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Whiprsnapr Brewing Co.
14 Bexley Pl. | Nepean, ON | Established: 2014
Permanent Brews
Unf
Root of Evil Inukshuk F'n'L Ok Lah! Black Sunshine Carol Anne |
Inukshuk - Good
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 55
Style: Canadian IPA
IBU: 55
Style: Canadian IPA
Anyone who reads my reviews regularly probably knows that I've started to bitch and moan quite a bit about the over-abundance of hoppy PA's, IPA's and APA's. It's not that I don't like these styles, it's just that the market is saturated, and every time I need a new beer to review, these hoppy PA's are usually the only beers available that I haven't had. Tragically, this trend continued when I visited the Whiprsnapr brewery on a Sunday afternoon. They were literally picked clean of almost every beer, except Inukshuk...their Canadian pale ale. As it turned out, this was a good thing because Inukshuk is a very solid beer, and I was pleasantly surprised by almost every aspect of it.
Appearance wise, it's very impressive. It looked super thick and goopy coming out of the bottle, flashing a bright and deep copper colour, and the pour finished with a cool cyclonic cascade, settling with a good amount of thick foamy light tan head that had some serious staying power. The aromas are nicely balanced between a surprisingly sweet and malty side, and the more predictable pine and citrus hop side. One swig and the balance tips to a classic hop-forward American pale ale, but it's very nicely done. It's not as hop maniacal as something like Boneshaker, but it still has way more hop character than a traditional IPA. There's some big earthy, pine and grapefruit hop bitterness that reveals itself mostly on the back end, but every sip begins with a nice traditional British style malt flavour. It doesn't last long but it's there, and it prevents this beer from being a one-dimensional hop soda. However, there is some rather strong grapefruit-like bitterness that lingers in the aftertaste. The mouth-feel falls in line with the appearance, as Inukshuk has a full body and a rich and creamy texture that doesn't hollow out at any point.
Overall, Inukshuk is very appealing beer that's solid on all fronts. It's big hop profile will appeal to all of the hop-heads out there, but it's also mild enough to lure in a more timid beer drinker. And if you're a robot, pour this into the rear micro-linear actuator for maximum lubrication.
Appearance wise, it's very impressive. It looked super thick and goopy coming out of the bottle, flashing a bright and deep copper colour, and the pour finished with a cool cyclonic cascade, settling with a good amount of thick foamy light tan head that had some serious staying power. The aromas are nicely balanced between a surprisingly sweet and malty side, and the more predictable pine and citrus hop side. One swig and the balance tips to a classic hop-forward American pale ale, but it's very nicely done. It's not as hop maniacal as something like Boneshaker, but it still has way more hop character than a traditional IPA. There's some big earthy, pine and grapefruit hop bitterness that reveals itself mostly on the back end, but every sip begins with a nice traditional British style malt flavour. It doesn't last long but it's there, and it prevents this beer from being a one-dimensional hop soda. However, there is some rather strong grapefruit-like bitterness that lingers in the aftertaste. The mouth-feel falls in line with the appearance, as Inukshuk has a full body and a rich and creamy texture that doesn't hollow out at any point.
Overall, Inukshuk is very appealing beer that's solid on all fronts. It's big hop profile will appeal to all of the hop-heads out there, but it's also mild enough to lure in a more timid beer drinker. And if you're a robot, pour this into the rear micro-linear actuator for maximum lubrication.
F'n'L - Good+
ABV: 6.0%
IBU: 70
Style: IPA
IBU: 70
Style: IPA
Whiprsnapr's F'n'L is advertised as a British style IPA with some edge, and I think that it generally accomplishes this. For a British IPA purist, it's not going to fit the bill, but the tweaks that Whiprsnapr has made make for an interesting and enjoyable pint.
F'n'L has the standard look of an IPA, pouring an ever so slightly hazy copper colour with a small amount of foamy white head. The smell is distinctly Whiprsnapr, as there is a syrupy sweetness that dominates the nose, similar to the other beers I've tried from this brewery. Underneath that sweetness you can distinguish some grassy hop notes and a bit of a skunky-ness. The taste is nothing like the aroma, although it is just as bold. As you would suspect from the style, the flavour profile is dominated by hop bitterness, but not nearly as much as I was expecting based on the hefty 70 IBU rating and the brewery's comparison of the beer to punk music, that being "big, loud, hard-hitting and offensive." On the contrary, F'n'L's hop profile is fairly subtle when compared to all of the hop-heavy APA's out there, and this allows room for the beer's other flavours to shine through as well. Another great aspect of this hop flavour is that the use of British hops brings a nice earthy and grassy flavour profile as opposed to the more common citrus profile of American hops. Unlike British IPA's though, F'n'L has a sweet side to it, with very conspicuous caramel notes mixed in, especially on the back end. This beer also has a nice toasted malt profile, and there is a really nice balance between the hop bitterness, caramel sweetness and toasted malt. The mouth-feel and carbonation is outstanding, and the back end really fills out nicely providing a chewy, creamy and full sip every time. Very smooth.
Overall, I must admit that I was a bit surprised by this beers subtlety and complexity. When a craft brewer compares something to punk rock I would automatically brace myself for something jarring, but this is not the case. F'n'L is a good all-purpose beer and a nice introduction to Whiprsnapr's line-up.
