenora.

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Nov 17 2022 and served barely chilled.

Pours hazy marigold, crowned with more than an inch of bubbly, soapy white head that fizzles off within a few minutes or so. A curtain of lovely, delicate lace is draped against the glass, with a frothy, sudsy collar and cap living on - looks good enough to drink. Fragrant, citrusy aroma of grapefruit, orange, perfume-y flowers and lemon zest; I'm also getting spruce and cat spray, with suggestions of alcohol, cantaloupe and wheat.

It's a decent hazy IPA - I'm getting flavours of grapefruit, melon, orange and pineapple, in order of decreasing discernibility. There's also some wheaty, bready background sweetness, with hints of lemon zest, spruce and floral, resiny hops at the finish; mildly warming, with hints of sweet tropical fruit and citrus peel lingering into a slightly bitter aftertaste. Medium in body, with moderate carbonation that adds some bite to this brew's smooth, slick mouthfeel; finishing one glass is doable, but I'd pass on a re-fill.

Final Grade: 3.62, a B grade. Dead Man's Switch is an acceptable IPA that falls short of most of its hazy Ontario brethren - it's not particularly juicy, while also being bitter enough to be considered as something of a hybrid. That being said, this can was not very fresh - certainly not for a domestic brew that popped up locally a couple weeks ago (it's basically 4 1/2 months old). In light of those circumstances, I'll make a point of looking for fresh cans so as to revisit this review at some point - but for now, I'm content to file it under 'average'.

Pours a dark orange, deep and hazy. One finger head of tight foaminess dissipates over a few minutes.

Grassy and floral aromas are forward in this NEIPA, which is quite pleasant. Citrus follows, hoppy bitter orange and lemon peel. Vague tropicality can be smelled in the background.

Excellent, bitter hops flavour forward NEIPA with great spritzes of lemon lime and grapefruit, as well as floral and grassy notes. In fact, vaguely piney as well. Slight biscuity malt in the background. There is a slight tropical flavour here as well, but indistinct and in the background.

Medium bodied but definitely on the lighter side. Good carbonation of small tight bubbles, very nice foamy sip. The beer is not quite juicy to use common NEIPA parlance, and it’s not quite resinous as other strongly hopped IPAs. Instead, it rides a line in between that gives it a pleasant, balanced feel.

Unique enough of a NEIPA that it sticks out in my mind in the chorus of thousands. If you like typical IPAs and are unsure about NEIPAs, this is a great first beer and sure to please.

Slightly hazy, dark yellow colour, midsize head. Bitter, tart and hoppy on the nose. Although I’m usually not a fan of NEIPAs, the taste of this one is impressive. Not overly juicy or tropical, it’s just a right combo. I would buy this again
March 2 2022

473 ml can served cold into a pint glass. LCBO purchase for around $3.50 CDN. Review from notes.

Appearance - Dark yellowy color with some haziness. Capped with two fingers of long lived white head. Moderate visible carbonation.

Smell - Mostly citrus, with grapefruit and orange leading the way with lemon interspersed. Nose is pretty subdued though.

Taste - Plenty of citrus again, grapefruit and orange most prevalent with lemon and some sweeter tropical fruit finishing things off. There is a hint of pineyness at the end that blurs the line with a traditional West Coast IPA.

Mouthfeel - Moderately carbonated, fairly dry and easy drinking.

Overall - Solid citrus IPA that has no frills and is reasonably well executed. Worth a try,

Look: Pours medium gold with orange highlights. Hazy, semi opaque with a 1 1/2 finger tightly bubbled bright white head. As the head fades, a good ring of lace holds to the side of the glass.

Smell: Sweet and citrusy. Bright smells of orange, tangerine, lemons, papayas, and pineapple.

Taste: Pineapple takes centerstage at the front and into the middle of the sip. Plenty of citrus into the middle as well. I detected a bit of both lemon and lime flavours in the mix. The tastes are more earthy and gritty than the smell had me expecting. Finishes with a bitter kick.

Feel: Light to medium bodied, with a mid range carbonation and a slightly creamy texture. Plays on the top of the palate and sides of the tongue.

This is a decent NEIPA, very on point for the style, albeit swinging more to the earthier side of the pendulum than one might expect. It earns a B.