Sunlite
Storm Stayed Brewing Co.

355 mL can from the LCBO; no packaging date. Served slightly chilled.

Pours a cloudy pale straw colour, boasting at least two inches of thick, billowing, foamy white head that requires more than five minutes to die down. A wide collar of froth is left surrounding a filmy cap, with a narrow ring of lace adhering to the glass; looks good so far. Lemon on the nose, with nuances of grainy malts, bready wheat and floral hops; just a whiff of orchard fruits.

Tastes alright; about what I'd have expected from a 4.2% pale ale in terms of depth of flavour. I'm getting sweet apple, lemon and orange peel, with hints of wheat and grainy, cereal malt sweetness, too. Maybe a touch of apricot later on, with floral hops and citrus pithiness halting abruptly before a dry conclusion. Light in body, with initially assertive carbonation that exhausts itself rather quickly, resulting in a smooth, plush mouthfeel. Not an exciting beer by any metric, but it's very easy to toss back.

Final Grade: 3.67, a B grade. Sunlite is a serviceable light pale ale that didn't blow me away, but I'm sure it'd work just fine as a summer session option. It's a bit more crushable than this brewery's Sunburst pale ale, but that comes at the sacrifice of flavour, which I don't see as a great trade-off - more like a sideways step, at best. I'm open to drinking this beer again, but only if I can find a fresh, dated sample... perhaps the next time I'm in London, I'll swing down Wharncliffe and see what they've got on hand.