New England Style - Octopus Wants To Fight
Great Lakes Brewery

At my lady Pamela's house; canned and chilled, from their Octo Boxset 4-pack at my favourite LCBO at The Roundhouse Centre in nearby Windsor. My fourth beer from the Etobicoke, ON brewery.

Sept 22 2024

 

473 mL can from the LCBO, included in GLB's Octo-Mix pack; dated Apr 24 2024 and served barely chilled.

Pours a foggy golden-yellow colour, topped with an inch of tight, foamy, sparkling white head that melts away within five minutes or so. A delicate coat of seafoam lace is imprinted onto the glass, with a dense collar and frothy cap lingering on; looks good so far. Fruity, tropical aromas of mango, orange juice, grapefruit and peach, with hints of melon and lemon.

Like its older brother, this is a really tasty IPA. Juicy, fruity hop flavours of grapefruit, peach, honeydew melon and mango are apparent, with hints of wheaty, bready malts underneath. Just a little bit of pineyness on the back end, with pineapple, stone fruit and citrus pulp reverberating into a slightly acidic aftertaste. On the fuller side of medium-bodied, with average carbonation levels that add some bite to this brew's smooth, soft mouthfeel. Effortlessly easy to knock back, but I would rank this (just barely) below the original in terms of drinkability.

Final Grade: 4.24, a very respectable A-. In terms of sheer volume, the original Octopus Wants To Fight is quite likely my most-consumed IPA of all time. Now, I wouldn't go so far as to say it's the best of GLB's Tank Ten IPAs, but it does have some major advantages, in that it's easy to find, available year round, and better value than most of its competition. This New England Style variant isn't necessarily superior to the original, but it does seem juicier - and besides, it's fun to try a different spin on a recipe that I have been enjoying for eight years now. If this beer becomes a permanent fixture in their lineup, it will immediately enter my weekly rotation.

Pours golden orange with a compact, frothy head that drapes the glass in lace. Loads of apricot, mango and pineapple hops in the nose with some cookie dough malts in there too. The taste is aggressively hoppy with tropical fruit hops and a diminutive malt ballast. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with full carbonation. High bitterness and an abundance of fruitiness in the long finish.

A juicier take on the OG master Ontario IPA. A must try.

473ml can served cold into a tulip. LCBO purchase as part of the mixed Octo pack. Canned 4/24/2024.

Appearance - Hazy golden brew with orange highlights. Great three fingers of fluffy and long lived white head. Nice curtains of lacing left behind.

Smell - Loads of citrus with grapefruit leading the way and a nectarine undercurrent. A touch of passionfruit. Very close to the original Octopus.

Taste - Fairly juicy and sweet up front, with nectarine and a hint of melon. Grapefruit in the background but a bit more subdued. Some spicy hop oils finish things off.

Mouthfeel - Medium-full bodied and a creamy finish. Well carbonated and very crushable.

Overall - A little different than the original, but a very good IPA from Ontario's foremost brewer of quality IPA's (IMO). A splendid addition to the mixed pack.

 

 

Part of their 7 Barrel Series,

Appearance - Pours a hazy apricot with four fingers of frothy white head.

Smell - citrus and tropical hops, tangerine, orange peel, hint of pineapple, hint of papaya, mango, bready malts, caramel, and citrusy earthy yeast.

Taste - bold citrus and tropical hops upfront. The tangerine, orange peel, hint of pineapple, papaya, and mango follow suit. The bready malts, caramel, and citrusy earthy yeast finish the brew off.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Finishes sticky with the hops and tropical fruits lingering.

Overall - A crushable and very flavourful NE IPA. This takes the original Octopus Wants to Fight to a whole different dimension. This one is true stand out in the category!