Beau’s keeps sending new beers out our way and I’m happy about that. While I am mostly focused on what’s happening here locally, and what beers we can get from our local folks, I do enjoy reviewing these beers from Beau’s.

I did a pretty in-depth write up about Beau’s when I met with co-founder Steve Beauchesne, but I do want to reiterate a bit about the brewery. Founded in 2006 in Vanleek Hill, Ontario by father and son Tim and Steve Beauchesne, Beau’s is an employee-owned and completely independent Canadian craft brewery. They are also the official beer of Canada’s 150^th anniversary.

The Full-Time IPA from Beaus is starting to pop up on shelves in Liquor Marts around the city. So now is the perfect time for a writeup of this beer.

*Writer’s Note: I did receive this beer review free of charge. This did not influence my write-up. *

Full-Time IPA

IPAs or India Pale Ale, have a storied history. The first known use of the term comes from the Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser in 1829.  At this time, they were also referred to as a “pale ale as prepared for India”, “East India pale ale”, and “Export India Pale Ale”.  These types of IPAs were widely popular amongst the East India company and, while considered very hoppy, they were not much stronger than other beers brewed at this time. Hops are used as a preservative of sorts, to help keep the beer fresh. If you were preparing a beer for a long trip from England to India, you’d need to add a lot of hops. So, while the IPA if consumed in England before shipping would be quite hoppy, at the other end it likely would not. Today, the tradition of hopping beers continues, but we don’t have as far to send them, and the goal is to make a hoppy beer. If you’re curious about IPAs check out Wikipedia, the BJCP Guidelines (Page 37) or IPA Beer.

While these beers are part of the pale ale family, they are strongly hopped and often showcase the variety of flavours and complexities that can come from the simple ingredients used to brew beer.  Many will say the IPAs are an acquired taste, and they are rather unique, the bitterness brought using a large quantity of hops is not for everyone. On most IPAs you’ll see an IBU (international bitterness units) number that gives you an idea of how bitter it might be. For comparison, Torque’s American Pale Ale (Foundation) comes in at 30 IBUs, Half-Pints little Scrapper comes in at 50, and Barn Hammer’s Saturday Night Lumberjack at 75 IBUs.

Beau’s has used their skills to bring us a 6.7% abv 60 IBU IPA. This beer has used simcoe, cascade, nelson sauvin and citra hops which will bring out aromas of pine and citrus and tropical fruit. Simcoe and Citra are two of my favorite hops for the profiles they bring. So, how does it taste.

ABV – 6.7%
Appearance – Pours a hazy golden with a nice fluffy white foam that retains well.
Smell – Simcoe hop bringing the pine aroma along with some citrus and tropical fruit notes. Citra has a very distinct smell and comes through nicely.
Taste – Ver similar to the aroma. The pine notes come through from the simcoe on the front followed by the nice citrus juiciness tropical fruit. Finish is a nice dry lingering hop bitterness with those fruit notes hanging around as well.
Mouth Feel – Medium bodied, pine and fruit front with a lingering bitterness.
Overall Thoughts – Well balanced IPA bringing good aromas and flavours from the hops. Bitterness is there but not overpowering and the beer is easy to drink.
Do I like it? – Yes, I did like this beer. I don’t always go seeking IPAs these days, but I do enjoy a good one. This is a beer I’d be happy to have in my fridge regularly and I hope I’ll have the chance.

I hope that this write-up was informative. I encourage you to get out and try as many new beers as you can. Broaden your horizons and your palate.

I’ve got another post coming this week. I had a chance to check in with Stone Angel, so look for that coming tomorrow.

Keep following along as I keeping doing what I can to write about beer, breweries and brewers.

-Beer Winnipeg