Red Mosquito
Tooth and Nail Brewing Company

330 mL bottle, day 16 of the 2022 Toronto Brewing beer advent calendar; no bottling date and served slightly chilled.

Pours bright, clear and effervescent, its medium golden-hued body crowned with two fingers of puffy, soapy white head. A beautiful bridge of arcing lace clings to the glass, with a generously foamy collar and patchy cap remaining on the surface - visually, it's a highly enticing beer. It smells of sweet red apples, pears, white grapes, freshly baked bread and lemon, with hints of stone fruit and peppery spice.

Light candi sugar sweetness at the forefront, with flavours of dried apricot, apple, bread and grape skin developing thereafter. Spicier on the back end, with white pepper and clove; hints of banana and orchard fruit persist into a slightly sweet & warming aftertaste. Pretty close to full-bodied, with aggressive carbonation that prickles and prods the tongue relentlessly with each sip; the mouthfeel is crisp, spritzy and a little frothy. This small bottle was exceedingly easy to quaff, and seems like the ideal serving size for this beer.

Final Grade: 4.04, an A-. As fond as I am of Belgian beers, there is a vanishingly small number of Ontario craft breweries that have actually proven their ability to recreate them. That's why I was so pleased with Tooth & Nail's Red Mosquito - easily one of the best strong BPAs I've had in quite some time, and well worth seeking out if you have an affinity for this exquisitely complex and rewarding style. I'd buy this again in a heartbeat.