Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager – The Brewery
Mad & Noisy Brewing, named for the nearby confluence of the Mad & Noisy Rivers just outside Creemore, Ontario, is a subsidiary label of Creemore Springs, which in turn has been a subsidiary of Molson Coors Brewing Company since being purchased by the beerglomerate in 2005. Being a part of the Molson Coors family, though, doesn’t seem to have changed Creemore Springs much. The brewery’s independent flair is still evident and is represented well by Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager. Their Mad & Noisy label allows Creemore Springs to produce experimental brews outside its mandate of only producing beers that comply with the Bavarian Purity Law. I was lucky enough to visit the brewery recently and picked up an 8-pack Mad & Noisy Brewing’s Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager fresh off of the line.
Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager – First Sip
I take a big sip of this unique lager, and as I drink I notice its sharp aroma of citrus as its initial maltiness gives way to a mouth watering bitterness. Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager’s medium carbonation level promotes its complex flavours, leaving a sharp aftertaste that lingers long after the beer’s gone. Several hoppy beers rely entirely upon their hoppiness to provide a unique taste. Hops & Bolts, instead, allows its strong notes of caramel and malt to balance out its intense bitterness, making it a beer that’s tough to forget.
Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager – Last Sip
This isn’t a beer that I’d want to drink quickly but with its amazingly balanced flavour, why would I? Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager’s slightly cloudy honey-amber hue isn’t to be missed, so I strongly suggest pouring this well-crafted brew into a pint glass before drinking. As anyone who’s read any of my previous beer reviews knows, I tend to like hop-forward brews–I think I’ve probably reviewed about 70% IPAs–so if you’re a fan of the same, I strongly recommend this one. If you’re more of a straight ahead lager fan, check this one out if you’re feeling adventurous but consider yourself warned.
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Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager – Other Comments
As with most sharp-tasting beers, you can’t go wrong having this one with some salty and/or deep-fried foods. At the same time though, Hops & Bolts India Pale Lager’s balance of malty and bitter make this an ideal beer to have with sweets, especially something chewy like a butter tart or sticky bun. Unlike some other hop-forward beers, this one isn’t exceptionally alcoholic, weighing in at 5.3% ABV where some others come in at 6% or more. That said, please enjoy responsibly. Currently available only in tall cans, a couple of them go a long way.
