When I first tasted the new seasonal from the Molson-owned Creemore Springs Brewery in June, I noted that while I was impressed with the beer on tap, I would wait until it was out in the canned version before forming my final opinion. Well, it is and I have, and it’s damn good.
“Unfiltered and Generously Hopped” it says on the can, which may be a bit of an overstatement in the latter case but certainly makes sense in the former. This pours a beautifully hazy copper, as you would expect of an unfiltered lager, and presents a fresh and attractive aroma of sulphur notes (from the yeast), malted grain, dried leaf and a hint of roastiness. What I think I like most about the nose, other than its sulphury youthfulness, is that there’s nary a sign of the fruitiness that has been evident in the brewery’s flagship Creemore Lager since Day One.
On the palate, this beer gets even better, with a softly sweet front offering caramel notes and some yeastiness leading into a moderately hopped body that shows near-perfect balance between the sweet malt and bitter hop, with a light and yeasty tang thrown in to mellow and dry everything out. The finish remains fresh and clean and more-ish, with only a faint whisper of cloying malt.
Overall, this is exactly what I said it was when I first sampled it: One of the best new beer launches Ontario has seen for quite a while. From Creemore. In a can.
Who would have thought it?
