On my way back from the cottage last Monday, I stopped in at Tobermory Brewing Co. and picked up a growler of their Tilted Windmill IPA. I also picked up a howler of their Bruce Trail Blonde Ale but that review will have to wait for another day. Tobermory Brewing Co.’s home is picturesque Tobermory, Ontario, where cottagers looking to shave a couple of hours off of their drive board the Chi-Cheemaun. More than just a place to board a ferry, though, Tobermory is a bustling tourist town that welcomes SCUBA divers, sailors, hikers, cyclists, and, of course, beer drinkers.
Tobermory Brewing Co.’s Tilted Windmill IPA – First Sip
I smell citrus and pine as I take my first sip of this cloudy and deep-amber ale. This is one IPA that is in no way pale. Tilted Windmill is a hop-forward IPA that has a strong grapefruit taste at first. Its thick consistency brings out this brew’s hints of tropical fruit, giving it a mouthfeel that reminds me of mango juice. Its fruity palate gives way gradually to Tilted Windmill’s hops aftertaste, an almost smoky bitterness that makes me crave salt and chocolate.
Tobermory Brewing Co.’s Tilted Windmill IPA – Last Sip
According to my friendly server’s instructions at the brewery, I drank my growler within three days of its being poured and finished it within 24 hours of opening: I bought my growler of Tilted Windmill on Monday around 6 PM, didn’t open it until Wednesday at 8 PM, and finished it on Thursday around 4 PM. And, even though I pushed the three-day window, I enjoyed this beer a lot. I didn’t find that it had flattened or become significantly less flavourful over night after having opened it on Wednesday. With such a cloudy and dark-coloured beer, I expected a high alcohol content but this beer weighs in at a very reasonable 5% ABV. Unlike other hop-forward IPA’s, Tilted Windmill doesn’t rely too heavily on its hop flavour, instead showing off its complex palate of tropical fruit.
