So Molson Coors hops aboard the session IPA bandwagon with this 3% alcohol beer said to be seasoned with Mosaic and Sorachi Ace hops. And honestly, from the aroma of this copper-hued ale, those hops appear to have been put to good use, with a full and fragrant aroma of dried leaf, fresh lemon and grapefruit, accented by a bit of spicy earthiness.
After a sip, however, I’m left wondering what happened to the hops. After two sips, I’m thinking about putting out an a.p.b. on the missing hops. By sip three, I want to just go back to sniffing rather than sipping this beer.
The start of what might be termed the flavour of Molson’s Session IPA is light, very light, with a watery entry and notes of sour citrus. The mid-palate doesn’t get much better, with a character best described as weak lemon tea and a pallid, quick finish. The Mosaic and Sorachi Ace hops were obviously well employed for aroma, but where the actual taste of the beer is concerned, they do little positive and impart almost no bitterness. What this beer needs is malt, plenty of malt, and some hops added to the first half of the boil.
Sorry, Molson Coors, but if you want to start using the IPA moniker on your brands, you’re going to need to do better than a weaker, more fragrant and less flavourful Alexander Keith’s.
“By sip three, I want to just go back to sniffing rather than sipping this beer.”
Would that weren’t the case with most Session IPAs. 🙁