S.V.P.
MERIT Brewing Co

 

473 mL can from the LCBO, included in the Hop Stars Vol. 1 mixed pack (a collaborative pack with beers from Lake of Bays, Sawdust City and Merit Brewing). Dated Feb 11 2026 and served barely chilled.

Pours a foggy, translucent golden-blonde colour, boasting more than two fingers of billowing, fluffy, foamy white head that slowly recedes. Well over five minutes later, it has been whittled down to a frothy cap and collar, with a respectable swath of lace strewn across the glass. Pleasant aroma with notes of ripe banana, wheat, clove, orchard fruits and freshly baked bread.

Surprisingly flavourful for only 3% - banana still figures in prominently, but there's also orange peel, apple and bready, wheaty malt sweetness. Spicy and floral at the finish, with hints of fruit reverberating into an off-dry conclusion. Light in body, with aggressive, tiny-bubbled carbonation that stays strong throughout the session, contributing to this brew's frothy, pleasingly active mouthfeel. Drinking a few of these in a row would be no problem at all.

Final Grade: 4.02, a solid A-. I mean, sure, if you're drinking SVP and comparing it to that awesome full-strength saison you had a few weeks ago, then of course this is going to seem lacklustre by comparison. However, it's a French table beer - not a full-blown saison, so that's neither a fair nor useful bar for comparison. I've only had a few table beers in the past, but this does stand out as a particularly good one - if this were available as a single, I could see myself buying it regularly. Possibly the highlight of this mixed pack.

At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, from Small Batch Dispatch, as an apology for Canada Post losing my August 2024 curation in transit. My second beer from the Hamilton, ON brewery.

A French table beer. Wonderful beer! Pours a pale hazy yellow. A slightly tart saison.

A good table beer is hard to find.
May 20 2026