Sleeping Giant Beaver Duck American Pale Ale


Sue, an awesome family friend from Thunder Bay came by my parents place while I was in Calgary a few months ago with a bag full of craft beer treats from Sleeping Giant Brewing out of Thunder Bay.

She brought a can of their Grass Roots lager last year, a beer that was created for the Staal Foundation Open charity golf tournament, and it was one of the best lagers I had in a long, long time. So I'm incredibly excited to try more of their products!

Beaver Duck is an American Pale Ale that is dry hopped with Galaxy and Amarillo, described as having a citrusy aroma of tangerine and pine with a clean finish. 5.3% ABV.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy, hazy, dark orange with a hint of sediment floating around in the glass, as well as a hefty amount of carbonation in the body. Very thick amount of beige head on top, it gradually diminishes to leave behind a good amount of lacing.. but in reality most of the head will never die down.

Aroma: Tropical and citrusy hop profile - notes of pineapple, lemon, orange peel. There's a moderate bitterness of pine popping out as well. There's a moderate barley graininess popping out, as well as a light breadiness as well. So far, not quite as sweet as a NEIPA, but not overly bitter like many APAs.

Taste: The bitterness of the hops are more present in this instance, I get more of a bitter and floral presence up front first and foremost. There's a bit of a tea-like herbal taste to it, pine, and a bit of grassiness. The beer is moderately sweet with notes of caramel, as well that tropical vibe with notes of pineapple, orange peel and lemon. 

Overall Thoughts: Decent American Pale Ale with a balance of bitter and floral hops mingling with sweet tropical notes to it. Has a bitter lingering aftertaste, which is something I like in a nice Pale Ale/IPA.. especially with everything being overly sweet lately. Definitely a bit more bitter than some would care for.. but I love bitterness!

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