Shade
Slake Brewing

473 mL can from the brewery; coded B290 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a hazy golden-orange colour, giving rise to nearly two fingers of soapy, foamy white head. It lasts for the better part of five minutes, eventually worn down to a sudsy collar and a thin cap; a half-inch band of even lace clings to the perimeter. Mild aromas of melon, orange and orchard fruits, with suggestions of dank hops and grapefruit.

A solid IPA that mainly features fruity hop flavours, at least early on. I'm getting pineapple, orange, melon and apricot, as well as a pronounced bready malt backbone. Stone fruits and melon last into the finish, joined by dank, slightly resinous hop bitterness; orange juice, apricot and light resin linger into the aftertaste. Not exactly warming, but you can tell this is a relatively strong IPA. Medium-full in body, with moderately low carbonation that gently tickles the tongue, contributing to this brew's soft, smooth mouthfeel. Fair drinkability for 7%, but one serving per night seems adequate.

Final Grade: 3.94, a B+. I don't have all that much shade to throw at Shade: it's a pretty good hazy IPA without any real surprises. Strong, sweet and not especially juicy, with some dank bitterness that helps balance out the sweetness; however, its generous mouthfeel might be my favourite aspect. Maybe not the most memorable of IPAs, and certainly not my favourite of Slake's pale ales, but still worth trying for yourself at least once.

Can pour. Probably their best beer. Lots of sweet (oat) cushioning. This and rise are not a bad one-two hop punch, but not worth coming special to try them.