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Hogsback Brewing Company
Ottawa, ON I Established: 2010
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Ontario Pale Ale - Good
ABV: 5.5% I IBU'S: unavailable I Style: Pale ale
Much to my surprise, there was a new Hogsback offering at the LCBO today with the moniker "Ontario Pale Ale." I haven't heard a thing about this beer, but considering the scarcity of new Hogsback products, I was eager to give it a whirl. I really hope that "Ontario pale ale" isn't some new pale ale variant to go alongside pale ale, India ale ale, American pale ale, Canadian pale ale, North American pale ale, Kentish pale ale, etc, etc, etc, because the lines between all of these styles are blurred enough as it is. For now it's just a name for Hogsback's latest beer though, and a pretty damn good beer I must say.
It already has a special place in my heart because it's a malt forward pale ale, much more akin to British pale ales than American ones. There is some hop character, but it's mellow, and Hogsback strikes a nice balance with this one. Ontario Pale ale is a handsome pint, light reddish-copper but crystal clear, with a perfect cap of off-white head (or maybe it's just my incredible pouring skills). Aromas are surprisingly hop-free, presenting a bready, grainy and sweet character with some really subtle hints of berries. The flavour profile is right along these lines, except there is some nice hop character interwoven into a dominating but mellow malt backbone. The result is a decidedly British-tasting pale ale, focusing on sweet malt with some earthy and bitter hop character to balance it out. The hops for Ontario Pale Ale are grown in the province, but there's no indication as to the variety. One thing that's for sure is that there is absolutely no American-style citrus hop flavour here, but more of an earthy and leafy one. Ontario Pale Ale has that intense bready flavour found in their Vintage Lager, but it works nicely with everything else that's going on, and the beer is pretty well balanced overall. My only complaint is a bit of a skunky aftertaste that creeps up on you after a few sips, which is strange because each sip seems to finish very crisply. Mouth-feel is excellent, and this is a really smooth and drinkable beer.
Overall, Ontario Pale Ale is a welcome change to all the hop-forward pale ales out there. It's not exactly sessionable, if you care about that sort of thing, but with its smooth drinkablility and a manageable ABV of 5.5%, it's a good beer for all four seasons.
It already has a special place in my heart because it's a malt forward pale ale, much more akin to British pale ales than American ones. There is some hop character, but it's mellow, and Hogsback strikes a nice balance with this one. Ontario Pale ale is a handsome pint, light reddish-copper but crystal clear, with a perfect cap of off-white head (or maybe it's just my incredible pouring skills). Aromas are surprisingly hop-free, presenting a bready, grainy and sweet character with some really subtle hints of berries. The flavour profile is right along these lines, except there is some nice hop character interwoven into a dominating but mellow malt backbone. The result is a decidedly British-tasting pale ale, focusing on sweet malt with some earthy and bitter hop character to balance it out. The hops for Ontario Pale Ale are grown in the province, but there's no indication as to the variety. One thing that's for sure is that there is absolutely no American-style citrus hop flavour here, but more of an earthy and leafy one. Ontario Pale Ale has that intense bready flavour found in their Vintage Lager, but it works nicely with everything else that's going on, and the beer is pretty well balanced overall. My only complaint is a bit of a skunky aftertaste that creeps up on you after a few sips, which is strange because each sip seems to finish very crisply. Mouth-feel is excellent, and this is a really smooth and drinkable beer.
Overall, Ontario Pale Ale is a welcome change to all the hop-forward pale ales out there. It's not exactly sessionable, if you care about that sort of thing, but with its smooth drinkablility and a manageable ABV of 5.5%, it's a good beer for all four seasons.
