Mean Sceptre
Third Moon Brewing

473 mL can; dated Sep 3 2025 and served slightly chilled. Day 1 of the Toronto Brewing 2025 advent calendar. I am going to attempt to review these beers on a daily basis, in sequence, as they're revealed - unlike in previous years, where I was still chipping away at them in late January, if not later.

Pours a hazy pale golden colour, fitted with one finger of soapy, foamy white head that fizzles within a couple of minutes. An attractive ring of delicate lace decorates the glass, with a generous collar of froth surrounding a sudsy cap - looks good so far, and the aroma is similarly alluring. I'm getting mandarin orange and mango, as well as hints of passion fruit and papaya; floral hops, bruised orchard fruits and wheaty, bready malts are also discernible.

Solid flavours; it's essentially a light NEIPA. Muddled flavours of orange, passion fruit, mango and canned pineapple mingle on the taste buds, with wheaty, bready malts and gritty graininess providing backup support. Floral, earthy and a little dank on the back end, with tropical fruits rapidly dissipating into a slightly bitter, acidic aftertaste. Medium-full in body, with moderately low carbonation that lightly prickles the tongue with its tiny bubbles. Effortlessly easy to toss back, with some session potential.

Final Grade: 3.94, a B+. Mean Sceptre is a pretty solid NEPA. I mean, it doesn't exactly tread any new ground... but I do like Mosaic hops, so if I were simply in the mood for a pale ale, then I figure this'd get the job done just fine. This is the first Third Moon brew I've had the chance to try, and I hope to try many more in the future - I'd say this advent calendar is off to a strong start.