Hazy 8
Sons of Kent Brewing Company

473 mL can from the LCBO, included in a Sons of Kent mixed pack. Dated Sep 12 2024 and served barely chilled. Their marketing blurb states that this is basically a hazy version of their 8-Track XPA.

Pours a hazy golden-orange colour, mustering an inch of soapy, foamy white head that gradually seeps off. Five minutes later, it has been whittled down to a sudsy collar and thin cap, with a lovely coat of lace draped onto the glass; looks good so far. Muddled aroma of melon, berries and passion fruit, with suggestions of grapefruit, resinous hops and wheat.

Good flavours, many of which are familiar to me from 8-Track - however, Hazy 8 puts its emphasis on different elements. For instance, the lychee and passion fruit seem more prominent, while citrusy notes of grapefruit and orange take more of a backseat. Candied citrus peel, floral hops and melon on the back end, with berries and tropical fruit wrapping it all up, persisting momentarily into the aftertaste. Markedly less bitter than its counterpart XPA, with more of a juicy tenor. Medium-full in body, with moderate carbonation that remains active right down to the last couple of gulps; the mouthfeel is pillowy-soft and juicy. Great drinkability.

Final Grade: 3.77, a B+. Hazy 8 is still a decent pale ale, but I don't think it's as good as its progenitor. While I'm sure the age of this tallboy is playing a role here, it doesn't really taste all that 'stale', for lack of a better term - the juicy hop flavours are still coming through clearly. I guess I'm just not enamoured with the flavour profile - Citra hops are great and all, but they've sort of lost their novelty. I'd love to try a fresh sample some time, but until then I'll be sticking with 8-Track.