Aporkalypse Now - Good
ABV: 5.5% I IBU'S: unavailable I Style: Oatmeal Stout
Hogsback Brewing Company wisely ventured into the recent bacon craze with their Aporkalypse Now bacon infused oatmeal stout. I'm not sure why North America is suddenly so enthralled with bacon, but there is for some a reason a market for products like bacon band-aids, bacon lip balm, bacon flavoured tooth-picks, and bacon clothing. Kudos to Hogsback for throwing some bacon in their beer. If nothing else, the wierdos that walk around wearing bacon t-shirts will be forced to drink this beer to prove to their friends that they genuinely are the biggest bacon-eating pyscho around.
For those of you who don't dig on swine, don't bother trying this beer. Hogsback has done a nice job infusing this beer, to the point that you can really taste the bacon, but aren't completely overwhelmed by it. Using a nice rich oatmeal stout as a base, they really have created an enjoyable pint, not just a novelty item. This beer still has all of the nice grainy and malty flavours of a stout, but it's replaced the sweetness with saltiness. Having said that, we're not sure that this is a beer that you want to have more than two of at a time, as the bacon flavour tends to linger and grow stronger with every sip, also leaving a sensation of saltiness that tends to leave the beer less and less refreshing over time.
When I enjoy a pint of Aporkalypse now, I find it best to drink it slowly and let it warm up, really releasing the flavour. This is a very enjoyable pint for even the rookie beer-drinker, and for the beer adventurist it is a must-try.
For those of you who don't dig on swine, don't bother trying this beer. Hogsback has done a nice job infusing this beer, to the point that you can really taste the bacon, but aren't completely overwhelmed by it. Using a nice rich oatmeal stout as a base, they really have created an enjoyable pint, not just a novelty item. This beer still has all of the nice grainy and malty flavours of a stout, but it's replaced the sweetness with saltiness. Having said that, we're not sure that this is a beer that you want to have more than two of at a time, as the bacon flavour tends to linger and grow stronger with every sip, also leaving a sensation of saltiness that tends to leave the beer less and less refreshing over time.
When I enjoy a pint of Aporkalypse now, I find it best to drink it slowly and let it warm up, really releasing the flavour. This is a very enjoyable pint for even the rookie beer-drinker, and for the beer adventurist it is a must-try.
Vintage Lager - Meh
ABV: 5.2% I IBU'S: 18 I Style: Lager
Vintage Lager is Hogsback's flagship brew, but certainly not their best. We find that most craft breweries smartly choose a golden lager as their flagship brand because these are the types of beers that appeal to the masses. We're not sure this beer would appeal to the masses though as it is way fuller and more flavourful than a standard lager, which might scare the timid beer drinker away.
This beer is a little cloudier and darker than your standard lager, which is a dead giveaway to its craft beer status. It has enough flavour to back up its look as well. We're just not that crazy about it. You can really smell this one as you're pouring it. The flavour profile is dominated by a very malty sweetness, with a wet bread flavour to it as well. Beyond that there isn't really a whole lot happening here, with just the slightest possible hint of hop bitterness. Mouth-feel is excellent though, as this beer is very nicely carbonated and almost has a chewy bready feel to it (in a good way). Goes down very smooth and is actually a very drinkable beer. Unfortunately though, we just not a huge fan of the heavy malt flavouring.
In the end this beer is worth a shot, especially if you are a fan of robust lagers, but don't expect to have your socks knocked off.
This beer is a little cloudier and darker than your standard lager, which is a dead giveaway to its craft beer status. It has enough flavour to back up its look as well. We're just not that crazy about it. You can really smell this one as you're pouring it. The flavour profile is dominated by a very malty sweetness, with a wet bread flavour to it as well. Beyond that there isn't really a whole lot happening here, with just the slightest possible hint of hop bitterness. Mouth-feel is excellent though, as this beer is very nicely carbonated and almost has a chewy bready feel to it (in a good way). Goes down very smooth and is actually a very drinkable beer. Unfortunately though, we just not a huge fan of the heavy malt flavouring.
In the end this beer is worth a shot, especially if you are a fan of robust lagers, but don't expect to have your socks knocked off.
