A fun chance to try new flavours before you buy
On Saturday, Sept. 30, the I Heart Beer Festival returned to Guelph to promote local breweries and give an opportunity for members of the community to sample various beverages.As a student who lives on a budget and tends to buy things I know I will enjoy, this was a chance to expand my beer palate.After sampling three beers together and a wild card beverage each, my friend Johannah Brockie and I used our limited collective knowledge of beer to critique our selections.
1. MAPLE DOWN LAGER — Sleeman
Fiona Cashell: This one starts out sweet then comes back and punches you in the throat. I can’t taste maple as much as the idea of maple in it.
Johannah Brockie: I liked the initial taste of it, but I don’t really taste the maple. The colour is pretty, though.
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2. IRON PIG — Orange Snail Brewers
FC: It’s got a hoppy taste, but it isn’t overpowering.
JB: I’m into it. The fact that it’s a blonde beer was a good choice by the brewers; I wouldn’t enjoy it as much if it were any darker. It was similar to a cider.
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3. HIBISCUS SAISON BEER — Royal City Brewing Co.
FC: That is very floral. This is a higher-class beer bracket than I am used to. I think it’s beyond my palate.
JB: I don’t love it. It’s not the worst beer I’ve ever had, but I wouldn’t buy it.
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4. KANNUK KISS — Kannuk Vodka
FC: What I’ve learned from today is that I like vodka more than I like beer. It was delicious and smooth, and what I would drink on a night out.
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5. AUTUMN ALE — Royal City Brewing Co.
JB: It’s heavy. It’s a darker beer, so I kind of messed up. But it’s good; it’s better than I thought a beer this dark would be.
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Photo by Fiona Cashell