Beer of the Weekend #877: Hopped & Confused
I tipped back another beer from my small haul from Toronto last night: Hopped & Confused, brewed by the Mill Street Brewery of Toronto, Ontario.
The color is lightly hazy golden amber. I could not fit all 473 ml in the glass at first, and when I poured the last couple ounces (or milliliters in this case), a lot of yeast sediment came out and clouded the beer, making it look like an unfiltered New England IPA. A finger and a half of beige, dense, bubble-spotted, lightly buttery head dissipated slowly and evenly, leaving a ring and trails of foam stuck to the glass.
The aroma is fruity and tropical. I shared a can of Hopped & Confused with conference co-workers in Toronto and do not remember the beer smelling this good. (I was feeling the first effects of a cold or something and drank it from a plastic cup, neither of which are ideal for evaluating beer). There are scents of pineapple, mango, kiwi, and orange juice. It smells a lot like a New England IPA. Earthy hop spice is also present.
The flavor is very much like the aroma but not as tropical (unfortunately). The orange juice element is prominent, and it reminds me of a mimosa, but earthy hops steal the show. It is creamy and smooth, and it is very easy drinking, true to the “session ale” claim on the can. There are hints of pineapple, mango, and strawberry. It also reminds me of an Orange Julius.
Fun facts about Hopped & Confused:
• Style: The brewery calls it session ale.
• Price: C$3.15 for a 473 ml can at the LCBO on Queen Street West in Toronto.
• