Trafalgar Hop Nouveau

Brewed by Trafalgar Brewing
Style: English Pale Ale
Oakville, Canada

Pours clear golden with moderate white head. Aroma is a bit hoppy, with citrus notes (bit of tangerine?). Taste is moderately bitter, but not particularly complex. Palate is a bit thin with a fairly short finish. Overall nothing great - better than the macro lagers, but nothing really stands out for this beer. Given the name I would have expected a bit more unique hoppiness.

650ml Bottle: Yay, 650ml of Trafalgar! Pours terrific, light golden orange and hazy, great foamy white head on top that hangs out for a bit. Those fresh hops come through strong in the aroma with rich pine notes, I just really want to drink this. Light in the mouth, good kick of bitter hops, slightly sour (Trafalgar!). Little sweetness to speak of but it’s a reasonable beer and much better than what I’ve come to expect from Trafalgar. May this be a sign of good things to come.

Bottle from the LCBO. Hazy golden colour with a strong white head. Well-balanced aroma of sweet malt, fresh hop resin, and a nice hit of orange zest. Carbonation is fairly light, giving the beer a soft body that is similar to a cask ale, a similarity that is furthered by the fact that it’s unfiltered. Flavour is just as balanced and enjoyable as the aroma suggests, with well-meshed notes of caramel, orange and pineapple up front, and a building green hop bitterness in the finish. A really solid beer, especially from a brewery known for releasing some pretty mediocre efforts.

Murky orange, thin white head, light lacing.
Aroma is lightly hoppy, floral, grainy, soapy.
Flavour is again much like the aroma but with some less hops, light sweetness.
Bitter mouth, light body, med carb.
Finishes lightly bitter, lingering.


Not all that hoppy but it’s still drinkable.


650ml bottle purchased at the LCBO in Peterborough, Ontario.

Opened on October 3, 2009.

Bottled on September 21, 2009.

Pours a cloudy straw yellow with a white head and good lacing. Aroma is hop and intense citrus. Taste starts very nice with a good hop bitterness but the citrus aftertaste is so intense that it destroys the pleasant hoppiness. Need to stop trying to offset the hop flavour with citrus.

650 ml bottle from LCBO. Pours a hazy gold with small white head. Fairly light nose with earthy, citrus hops. Flavour is pleasantly hoppy with a decent citric finish. A little flat. Not bad, but I remember being much more impressed when I had it on tap.

bottle, thanks to Radek! Honey, herbal/spicy hops, nice frit. Flavor is hop, herbal, some citrus & light plastic. Nice finish w. hop bitterness & some sweet malt.

Golden brown with almost no head. Tropical fruit aroma, some cereal malts as well. Some grassy and citric hops, but primarily a clean bitter beer with little actual hop flavor.