Fresh off the Wire
Wellington Brewery

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated Sep 10 2025 and served barely chilled. I bought this in the winter, so I knew it had to be relatively old - but I seriously can't resist a wet hopped ale, even when they're out of season.

Pours deep orange-amber, with a fair bit of debris swirling around the glass. It's capped with over an inch of lumpy, foamy, off white-coloured head that gradually melts off; a little over five minutes later, I'm left with a wide, frothy collar surrounding a thin cap. Nice lace deposition, too - looks great so far. Grassy, herbal and earthy on the nose, with notes of grapefruit, caramelized malts, bubble gum and bread.

The flavours are along the same lines - toasted grains, bready malts and light caramel sweetness, with grapefruit and candied orange peel not far behind. Piney and herbal on the back end, with earthy bitterness and candied citrus playing off one another as they fade into the aftertaste, which is faintly sweet. Medium in body, with low carbonation and a soft, fluffy mouthfeel that suits the style IMO. I could drink a few of these in a row, no problem.

Final Grade: 3.78, a respectable B+. On some level, I may be cutting Fresh Off The Wire a little slack: this wasn't fresh when I bought it, I knew as much, and I bought it anyway. That's not the beer's fault. In spite of its suboptimal age, this is still a tasty pale ale that retains at least some of that wet hopped ale distinctiveness that I crave, helping to distinguish this product from your standard West Coast pale ale. I enjoyed my glass, and will definitely be keeping my eyes peeled this autumn, as I'd love to try it when it's literally fresh off the wire.

At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, 473mL in a pint glass. From the Huron Church Rd. LCBO in nearby Windsor. Canned September 10/25. My 8th beer from the Guelph, Ontario brewery, and 1st for 2026. Lovingly embraced by Sundae the cat...

473ml can served into a pint glass. Canned September 10, 2025. LCBO purchase. 3,050th review.

Appearance - Rich amber color with a finger of off white head. Good staying power. Fairly hazy.

Smell - Leafy hops with malty backbone. Some pine mixed in.

Taste - Mild tangerine with hints of citrus and earthiness. Pretty mild. Wish this had a bit more intensity.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, nice crisp carbonation and semi dry finish.

Overall - A high quality wet hop pale ale with good balance.

Oct 27 2025

 

Pours a lightly hazed copper color with a wispy, smallish head. The aroma is of grapefruit, pine needles and toffee malts. The taste follows suit with citrus and piney hops and an abundant malt profile. Some astringency in there too. The mouthfeel is full bodied with high carbonation. Moderate bitterness in the short lived finish.

A more restrained fresh hop ale with some rough spots but still worth a try.

Appearance: A body with a near impenetrable dark orange haze that shows modest carbonation. Poured with a thumb's worth of head that sadly didn't stick around.

Smell: Tangerine is the dominant note but pine as well is not far behind. It's clearly the hops, and possesses ample potency but it's not giving that bitter annhilation note that many pales ales suffer from.

Taste: Hops are the star here, but they never get out of control, starts with bready malt and tangerine that turns more cascade hops and then pine to round us out.

Mouthfeel: The bitterness never gets out of control, the aftertaste is like the smell, tangerine and pine, but the tangerine is dominant, but the pine lingers. Thankfully, it doesn't build upon itself and just gives a mild touch. Carbonation does pan out around the 3/4 done mark but was good while it lasted. Transistioning is steady.

Drinkability: I think the best part about this is despite the clear presences of a lot of hops, it's not remotely dry. It's also very easy to drink and interesting.

Final Thoughts: I really like wet hop pale ales and wish I saw them every fall, but I get it, the sourcing is probably hard to do. I'm not sure I'd say this is a giant stand out for wet hop ale, but it's certainly well made and well balanced. If you see it, pick it up.

A hazy reddish orange with a moderate head that dissipates quickly. The aroma is citrusy but mild/small and is larger on the tongue — tangerine zest — finishing with a properly firm (think West Coast) bitterness to finish.