Canadian Pale Ale
Imperial City Brew House

Notwithstanding that I’m Canadian and have been drinking ‘craft’ beer since the early 80s, I’m not familiar with ‘Canadian Pale Ale’ as a style; with a few notable exceptions, pale ales that I have tried in Canada are modelled on the American Pale Ale pioneered by Sierra Nevada, that is until the juicy fruit NE style of pale ales and IPAs steamrolled over the continent. So, if there is a CPA style, I can’t meaningfully comment, but I am pleased to write that this beer is really well made and a delicious pale ale, in the Sierra Nevada Pale tradition. The malt and the hops are well balanced and it’s all delivered in a 5% abv package. I’m drinking it chilled and unreservedly recommend it.

 

473 mL can from the brewery; dated Jun 23 2020 and served slightly chilled.

Pours orange-amber and slightly hazy, rife with flocculent sediment that soon settles out of the liquid. It's capped off with more than a finger of foamy white head that recedes at a steady pace; within five minutes or so, it's reduced to a lumpy cap and wide collar, with a beautiful coat of even lacing also having been deposited. Way too much sediment, but it looks good otherwise. On the nose, I'm detecting citrusy notes of orange and grapefruit, as well as some bready pale malts and light caramelization; there's also faint hints of something like melon or stone fruit.

This is a solid pale ale - nothing groundbreaking, but it's brewed well with a balanced flavour profile. Bready, lightly toasted pale malts and a touch of caramel sweetness come through at first, soon joined by notes of grapefruit, orange and cantaloupe. The hops become considerably more earthy, resiny and bitter towards the finish of the sip, which concludes with a grassy, resiny note that lingers briefly into a bittersweet aftertaste. Medium in body, with slightly assertive carbonation that lends a prickly, crisp feel to this brew's smooth texture. Good drinkability; I could pound back a few of these in a row.

Final Grade: 3.85, a B+. Canadian pale ales might not qualify as their own distinct style, but I've had plenty of them over the years and they can be quite underwhelming when done poorly. Thankfully, Imperial City's CPA is a very respectable example - it's got that robust malt backing that you usually find in CPAs, as well as some tasty hop flavours that are - to my surprise, quite honestly - holding up very well for a 4 month-old pale ale. Yeah, the sediment is copious, but that happens sometimes with (older) hop-forward beers, making it a very minor and entirely superficial issue, at worst. I'm not in love with the hop profile either, but at the end of the day it's still a darn good brew that is worth a try.

Pours an unusual gold/brown colour with a long-lasting thick head on top. A bit of a hoppy smell to it. The taste is fantastic. Just hoppy enough with hints of candy and wet grass. I really enjoyed this one
Oct 24 2020