True North Strong Ale

Bobsy · Post by **Bobsy** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:44 am

So I've been working my way through a case of the True North Strong Ale (clocks in at 6% so not really that strong), and its yet another winner for me. I know a lot of people may be put off the Magnotta beers because they are only available in 12 packs from the beer store, but the three I've had so far have been excellent, and great value considering they are all under $20 per case. Here's my BA writeup:

From the brewery's description:
"An ultra-premium all-malt Strong Ale at 6% alc./vol. Attractive copper colour with a complex aroma that is assertive and alive with balanced sweet malt nuances and fruity/floral ale and hop aromatics. A rich, slightly sweet caramel malt flavour is enhanced by the taste of fresh hops and classic ale fruitiness. Hop bitterness is moderate to full, but well balanced by the malt elements. Perfect food pairings include but are not limited to onion soups, beef and pork ribs, lamb dishes, hearty stews, bruschetta, carrot cake, and cheddar and pecorino cheeses."

Not as strong as their IPA, so a strange moniker for this beer. After tasting it I would probably view this as an old ale, although its a pretty tough one to categorise.

An orange body sites redolent under a finger of off-white head, which fades after a few minutes to a sparse film, leaving only a little lace. The nose is pleasant, with strong floral notes mixing with berries and honey. The taste is malt-heavy, with accents of sweetbread, honey and earthiness making their presence felt before transcending to a moderately bitter finish. My wife also picked up on a floral note at the end, and really enjoyed that. Both the body and carbonation are medium, but the finish does have a slight warming and drying aspect.

This is yet another solid beer from a very under-appreciated brewery. I'd definitely recommend it alongside the IPA and altbier that I have tried already.

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 10:23 am

I use to buy this when I was a student (great price for an all-malt, strong beer), but it's been years since I've had it.

How did you think it compared with their alt bier? I've wondered if this is sort of an Alt Sticke? (though I don't really know the Alt style too well).

Bobsy · Post by **Bobsy** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 10:55 am

Derek wrote:I use to buy this when I was a student (great price for an all-malt, strong beer), but it's been years since I've had it.

How did you think it compared with their alt bier? I've wondered if this is sort of an Alt Sticke? (though I don't really know the Alt style too well).

Sticke is unfamiliar to me, but from reading up on it, I'd say that the hop profile in the strong may be more subdued than a sticke, but it does have a lot of similarities. From recollection, the alt has more of a biscuit character, and some more fruit and nut flavours than the strong ale, but it would be interesting to try them side-by-side. I'm buying a case of the alt next, so I'll have an opportunity to do that. Hey, and you never know, a few bottles might find themselves going your way!

JesseM · Post by **JesseM** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 8:55 pm

I would absolutely love to try ANY of the True North stuff if my local BS actually had any that wasn't older than I am. Seriously, it's pathetic. I'm pretty sure I've seen the same damn 12 packs of each one sitting on the same shelf for as long as I've been legal age. They are priced really well and seem like really solid offerings though, such a shame.

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Fri Jan 30, 2009 9:30 pm

This is a solid weekly drinker for me, as is the Alt. Nice and sharp the Alt is, good malts, decent caramel flavours.

matt7215 · Post by **matt7215** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 2:44 pm

i stopped by the meadowvale BS on saturday night and i picked up a 12 of the IPA and a 12 of the strong. first let me say this is the best service ive ever had at the beer store. i returned ~$10 worth of bottles with no hassle and then walked into the huge self serve fridge. they had tons of micro options and all the stock was low and fresh (which means its movin!). i could have dropped about $200 in this beer store!

the True North Strong is a very nice ale. it drinks similar to a "light" barley wine IMO. the nose has caramel malt, leather, fruity maltiness, and backing hops. the flavour is similar. the hops come in to provide a tight bitterness on the finish. i really enjoyed my first bottle. after seeing this was classified as an amber ale on ratebeer i chilled my first sample but the rest i intend to enjoy at cellar temp.

the IPA was nice as well but i personally enjoyed the Strong more.

Bobsy · Post by **Bobsy** » Mon Feb 09, 2009 3:57 pm

matt7215 wrote:the True North Strong is a very nice ale. it drinks similar to a "light" barley wine IMO. the nose has caramel malt, leather, fruity maltiness, and backing hops. the flavour is similar. the hops come in to provide a tight bitterness on the finish. i really enjoyed my first bottle. after seeing this was classified as an amber ale on ratebeer i chilled my first sample but the rest i intend to enjoy at cellar temp.

Now that you mention it, I'd say you're pretty spot on by describing it as a light barley wine. It seems to share a lot of the flavours, but without the higher viscosity and alcohol content.

I'd also definitely recommend drinking this one a bit warmer to let the malts shine.

JesseM · Post by **JesseM** » Fri Feb 20, 2009 10:10 pm

Thanks to Matt I got to try some of this stuff about a week ago, and MAN was it good! Such an awesome malt body to it, it would be a go-to beer for me if it was more readily available. Seems like quite an unassuming gem. Does anyone know how well it holds up? I can get obscenely old 12 packs of it at my local BS, but like I said, they're older than I am

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