Mill Street IPA

Brewed by Mill St. Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Toronto, Canada

On tap at the brewpub. I had both the cask version and the regular version. Regular: Light amber with a white head. Not as good as the tankhouse beer. The hops are a bit more lonesome here in that they stand out unbalanced without complement. Has a fairly quick finish. An OK beer, but not great (score: 2.9). Cask:Pours hazy light brown to dark amber with a big bubbled white head. Has an intense chocolate and butterscotch aroma. Smooth. Very smooth. The tongue is saturated with lemon-lime flavors. Lots of tea flavors to this as well. Has a very drying finish. On cask, this beer is completely transformed. I simply would not recognize the cask vs. keg versions of this beer as being the same.

draught: cloudy copper colour. Flower and hops aroma and tastes the same, nice hops for sure.

On tap- Clear amber body topped with a frothy white foam. Minute lacing. Bready, cookie dough, fresh hoppy nose with spices and floral notes. Cookie dough up front with floral hops, a touch of a metallic twang, with a grapefruit, biscuit component leading into the finish. Medium bodied, perhaps a touch alcoholic. All in all, well made.

A pint at the brewery after the tour, Dry hop, cask conditioned version. It pours a coppery red colour with a lithe tan head. Floral hoppy nots are predominant with some fruity undertones. It has a very nice hop taste with a slight malt blending in at the end to perfect the aftertaste. A very nice mouthfeel compliments everything else good about this beer.

On tap at the Castle. Eh, it is what it is. An Ontario IPA. Actually, I kind of liked it. Nice amber colour with the classic floral hoppy IPA aroma. The flavour was nothing bold or unique, just a nicely bitter classic IPA, as I’ve already mentioned. I had this just after a Scotch Irish Corporal Punishment (cask), so I’m surprised my head could tolerate the hops. But it did, and I enjoyed the pint. The only thing it loses points on is the just SLIGHTLY evident alcoholic flavour in the finish, although it was only occasionally apparent. Very decent brew from a brewery which I personally get mixed results from. But huge kudos for continuing to brew an almost ignored style in this province!

On tap @ brewpub 12/30/07...Poured amber colored, a bit darker than most IPAs. Hop flavor is a bit subdued for an IPA and this one is more on the malty side. There was also a slight roasted flavor to this. Mouthful was a bit creamy, with a nice amount of carbonation. Maybe a little too sweet overall, but not bad.

Amber in colour, thin white coloured head, very light patchy lacing. The aroma is of light lemon and orange citrus, light hops, some sweetness. The flavour is lightly hoppy, some caramel sweetness, orange rinds. Mildly bitter mouthfeel, medium/light body, medium/light carbonation. Finishes mid length, hoppy and dry. A nicely balanced non-overpowering IPA.

Cask at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp? target=blank>Volo in Toronto, Ontario on October 20, 2007.

On draught at the brewpub. Golden yellow body, with a frothy white head. Aroma of citrus. Nice citrus hops add a decent level of bitterness. Easy drinking and mild.