Beer # 271 Swing Bridge Blonde Ale Manitoulin Brewing Company

#271 Swing Bridge Blonde Ale

Manitoulin Brewing Company

Swift Current, Ontario, Canada


Independent Microbrewery
Blonde  Ale 
5.0 % ABV Aluminum Can 473 ml.
IBU: 22
$2.90 (Canadian) At The Beer Store

Twitter: @ManitoulinBrew

First Taste of a brewery That I have been looking forward to trying. Situated on Manitoulin Island in Lake Huron, the second largest of the Great Lakes, Manitoulin is the largest island in a freshwater lake in the world. Long been considered sacred by the Anishinaabe People, it has been inhabited for around 30,000 years. 
Sheguiandah, on the north east shore is the site of Paleo-Indian settlement that was occupied from just after the glaciers receded to about 10,000 years ago. The Name Manitoulin has a very convoluted origin, as do most Canadian names that have been adopted from Aboriginal Languages. (Including Canada itself which was the Huron word Kanata for settlement, or village. Samuel de Champlain famously mis-heard or mis-translated this word and it was assumed that the land was called Canada... The Kanata they were talking about, was Stadacona, we call it Quebec City now.) Orinally called Ekaentouton, Manitoulin's name is now derived from a blending of French and English translations of the original Odawa name: Manidoowaaling, which means "Cave of the Spirit." The Odawa currently call the Island Mnidoo Mnis or simply "Spirit Island."

On the North shore of the island is the community of Little Current, and it is the only land access to the mainland, via a swing bridge to the town of Espanola. It was in this bridge's honour that tonight's beer was named. Opened in 2015 Manitoulin Brewing company was started by two gentlemen who grew up in Blind River and have been friends since grade 10. Nishin Meawasige and Blair Hagman.

Let's swing on over to our beer for the evening...

Pours a clear gold colour with a short white head made up of small bubbles. The aroma is sweet slightly carmelised with a hint of raisins finishing up with light malt and plenty of grain. First sip gives us a very light blonde ale with very green and refreshing German hops. (Edit: later discovered they use Hallertauer and Brewer's Gold) Slightly bitter and medicinal on the finish. Clear and refreshing, light in body, plenty of malt and rich bread flavour. Hints of bitter greens light aromas of spice and a touch of licorice way, way in the back. Aeration gives us a warm grass-like aroma with just a hint of nut.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


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

Final Thoughts:

A good all around starter beer for someone who is just discovering craft beer. A little light for my tastes but good nonetheless. Try one for yourself.

Cheers

CJT

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