The Hazy Mariner
IX Poets Brewing

Haven't drunk the beer. But it's probably important to note that the founder of the brewery posted "Maybe the nazis actually had the jews figured out" to his social media account a few months ago (https://bsky.app/profile/10thpoet.bsky.social/post/3lpvdlny2c22s).

If you're looking to support a brewery that's Nazi-curious, this is the beer for you. If not, you should look elsewhere

can from a grocery store cooler - pours a cloudy orange-gold with a massive puffy cap...aromas of fruit, pine, floral over a sturdy malt base....hoppy but mellow rounded character, tart dty mouth feel....flavor has fruity-pine hops in front with flush of malt charter mid palate....goes to a rich lightly bitter clean slightly dry finish...a decent NEIPA, flavorful, quenching and satisfying...would love to try this on tap.

 

I bought a can today at the lcbo in Ontario 473ml at 5.3%.
poured a 2finger head into glass very hazy color the smell of fresh tropical fruits .
taste was was very zesty grapefruits with a medium bitterness.
easy drinking mainly because it's less sweeter then others and enjoyable to drink on a hot summers day.
the beer left a lace all the way to the end pounded with lots of flavor.
overall a good beer
cheers

June 16 2025

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Oct 29 2020 and served barely chilled. The marketing description on their website calls this a "hazy New England pale ale"... but they also toss around the term 'IPA', so this beer is not easily categorised into any specific box/style. At least, not until BA adds NEPA as a style.

Pours a slightly fogged golden-orange colour, producing an inch of soapy, foamy white head that retreats within five minutes or so. Lots of lovely lace is left in its wake, with a fat collar of creamy froth also remaining in place - looks good to me, though it's honestly not all that hazy... not that I really care one way or another, but we are talking about a beer with 'hazy' right there in the name. It mostly smells of citrus - orange, grapefruit and lemon to be more precise, mixed together with hints of stone fruit, bready wheat and floral hops.

It's a fine pale ale - wheaty, grainy pale malt sweetness serves as a backdrop, but is largely subsumed by the hop profile. I'm getting grapefruit and orange first, with hints of apricot followed by a rather bitter back end that ranges from citrus pithiness, to an earthy/herbal note, finishing with a resiny bitterness that persists well into the aftertaste. Medium in body, with average carbonation levels that lightly tickle the palate with each sip; feels relatively soft and fluffy in the mouth. Satisfying enough to sip - not quite a session ale, but I wouldn't mind another.

Final Grade: 3.84, a B+. The Hazy Mariner left me feeling conflicted. If taken as an APA, I found it enjoyable enough. As a hazy IPA/NEIPA, it's not a great effort - they do play up the haze factor a bit much, especially considering that the beer itself isn't particularly hazy, and is considerably more bitter than I've come to expect from a "New England"-style pale ale. Where's the juiciness? Sure, there's citrus, but where's everything else? It does share some similarities with old school Ontario-made APAs, but it lacks the robust malt presence to really nail the APA bullseye. But now I'm just rambling - this is a pale ale worth trying, but do keep an open mind and don't worry too much about grading strictly to style... or you'll start to sound as neurotic as I just did.

LCBO Purchase for $3.50 CDN. Served cold into a pint glass. Review from notes. Had this a couple weeks ago but couldn't find the listing here. Listed as a New England Style Pale Ale

Appearance - Hazy pale golden color. Nearly two fingers of dense white head and good staying power.

Smell – Light citrus notes, some mandarin orange and hints of lemon and maybe even lime.

Taste – Mildly bitter, citrus focus with lemon, grapefruit and hints of lime shining through. Finishes a bit too bitter for the sake of being bitter. Good diversity of citrus flavors.

Mouthfeel – Medium bodied good expressive carbonation. Medium dry finish.

Overall - Pretty good IPA/ APA. A touch too bitter but flavorful and well constructed.