Beer # 269 Lake of the Woods Sultana Gold

Beer # 269 Sultana Gold Blonde Ale

Lake of the Woods Brewing Company

Kenora, Ontario, Canada
Independent Microbrewery
Blonde Ale 5.0 % ABV 
IBU: 15
Aluminum Can 473 ml.
$2.85 (Canadian) At The Beer Store

Twitter: @LowBrewCo

I got a hold of few new beers from breweries I have heard of but not come across before. First up is a pair of beers from the brewery that is the furthest west in Ontario. Near the Manitoba border lies a very pretty city on the shores of Lake of the Woods. Kenora. Kenora has it's origins in 1688 when a French expedition lead by Jacques de Noyon, located an Ojibway settlement on the shores of Lake of the Woods. Kenora was incorporated in 1905 when the settlements of Keewatin, Norman, and Rat Portage were amalgamated, the first two letters of each town were combined to form Ke-No-Ra. Long established as a lumbering town one of Kenora's brightest shining moments came in 1907 when an amateur hockey team made up of loggers, The Kenora Thistles, challenged and beat the Montreal Wanderers for the Stanley Cup. At the time Kenora had only 4000 residents, and is, to this day the smallest town to host Stanley Cup Winners. The Lake of the Woods Brewery traces it's origins to 1898 it operated until prohibition swept through Ontario, but then re-opened its doors in 1927, for 27 years. Until 2013 no brewery existed in Kenora until Lake of the Woods made its second triumphant return.

Tonight's offering is a blonde ale named after the Sultana gold mine. Onto the tasting...

Pours a light amber blonde colour with a large fluffy off tan head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is fruity light with bright highlights of malty caramel. Hint of fruity hops  and a touch of green plants. Bright and fruity in taste. Light in body and with good strong hints of malt. Sugar remains in the after taste with some green hoppy note. Finish is slightly smoky with a dried fruit hint. Aeration ramps up the hops with a little more intensity of the malt.



Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  4/6  PASS
Experience:  5/6 PASS

Final Thoughts:


A god entry level beer for people getting into craft beer for the first time. However blonde ales never have been my favourite. That being said, this is still a definite try.

Cheers

CJT

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