Pint Pursuits Brewing Company, who brew in Guelph but have a Torontonian address, is an uncle-nephew venture according to their website’s “About Us” page. So far, Pint Pursuits has a single beer on offer, their Lord of Lupulin Pale Ale named for the gland found in hops plants which secretes aromatic oils and gives pale ales their signature aromas and flavours. Lord of Lupulin is available at an ever-increasing number of Toronto pubs, but lucky Ontarians can also pick some up at their local LCBO.
I did just that and brought home a 473-mL tall can. I’m always excited to try a new pale ale, but I’m especially grateful to Pint Pursuits for avoiding the linguistically baffling deference other Canadian brewers show when marketing their pale ales.
Canadian-brewed pale ales are so commonplace now that I, for one, think Canadian brewers should drop the labels “India Pale Ale” and “American Pale Ale” from their products. American brewers of pale ale have, for the most part, dropped “India,” instead electing to call their brews “American Pale Ales,” or APAs. So, rather than slogging through the linguistic morass that is “American-style IPA brewed in Canada,” let’s just call them Canadian Pale Ales (CPAs) or simply “pale ales” and be done with it.
MFR ON YOUTUBE (latest video)
Help us reach 5K Subs!
But enough about ale nationalities and linguistic efficiency, let’s drink.
Pint Pursuits Brewing Co.: Lord of Lupulin Pale Ale – First Sip
Lord of Lupulin Pale Ale pours a cloudy pale yellow colour with about a quarter-inch of head that sticks around at the top of my pint glass. This brew’s three varieties of hops give Lord of Lupulin a great tropical smell. I smell notes of banana and citrus as I take my first sip. Weighing in at a respectable 52 IBUs, this brew has a noticeably bitter flavour. Traces of malt provide a sweet base for this bitter brew to explode out of. And, the relatively lively bubbles in combination with Lord of Lupulin’s bitter taste provide a crisp, clean mouthfeel.
Pint Pursuits Brewing Co.: Lord of Lupulin Pale Ale – Last Sip
The problem with reviewing nearly a hundred pale ales is that I find myself saddened at the end of each review. I want to keep drinking, but I’m out of beer. This is a great brew for the acclimatized pale ale drinker, but the lager-only crowd will likely turn their collective nose up at this 5.4% ABV brew, whatever their nationality. Pale ales like this one demand salty snacks as a companion. Chips are good in a pinch, but try this brew with some guacamole to really set it off.
