Armed 'N Citra
Rainhard Brewing Co.

A- Pours an orange hued golden color and appears to have a healthy dose of chill hazing happening. The head is super thick and frothy, starting about three fingers and settling down to a solid 1.5 finger thick jet puffed topper over the brew. The carbonation appears to be mellow but there are many columns of fizz rising to the top. Lacing is good as well, with plenty of foam clinging to the inside of the glass in sheets. Overall it is a very decent looking ale!

S- There is a nice blend of hoppy bitterness, which smell fresh, leafy and of piney oils, alongside hints of several different citrus fruits (tangerine, grapefruit, lemon and lime zest, pomello). After the initial aromas, there are sweet malt smells that give off light caramel, and molasses. The finish is more soothing citrus with a hint of sweetness (Mandarin orange primarily). Decent overall.

T- Oooof, this fell off a cliff in a hurry! The flavors are not kind on the palate, with sour fruits and unripe fare abound. The lemon/lime/grapefruit character becomes the main focus here and not in a good way....almost as though this was made with straight up juices of these fruits. The beer flavor is very mild and doesn't taste like a Pale Ale at all....the hop profile is very muted as well....If I wanted to taste a sour pine beer I would have..... yuck!

M/O- Well the brew is crisp and light in body, with plenty of carbonation to pop on the palate. After getting by the disaster that is the flavor, I cannot give the drinkability factor a pass here....its hard to sip on! There is a well hidden booziness about it, and overall I think this is a hugely disappointing beverage.....wrongly categorized in style and is a blunder! Save your money on this swill.....now to have a Blue to get the nastiness out of my mouth!

 

 

 

Poured from a 473ml can. Canned on Sept.21/2020. 40 IBU's
A: Pours a light hazy gold with a thin white head.
S: A big nose of citrus fruits, quit strong.
T: Very mild on the taste buds considering the big nose.
F: For me a light body.
O: An ok dry hopped pale.

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Aug 5 2020 and served barely chilled.

Pours foggy golden-yellow, initially crowned with more than an inch of soapy, big bubbled head that seeps off within three minutes or so. A few far flung patches of spotty lace still cling to the glass, with a frothy collar also remaining in place - lookin' good so far. I'm getting lime, orange, lychee and passion fruit on the nose, as well as hints of apricot and pine needles.

A flavourful pale ale that showcases its namesake hop very effectively: there's grapefruit, passion fruit, lychee and cantaloupe, with hints of orange and underripe peaches, but more of a background presence is the grainy pale malt backbone with its oatmeal sweetness. Citrus (primarily grapefruit, with hints of lime) and tropical fruit remain dominant through to the finish, where they're joined by a bit of earthy, piney bitterness that ties up the profile nicely. Medium-light in body, with light carbonation that reacts limply on the palate; feels smooth and soft on the tongue, and effortlessly easy to gulp back.

Final Grade: 4.0, an A-. Rainhard's Armed 'N Citra is an eminently drinkable pale ale that straddles the line between APA and IPA, if not overstepping it entirely... but do I really care about that? Not one whit, because I enjoyed the hell out of it either way. This beer is a love note to hopheads across the province, and I'm practically swooning. Absolutely worth trying if you see it, and I'll be back for more.

Well... I love this beer but it’s not a Pale ale. This is an IPA in all but ABV. Great beer. Bright, hoppy, bitter, and citrusy.

 

 

 

 

 

Canned January 24, 2019. $3.25 per 473ml can. Served cold into a tulip.

Appearance - Pale golden color with orange hues. Good clarity. Below average retention as only a finger of head was poured and didn't really stay around too long.

Smell - Tropical fruit and sweaty gym socks with a hint of pine. Citra is definitely featured prominently here.

Taste - Light and quite intesely fruity with mandarins and tangerines leading the way. A bit of grapefruit ayt the back end and a malty biscuity goodness in between. Rich flavors with good intensity, one of the best tasting APA's I've had in a very long while.

Mouthfeel - Light to medium bodied, very crisp with assertive but not overpowering carbonation.

Overall - A really good APA with very good flavor balance and depth and certainly high drinkability. Should be a regular.

Slightly hazy gold under a moderate head. That's gone right away, no lace for me. Citra is one of my fave hops and it makes it's presence known here without being overpowering. Right there in the nose along side some other fruit. Properly hoppy to taste, a little bite from carbonation. Enough pith to add character without overwhelming. A nice easy, enjoyable quaff.

 

Sept 25 2025

Pours pale gold slightly hazy, generous fluffy head and good lacing. Aromas dominated by grapefrui. Flavour complex, grapefruit, pine, tropical fruit, lychee, mango, stonefruit, apricot.

Great fluffy white head upon pouring. Lacing abounds during drinking. Aroma & taste give lots of citrus with grapefruit & lychee both evident. Feel is full & smooth. Nice APA (their styling) which to me tastes like a nice fruity IPA with little astringent bitterness on the finish.

A local classic, not always available (or fresh) but it has the unmistakable citra aroma and kick. A tad thin at the end, but a great beer.

Pours cloudy peach with a wispy smallish head. Tropical fruit and tangerine hops explode in the nose. Huge juicy Citra mango, grapefruit, apricot hop flavors in the taste. The mouthfeel is medium to full bodied with lots of creamy carbonation. Medium to high bitterness in the fruity, everlasting finish.

An excellent, very hoppy APA utilizing one of the tastiest hops out there. Highly recommended.