Krispy Kringle
Dominion City Brewing Co.

 

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Oct 16 2025 and served barely chilled.

Pours a clear golden-yellow colour, fitted with two fingers of lumpy, foamy white head that fades within five minutes' time. A thick, creamy collar lives on, encircling a patchy cap of froth, with an inch-wide band of lace clinging to the glass - lookin' good so far. Understated yet complex aroma comprised of mandarin orange, ruby red grapefruit, honeydew melon, peach and passion fruit. Hints of pine, lychee, bubble gum and earthy hops, too.

This is a well-constructed, tasty old school American IPA. I'm getting orange, grapefruit, Meyer lemon, peach and melon, supported by some grainy, wheaty pale malt sweetness. Its profile shifts on the back end, with piney, floral hops, berries and an earthy, resiny bitterness asserting itself late in the sip. Not bracingly bitter, but it does have a pithy, resiny aftertaste that lingers on the tastebuds for a few seconds. Medium-full in body, with relatively low carbonation that brushes gently across the tongue; the mouthfeel is soft, smooth and pleasing, making for an unbelievably drinkable IPA.

Final Grade: 4.18, a rock-solid A-. Krispy Kringle isn't the kind of beer that will immediately blow you away, but I'm still impressed with its crushability, as well as its balance. This is the kind of IPA that I could drink all night, without ever considering a switch-up - and as much as I love IPAs, there honestly aren't all that many that I can drink one after another. GLB's Octopus, I guess, and maybe Nickel Brook's Headstock - but I assure you, those are both staples in my rotation, which means Krispy Kringle is inhabiting some rarefied air, indeed. A must-try if you prefer non-hazy IPAs.

 

Clear color, fruity up front, nice bitterness to round it up. Great WCIPA!