Sparkling Ale
Mill Street Brew Pub

Sparkling AleSparkling Ale
Beer Geek Stats
From:
Mill Street Brew Pub
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
American Blonde Ale
ABV:
4.7%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.57 | pDev: 14.57%
Reviews:
7
Ratings:
7
Status:
Retired
Rated:
May 23, 2010
Added:
Feb 04, 2004
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of biegaman
Reviewed by biegaman from Canada (ON)

3.46/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
On-tap at Mill Street Brewpub, in Toronto.

True to its name, this is definitively sparkling. There is not a fleck of fog nor even a solitary bubble to disturb the pristine golden radiance. It gleams and glints. Its plush white head is so velvety thick that it can be sensed on the lips, it is like an insulating layer of velour. And naturally, its clumpy, knotted threads of lace stick to the glass like magnets.

The only real difference between this and Mill Street's Stock Ale, so I'm told, is that Sparkling Ale uses actual whole-leaf hops where as the Stock employs only hop extracts. This does amount to a different mouthfeel but as far as aroma goes, it's negligible. Remarkably, this has virtually no smell what so ever. Literally, strangely, virtually none.

The taste is exceedingly bready and really only that. To my palate, anyways, I taste nothing but toasted white bread. Just plain old white bread. OK, perhaps there's just a touch of vaguely earthy hoppiness on the finish too. At least there's no corn or other adjuncts; the fact that the brewery doesn't bother with cheap fillers is wholly apparent.

People often say of strong, robust beers - imperial stouts or barleywines, for instance - that they couldn't drink them all night. And that is true (sometimes) but it can also be true of beers like this. To be blunt: I lost interest very quickly. I wondered why I ordered a full pint. It's too vanilla, too plain. It ceased being refreshing and started being just boring.

That being said, I can see it making a lot of other people happy (for precisely that reason). It is an exceptionally clean and affable beer, however, I do wonder what the sense is in brewing the Sparkling Ale as well as the Stock Ale and Organic Lager, given that all three share substantial similarities. Oh well, I'm sure they all sell well (and rightfully so).
May 23, 2010
Photo of Derek
Reviewed by Derek from Canada (BC)

3.78/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I think this is actually now branded as "Stock Ale". They probably should have just called it a blonde ale.

On-tap at Terroni (Toronto Life rated it was one of the best pizza's in town).

A: Golden-blonde, white head, not much retention but it initially leaves some lace.

S: Floral & grassy hops with a hint of caramel sweetness.

T: Lightly flavoured: floral & grassy hops, hints of bread, fruit & caramel sweetness; modest bitterness.

M: Relatively light body has a light creamyness. Carbonation is a little higher than moderate.

D: It's not overly enticing, but it is quite quaffable.

Great pizza beer.
Feb 25, 2007
Photo of Frozensoul327
Reviewed by Frozensoul327 from Michigan

4.47/5  rDev +25.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
God, I could drink this beer ALL DAY. Smooth white foamy head, with higher than normal carbonation and a wonderfully bright golden colour. Exceptionally refreshing and satisfying this beer is better served ice cold to experience the true flavor. Very dry after taste that doesn't hang around too long. Highly recommended.
Sep 05, 2004
Photo of putnam
Reviewed by putnam from Michigan

2.74/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5
I wondered if this would emulate the original "Sparkling Ale" - Cooper's - or the Kalamazoo BC's hoppy tripel with the same name.
On the nose it offers a big, steamy bowl of hot cereal. One can find a certain floral, nutty quality as well as ample doses of asparagus and cooked, dried spinach.
Once a swallow or two go down it becomes clear this has nothing to do with either of the other two "Sparkling Ales" I know. It does continue a pattern from this brewery of beers with thick, throaty textures and dry, low acid, sugarless flavors. Completely boiled hops, perhaps the wrong kind, leave a generous track of bitterness and a dried spinach flavor that doesn't exactly lend stylish goodness to this liquid.
A big, natural, ambitious project, but one that may need some more work.
Jul 29, 2004
Photo of baiser
Reviewed by baiser from Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured a light golden colour, foamy head, bubbles were small and refined. Good lacing. Champagne like in appearance.

Aroma is a mix of hops and fruitiness.

Tastes sweet and fruity initially, but the hops come out towards the end of each sip. After taste is nice and dry. Not much flavour to this beer.

Mouthfeel is nice. Bubbles tingle inside your mouth. Light bodied beer. Very drinkable.
Jul 20, 2004
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.97/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
A different beer on tap. Had at Beer Bistro summer beer tasting. Clear mid-sip fruit taste in sweet aroma, more so than the bottle. Grass and Fruity aroma is there. Was light-medium mouthfeel and malts and hops made it drinkable.Dry aftertaste, less so than bottle.

Had it on tap fresh at the brewery a year later, after they changed its name to their "Stock Ale" and it was even better, so raised raiting.
Jul 01, 2004
Photo of JustinBathurst
Reviewed by JustinBathurst from Canada (ON)

3.35/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours an extremely clear yellow gold with a nice foamy head that is fairly substantial & laces all the way down when drinking.

Smells really hoppy and has a sharp floral aroma that overpowers.

Mouthfeel is typically light and crisp, as would be expected. Carbonation seems more subdued than usual.

A citrus flavour is briefly present, hops are on the understated side of things (much less than the aroma suggests). Has a bitter finish that doesn't go out of its way to last. Seems like a watered-down (I'm not sure how it could be, but anyway) version of their organic beer. Just less impressive in general. However, over the course of the beer the taste does build up slightly and become more defined and pronounced to combat the underwhelming initial sips.

Not bad. Good with spicy food. Nice stubby bottle like their others (tankhouse, etc.)
Feb 04, 2004
Sparkling Ale from Mill Street Brew Pub
Beer rating: 3.57 out of 5 with 7 ratings