Kichesippi Natural Blonde

[G.M. Gillman]

4.9% ABV, in the bottle trundled on the train from Ottawa.

First class! This is the kind of beer we need more of: quality sweet pale malt, firm bitter and aroma hopping (tastes German and C-hop to me), well-balanced, no faults. This was the style of "gold" often brewed in the 80's in the dawn of microbrewing. Its roots are in English pale ale and possibly pre-Prohibition U.S. top-fermenting ales.

Well done and why doesn't the draft pop up in Toronto? Or does it?

Gary

[notdan]

This is a regular for me on tap when in Ottawa. Glad to hear the bottled version is also tasting good. It reminds me of a slightly paler, maybe slightly more bitter St-Ambroise Pale.

As far as I know, Kichesippi is using the Ottawa-only angle as part of its marketing, so it's not likely to show up in Toronto in the near future.

[NRman]

As far as I know, Kichesippi is using the Ottawa-only angle as part of its marketing, so it's not likely to show up in Toronto in the near future.

How dare they?!?

[Bytowner]

A good beer I should drink more of. Prefer their 1855 though, really great flavours, reminds me a bit of Tankhouse.

[G.M. Gillman]

I had a Tankhouse at Whalebone, a restaurant on Bank, and it was great, better than in Toronto I thought. I wondered if it is brewed at the new location in Ottawa, or is it all brought in from the Big Smoke?

Gary

[Bytowner]

I had a Tankhouse at Whalebone, a restaurant on Bank, and it was great, better than in Toronto I thought. I wondered if it is brewed at the new location in Ottawa, or is it all brought in from the Big Smoke?

Gary

My guess would be Toronto. That said, I've found the Ottawa brewed beers at the pub to be better than those coming out of Toronto.

[midlife crisis]

Haven't had the Kichessippi yet, but it puts me in mind of the old Hockley Gold. I liked that one (particularly at first, I think they may have dumbed it down at one point) and was sad to see it go.

[Cass]

Well done and why doesn't the draft pop up in Toronto? Or does it?

I think with kegs they'd have to deliver themselves to Toronto, so they may not have the infrastructure (or interest) to do this.

One of the beefs of the Green Party candidate who attended the Brewery Market in Ottawa is that brewers can't deliver their beers on the same truck. So that prohibits small breweries in Ottawa from banding together and sending a truck to TO with kegs (if they were interested in such a thing).

[G.M. Gillman]

It's truly sad we live in a world where craft brewers, trying to build a business and get ahead, cannot put their kegs on one truck to ship to customers. That should be changed.

Midlife: I agree viz the original Hockely Gold. However, Hogsback Lager is pretty close to these styles albeit a lager not an ale. I can't do better than funkengruven's comments on BA:

http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/22486/57344

I had it last week at the Duke pub in First Canadian Place.

Gary

[Philip1]

it puts me in mind of the old Hockley Gold. I liked that one (particularly at first, I think they may have dumbed it down at one point)

I enjoyed a pint of Hockley Gold back around 1994/5 at a Toronto bar then a few years later had it again on draught a few miles from the brewery and thought, "This is just generic lager. What did I see in this before?"

I figured my original enjoyment of Gold had something to do with it being my first beer after several hours of walking around in the summer heat so it's interesting to hear they might have dumbed it down.

Midlife: I agree viz the original Hockely Gold. However, Hogsback Lager is pretty close to these styles albeit a lager not an ale.

I'll have to give it go as I'm always looking for non-macro lagers for friends and family who just like "regular beer".

[G.M. Gillman]

Hogsback is full of flavour, I'd serve it to anyone, i.e., old hands not least. It is actually pretty bitter, too.

Gary

[El Pinguino]

This is a simple, tasty brew that I enjoyed in Ottawa numerous times this summer. A definite, nice surprise of a beer.