Hazy Pale Ale
Cowbell Brewing Co.

473 mL can from the LCBO, one of two new brews in their Summer Selection mixed sixer. Dated Apr 6 2021 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a hazy, translucent lemon drop yellow colour, crowned with nearly an inch of smooth, creamy white foam that seeps off within the next five minutes or so. In doing so, it drapes the glass with an even curtain of lace, while also leaving behind a tight collar encircling an islet of film; looks good to me. Quite citrusy on the nose - I'm getting grapefruit, lemon and orange, as well as suggestions of stone fruit and wheat malts.

A pleasantly fruity pale ale - flavours of apricot and grapefruit at the forefront, with hints of passion fruit, orange and melon not far behind; subtle notes of wheaty, bready pale malts are discernible underneath the hops. It finishes with a little bit of pithy, slightly floral bitterness that doesn't last for long, quickly dissipating into a fruity aftertaste of light citrus and stone fruit. Light in body, with above average carbonation levels that provide a fair bit of spritz to the mouthfeel, which is otherwise soft and a little fluffy. Good drinkability, but not a lot of depth or replay value IMO.

Final Grade: 3.78, narrowly earning a B+. Cowbell's Hazy Pale Ale isn't the most flavourful or aromatic pale ale I've ever had, but beyond that, I had no serious problems with this beer - or strong feelings about it at all, one way or the other. Its bitterness is restrained, but the malt bill is also low-key... so the end product, while palatable, is neither entirely satisfying nor especially well-balanced. Almost like a session IPA, but not quite as watery and thin. Nice to try - I liked this more than their Gravel Run light IPA, but I'm not sure I'd take it over their other mainline ales (e.g. Bobcat, Bruin, or Hazy Days).