River Session Ale
Blindman Brewing

River Session Ale is a slightly hazy, pale amber colored ale, the color of ripe hay with hints of lemon yellow. The head is rocky, white, and fairly lasting.
Well developed aromas of soda cracker and toasted grain lead the charge. Faint hints of leather and tobacco add depth and backbone to the IPA's aromam. In the center I note a faint whiff of lemon rind which compliments the tobacco notes nicely. Hops come through in the finish giving me pine, damp earth, and woodiness. All these aromas come together in a way that is very nicely balanced.
On the tongue, River Session Ale is smooth, dry, and crisp. Toasted grain comes through first, supported by flavors of soda cracker. Hints of leather provide a supporting through note as the flavors cross my tongue. In the center comes flavors of lemon rind combined with the more assertive flavor of hard lemon candy. Flavors lead into a finish that is crisp and bitter.
it's a pretty good American IPA. It has nice flavors of grain and malt, leather provides a great through note. The aroma is definitely pleasant and enticing. The only part that loses me is in the flavor profile. I enjoy the flavors of malt, leather, and the bitter finish. However, the sudden slam of lemon candy clashes in the flavor more than it helps. Otherwise, this IPA is well worth a visit.

 

Very easy going, summer beer. Hints of citrusy hops without any bite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

473ml can poured into tulip 19/11/16

a golden orange, fairly hazy but you can see streams of tiny bubbles feeding a thumbs width that has decent retention leaving lots of random lace

S pineapple, lemon, orange, faint spruce,floral hops, some bready notes, maybe a hint of passion fruit, smells nice

t the fresh flesh is focused more towards citrus rind, some earthy notes are hard to pace

M light bodied, fluffs up from the bubbles, mild bitter bite fairly dry finish, rind lingers

O pretty easy to put this one back, enough going on in this little hoppy ale to ensure I'll pick it up again

I might wait for warmer weather but I'll be drinking this stuff again, another respectable brew from this newcomer keeps my interest going

Now this is a beer I could tank pretty much anytime. Wicked sessionable, awesome light mouthfeel but with a slight creaminess. Sweet malts, bright grapefruit and piney hops.

473ml can poured into Sam Adams pint glass.

Pours a clear golden amber with one finger of white head that leaves spooky mangrove swamp lace as it recedes.

Smells of mild pine, orange and lemon rind, grapefruit zest, rising bread dough and more pleasantly dank hops.

Tastes of bread crust, more mild pine resin and citrus rind, mineral, caramel and more juicy sticky hops.

Feels light and perky. Medium-light bodied with sturdy carbonation. Finishes dry.

Verdict: Recommended. A light, hoppy treat.

 

Bought the 4 pack and they went down like water! Lots of pineapple, mango tropical fruits along with grapefruit, mandarin citrus and an extremely light, crisp mouthfeel. Definitely worth a go!

 

Had on-tap at the Hop In Brew in Calgary.
I wasn't expecting much, and it proved me correct. A session ale is code for "more acceptable to those who want commercial beers".
I only tried it because everything that Blindman has done up to this point-- including a stout that hasn't been added to BeerAdvocate's database yet-- has been spectacular.
This one was better than commercial fizzy water, naturally, but nothing stood out.

Another tasty brew from central Alberta's newest brewery. I enjoyed this on tap at The Taphouse (imagine that). This is definitely lighter and more zesty that their regular IPA. It looks great in the glass - again, lighter in colour and a bit less bitter on the palate the the Longshadows. This is a quaffable beer with enough character to let you know that the people brewing it actually care about making good beer.

Sampled on-tap at the brewery. A nice bright, fresh tasting session IPA. Very floral, very fruity. Lots of citrus. Quite bitter (more bitter, I find, than their standard IPA), light mouthfeel, unobtrusive carbonation. Could use a bit more malt backbone, but that's the trade-off with a session ale, and this one really seems to have taken off out of the gate in Central Alberta--already picked up by a number of local restaurants and even a national chain.