Outlaw Brew Co’s Southern Lass – The Brewery
Spring is just starting to unveil itself in this part of Ontario. The robins are out pecking confusedly at the icy gravel and the breweries are in full swing brewing seasonal beers. Outlaw Brew Co. is no exception. Another relative newcomer to the Ontario brewing scene, Outlaw Brew Co. has been crafting tasty beer since 2014, and luckily there’s no law against that. Southern Lass is a crisp wheat beer, great for a spring day, whether you’re enjoying an unseasonably late snow or a deluge of rain.
Outlaw Brew Co’s Southern Lass – First Sip
This is a great wheat beer that has a balanced crispness to it. Unlike other wheat beers that sometimes have a vanilla-sweetness to them, this one has a cider-like quality expressed not only through its cloudiness but also through its notes of apple peel with an aroma of bananas. Southern Lass’s medium level of carbonation accentuates its crispness and its surprisingly clean aftertaste. My mouth waters from its well-balanced tartness.
Outlaw Brew Co’s Southern Lass – Last Sip
It’s often the fashion to put an orange slice into a wheat beer. Although Southern Lass isn’t likely to taste bad with added citrus, I would never describe this beer as requiring a garnish. Others more used to drinking wheat beers may disagree, though, since this beer’s relatively bitter aftertaste may not be what they’re used to. I tossed a slice of clementine in my pint glass but I don’t feel like it added anything to this beer’s flavour, it just made it taste like clementines. The flavour of the clementine slice overpowered the subtle hints of apple peel and banana that the beer had already. I suppose it all depends on what you want your beer to taste like, if you’re looking for a masterfully crafted wheat beer with a unique blend of flavours then leave Southern Lass as is. If you’re looking for a vehicle for your orange slice, toss it in. It certainly won’t taste bad.
Outlaw Brew Co’s Southern Lass – Other Comments
I should mention that when I talk about this beer’s bitter aftertaste, I’m talking about the eventual bitterness brought about by its sugars lingering in my mouth. As with other wheat beers, Southern Lass has almost no hop flavour. And, although I’ve confessed several times in these reviews to being an IPA man, I’d drink one or two of these at a rained-out barbecue, a snowed-out spring fair, or on a poorly planned camping trip.
