Uncommon Red
Troubled Monk Brewery

1L howler from Wine & Beyond Southgate in Edmonton - this must be exclusive, because there is literally no other mention of it on these interwebs.

This beer pours a clear, bright medium orange-brick amber colour, with three fingers of puffy, finely foamy, and somewhat bubbly tan head, which leaves a bit of splotchy and sudsy lace around the glass as it slowly but evenly subsides.

It smells of bready and crackery caramel malt, some muddled pome and citrus fruitiness, a hint of earthy yeast, and very mild leafy, weedy, and floral green hop bitters. The taste is gritty and grainy pale malt, a lesser biscuity caramel thing, some gently phenolic yeastiness, underripe apples and pears, and more plain earthy, musty, and floral 'verdant' hoppiness.

The carbonation is average in its quotidian frothiness, the body a decent middleweight, and mostly smooth, nothing really getting in the way of a good time here. It finishes off-dry, still nice and biscuity, with what I presume is that almost classic now Red Shed malt character.

Overall - I'm writing this while trying not to lose my shit after being probably one of the last Canadians to hear the sad news today (that's what happens when one has satellite radio in their car, and gets all of their news from fucking Facebook). Anyways - this is a fine brew, not really tasting much like any other examples of the style (again, likely due to the local ingredients, even though it was purportedly made with lager yeast at ale temperatures). Worth checking out, blah blah blah, now the real drinking begins.