Solstice
Caledon Hills Brewing Co.

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Dec 3 2025 and served barely chilled.

Pours a clear orange-amber colour, generating at least two fingers of puffy, foamy, off white-tinged head that lasts for more than five minutes. Afterwards, a generous collar of frothy suds surrounds a patchy cap, with multiple rings of delicate lace adhering to the glass - this is a gorgeous beer. The nose is decidedly less inspired - I'm getting grainy, doughy malts and light caramel, with hints of floral hops and orange peel.

The flavour profile is light and properly balanced, supported by a sturdy scaffold of bready, lightly toasted malts and a dollop of caramelized sugars. Orange, grapefruit and piney hops on the back end, finishing with leafy, earthy bitterness that leads into a bittersweet aftertaste that reminds me of green tea with honey. Light-medium in body, with low carbonation and a smooth, somewhat slick mouthfeel that goes down easy; super crushable.

Final Grade: 3.99, on the high end of a B+. Keeping in mind that Solstice is a session IPA, I actually love the fact that this has more of an old-school pale ale flavour profile. That's because the majority of session IPAs these days seem to lean toward the more modern, hazy New England style, so I appreciate this brew simply for *not* being more of the same. While I do enjoy the hop profile, I still don't think it's anything to write home about, and it's not necessarily a beer I'd go out of my way for... though if it becomes available locally at some point, I'm sure I'd continue buying it.

May 26 2025