Independent Microbrewery Established 2012
Flavoured IPA &
Original IPA
ABV 6.5 %
Draught Samples 4 and 14 oz
Various Prices (Canadian) At The Brewery
@sawdustcitybeer
Recently, Sawdust brewed their 1000th batch of beer at their permanent location in Gravenhurst. Prior to this, they were first experimenting in a kitchen where the original recipe for their wildly popular beer Lone Pine was first created. When they first started brewing commercially they contracted space out of Black Oak Brewery in Etobicoke near Toronto. It was here where Lone pine morphed into its final form. To commemorate this thousandth brew. Sawdust went back to its kitchen roots, dusted off their original recipe and brewed it up for us to compare and contrast.
In addition to the main event, they brewed up some one-off kegs to celebrate IPA in a few unusual ways. The following 5 beers were started on a base of current recipe Lone Pine IPA and then were augmented with the flavours noted.
Onto the samples:
Beer # 372
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| Lone Shark |
Lone Shark Peach and Nectarine milkshake IPA
Flavoured With Peach and Nectarine Juices with Added Lactose for creaminess Lone Pine Base 6.5% ABV 4 oz
pours a cloudy gold with a very short head aroma is bright pine and tropical fruit. mild lactose creaminess. hints of strawberry citrus and nuts. hints of vanilla. Aeration brings out some wood and a touch of caramel.
Not bad, but I think this was a trial run for their upcoming beer which is a Strawberry Milkshake IPA.
Beer # 373
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| Keep Calm and Cherry On |
Keep Calm and Cherry on Sour Cherry IPA
Flavoured With Sour Cherries
Lone Pine Base 6.5% ABV 4 oz
Pours a cloudy reddish off brown with a short head made up of tiny white bubbles. Aroma is a tropical hoppy mix with bright red fruit. First sip is fruity IPA followed by a spike of cherry pie filling... Some residual sweetness and stickiness like when I eat cherry pie filling straight from the can ( don't judge). Aeration gives us some sugar more fruit.
Fruity and sweet and not much else.
Beer # 374
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| Nothing Comes to Mind |
Nothing Comes to Mind... Blueberry Pink Guava IPA
Flavoured With Blueberries and Guava
Lone Pine Base 6.5% ABV 4 oz
Pours a muddy pink/purple with an off-white head made up of tiny bubbles. Nose is a little more muted than the other but still has hints of pine. First sip is a very sweet explosion of blueberry with hints of sweet Guava. Aeration gives us some creamy sweetness and some raw white sugar. lips are left sticky.
Also quite sweet.
Beer # 375
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| Electric IPA |
Szechuan Jalapeno Electric IPA
Flavoured With Jalapenos (and Szechuan sauce? Not sure.)
Lone Pine Base 6.5% ABV 4 oz
pours a light clear gold with a thin head. Aroma is pine and hot peppers first sip is like a stir fry with mild spice and a little jalapeno burn. Aeration brings out some fruity pepper notes and hints of soy sauce.
Zingy and warm, this one was my favourite.
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| Chai-chai-chai-changes |
Beer # 376
Chai-chai-chai-changes Chai IPA
Flavoured With Chai Spice and Black Tea
Lone Pine Base 6.5% ABV 4 oz
Pours the colour of milky chai the beer is viscous and has a texture like a Guinness frozen in time. Baking spices fill the nose cinnamon cardamom and heavy clove. First sip is milky and sweet then the spices hit. clove is a tad overpowering but the cinnamon is balanced. cardamom is just barely present. Finish is black tea with hints of pine and a mild fruitiness. Aeration is clove intensity and reminds me of air freshener a bit.
This one was a close second. Were this to be balanced better I would like to see it as a regular seasonal.
The Main Event (Old vs New)
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| Lone Pine on left "Lone Prime" on right |
Lone Prime vs Lone Pine
Beer # 377
Lone Prime
Original recipe of Lone Pine
6.5% ABV
Pours a rich mahogany with an off-tan head made up of small bubbles Nose is intense pine and malt with hints pineapple. First sip is dark toasty malt with a hint of molasses. hints of coffee and deep tones of barley, liquorice, and horse feed. Slightly woodsy and piney with sparks of roasted pineapple, hints of passion fruit and a touch of caramel vanilla. Aeration brings out more piney hops
Lone Pine
Lighter and more golden in colour with a brighter off-white head made up of small bubbles. Pine and tropical fruit are intense on the nose first sip is not quite as malt forward, but the malts are still there. Pine and fruit is far more intense but more emphasis on the lighter fruits passion fruit citrus hints of orange and less pineapple. Aeration gives us some light caramel and vanilla with a woodsy background and more pine
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: 6/6 Exceptional
Final Thoughts:
As I sat sipping my pint, I tried hard to remember my first taste of Lone Pine. I do remember it was at "The Only Cafe" on the Danforth in Toronto. It was $5 dollar pint night so it was Sunday. And this, this wasn't quite right. This "Lone Prime" is maltier, headier, The one I remember was crisper with more pine and lots of tropical fruit, mainly pineapple. So I feel I have seen the beginning the middle and the end (so far) of Lone pine, It's nice to complete that journey. It is fun to sample a beer as it grows up. As for this limited edition version? it's very, very good. you should give it a shot. Try it out with a regular can of Lone pine beside it to get the full picture.
Cheers
CJT
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