We picked up a can of The Hamilton Brewery‘s flagship Blue Collar Pale Ale recently, since we went hiking a few times in the Hamilton region during the extended beautiful fall we are having. It retails for $2.95 at the LCBO for a 473 ml can, and this brewery was new to us. In Toronto, it is only available in cans at the LCBO, although they seem to have a fair amount of distribution in Hamilton and surrounding suburbs. They contract brew out of Railway City in St. Thomas.
This flagship brew weighs in at 5.5% ABV with 33 IBU. It’s a salad of Centennial, Columbus and Cascade hops
Appearance: Lasting white head, amber in colour, filtered.
Aroma: Grassy notes from the hops, fairly biscuity from the malt. Not too strong on the nose.
Taste: Smooth on the palate with a sweet malt backbone. Well-rounded hop finish, combining toasted bread and a bitter finish.
Aftertaste: Bitter aftertaste, did not linger too long.
Suggested food pairing: Pub fare. Wings and burgers will work nicely with this.
Overall: A simple pale ale that held up better than I expected.
Shawna has visited vineyards in 8 countries on 3 continents, and has a knack for finding the hoppiest beers around. A dedicated Booze Hound, Shawna completed the Wine Specialist Certificate at George Brown College in 2018.
She can be found drinking alka-seltzer and coconut water in the morning.
Email: [email protected]
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