This is a review I've been meaning to do for a while now but due to work and life in general, I've only had time now to finally review it, though I've been drinking this product for a few months now.
Special thanks to Lake of the Woods Brewing out of Kenora, Ontario (with locations in Winnipeg and Warroad, MN) for sending this my way - today's sampling is No Wake .5 Blonde Ale. I had a few people asking me to check it out but unfortunately it wasn't available in my neck of the woods originally. As of posting, I've been able to find this at the CO-OP grocery store in Brandon, so I'm assuming other CO-OP grocery stores will have it in stock, alongside other retailers in Ontario, Manitoba and beyond. Actually, Lake of the Woods has a map of locations so you can find it easily!
From the can: Put a little point five in your tank...For those times you need to slow things down a little bit, pull a NO WAKE out of the cooler. This non-alcoholic beer is brewed the way we brew all of our other beer, using traditional old-world style brewing techniques to give you a smooth, refreshing craft beer, with no alcohol. So stock up your cooler or your fridge with NO WAKE and LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL. 0.5% ABV
Appearance: No Wake has a mostly-clear body to it with a very faint amount of cloudiness to it, a lot of carbonation that reminds me of a classic Blonde Ale/Lager from back in my youth, as well as a head that's initially 2.5 finger's worth of snow white head that diminishes rather quickly to leave behind a slim layer of bubbles on top. No noticeable lacing as the beer is gradually savoured.
Aroma: I've got a few things coming around here - it's go quite a sweetness to it that has a bit of a honey-like aroma to it, notes of straw, a bit of a gritty barley presence, a tad bit of leafy hops, and a slight nuttiness at the end. So far I'm very intrigued!
Taste: The tasting profile is fairly crisp, a bit more complex - I get notes of raw dough initially but that is only momentarily. There's slight pepperiness to me, which is something I attribute to the nuttiness first time around.. to the point it's almost reminding me of a rye malt being used though I doubt it is, but of course my palate picks up flavours nobody else will ever taste for some reason 🤷🏻♂️. It has a bit of a grassiness to it, it's lightly sweet and my mind keeps telling me that there's a bit of a bubble gum presence to it but it's incredibly faint if actually there at all. Fairly dry for mouthfeel and a slight bitterness for aftertaste. Pretty much grassy, slight bitterness (with a hint of nutty or pepper depending), very smooth, easy to drink.
Overall Thoughts: Absolutely solid NA Blonde Ale. It's crisp, easy to drink, and tastes like a classic Blonde Ale. I'm just surprised I've only been able to find this at one grocery store in Brandon so far - hopefully other retailers will take it on sooner or later!
Appearance: No Wake has a mostly-clear body to it with a very faint amount of cloudiness to it, a lot of carbonation that reminds me of a classic Blonde Ale/Lager from back in my youth, as well as a head that's initially 2.5 finger's worth of snow white head that diminishes rather quickly to leave behind a slim layer of bubbles on top. No noticeable lacing as the beer is gradually savoured.
Aroma: I've got a few things coming around here - it's go quite a sweetness to it that has a bit of a honey-like aroma to it, notes of straw, a bit of a gritty barley presence, a tad bit of leafy hops, and a slight nuttiness at the end. So far I'm very intrigued!
Taste: The tasting profile is fairly crisp, a bit more complex - I get notes of raw dough initially but that is only momentarily. There's slight pepperiness to me, which is something I attribute to the nuttiness first time around.. to the point it's almost reminding me of a rye malt being used though I doubt it is, but of course my palate picks up flavours nobody else will ever taste for some reason 🤷🏻♂️. It has a bit of a grassiness to it, it's lightly sweet and my mind keeps telling me that there's a bit of a bubble gum presence to it but it's incredibly faint if actually there at all. Fairly dry for mouthfeel and a slight bitterness for aftertaste. Pretty much grassy, slight bitterness (with a hint of nutty or pepper depending), very smooth, easy to drink.
Overall Thoughts: Absolutely solid NA Blonde Ale. It's crisp, easy to drink, and tastes like a classic Blonde Ale. I'm just surprised I've only been able to find this at one grocery store in Brandon so far - hopefully other retailers will take it on sooner or later!
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