F'n'L has the standard look of an IPA, pouring an ever so slightly hazy copper colour with a small amount of foamy white head. The smell is distinctly Whiprsnapr, as there is a syrupy sweetness that dominates the nose, similar to the other beers I've tried from this brewery. Underneath that sweetness you can distinguish some grassy hop notes and a bit of a skunky-ness. The taste is nothing like the aroma, although it is just as bold. As you would suspect from the style, the flavour profile is dominated by hop bitterness, but not nearly as much as I was expecting based on the hefty 70 IBU rating and the brewery's comparison of the beer to punk music, that being "big, loud, hard-hitting and offensive." On the contrary, F'n'L's hop profile is fairly subtle when compared to all of the hop-heavy APA's out there, and this allows room for the beer's other flavours to shine through as well. Another great aspect of this hop flavour is that the use of British hops brings a nice earthy and grassy flavour profile as opposed to the more common citrus profile of American hops. Unlike British IPA's though, F'n'L has a sweet side to it, with very conspicuous caramel notes mixed in, especially on the back end. This beer also has a nice toasted malt profile, and there is a really nice balance between the hop bitterness, caramel sweetness and toasted malt. The mouth-feel and carbonation is outstanding, and the back end really fills out nicely providing a chewy, creamy and full sip every time. Very smooth.
Overall, I must admit that I was a bit surprised by this beers subtlety and complexity. When a craft brewer compares something to punk rock I would automatically brace myself for something jarring, but this is not the case. F'n'L is a good all-purpose beer and a nice introduction to Whiprsnapr's line-up.
Carol Anne - Meh
ABV: 5.0%
IBU: 35
Style: Blonde ale
IBU: 35
Style: Blonde ale
Before I say anything about the beer itself, it should be known that a portion of Carol Anne's proceeds go to help in the fight against cancer, which is commendable, and for that reason I recommend Carol Anne more than any other beer that I've reviewed. The t-shirts are pretty awesome as well, so get down Whiprsnapr and support the cause.
Carol Anne is Whiprsnapr's blonde ale, a beer style that has really been growing on me lately, mostly due to Collective Art's Saint of Circumstance, and Nita's Ten12. Carol Anne follows along these same lines, and while the flavour of this beer is pretty good, the aroma, aftertaste and mouth-feel just aren't there yet.
Carol Anne has some serious nose to it. Huge blasts of syrupy sweetness and field berries dominate with a light whiff, and a deeper whiff brings out some musty grain and creamed corn. The sweetness is kind of a nice smell, but there is a synthetic quality to it, and to be honest it really doesn't smell anything like beer. The beer itself tastes nothing like the aroma. Although there is a sweet quality to Carol Anne, it's way more subtle than the aroma, and the beer itself is way more balanced. There really is a "fresh" quality to this beer, as the flavour profile is very floral and grassy, with nice fruit and honey notes as well. The hop flavour which presents itself mid-sip, is subtle and crisp, and doesn't dominate the other aspects of the beer. Having said that, the overall taste of this beer seems a bit synthetic and unrefined, especially the sweet flavours. On top of this, there was a sticky and unpleasant aftertaste which doesn't dissipate through the course of the pint, which for me was the worst aspect of the beer. The mouth-feel is clean and crisp but hollows out just a bit on the back end, detracting from the overall feel.
In the end, Carol Anne is a pretty decent beer, but it just lacks a touch of refinement, which will probably come as the brewery ages and matures. The aroma and flavour profile is good but seems a bit synthetic, and there is an unsavory aftertaste which detracts from the over-all like-ability of this beer, but there is definitely some potential here and I'll be curious to try it again sometime down the road.
Carol Anne is Whiprsnapr's blonde ale, a beer style that has really been growing on me lately, mostly due to Collective Art's Saint of Circumstance, and Nita's Ten12. Carol Anne follows along these same lines, and while the flavour of this beer is pretty good, the aroma, aftertaste and mouth-feel just aren't there yet.
Carol Anne has some serious nose to it. Huge blasts of syrupy sweetness and field berries dominate with a light whiff, and a deeper whiff brings out some musty grain and creamed corn. The sweetness is kind of a nice smell, but there is a synthetic quality to it, and to be honest it really doesn't smell anything like beer. The beer itself tastes nothing like the aroma. Although there is a sweet quality to Carol Anne, it's way more subtle than the aroma, and the beer itself is way more balanced. There really is a "fresh" quality to this beer, as the flavour profile is very floral and grassy, with nice fruit and honey notes as well. The hop flavour which presents itself mid-sip, is subtle and crisp, and doesn't dominate the other aspects of the beer. Having said that, the overall taste of this beer seems a bit synthetic and unrefined, especially the sweet flavours. On top of this, there was a sticky and unpleasant aftertaste which doesn't dissipate through the course of the pint, which for me was the worst aspect of the beer. The mouth-feel is clean and crisp but hollows out just a bit on the back end, detracting from the overall feel.
In the end, Carol Anne is a pretty decent beer, but it just lacks a touch of refinement, which will probably come as the brewery ages and matures. The aroma and flavour profile is good but seems a bit synthetic, and there is an unsavory aftertaste which detracts from the over-all like-ability of this beer, but there is definitely some potential here and I'll be curious to try it again sometime down the road.
Unf
ABV: 6.5%
IBU: 15
Style: Stout
IBU: 15
Style: Stout
Reviews coming soon. Hold your damn horses.
Root of Evil
ABV:
IBU:
Style: Lager
IBU:
Style: Lager
Review coming soon.
Ok Lah!
ABV: 5.5%
IBU: 20
Style: Ginger cream ale
IBU: 20
Style: Ginger cream ale
Review coming soon
Black Sunshine
ABV:
IBU:
Style: Black lager
IBU:
Style: Black lager
Review coming soon
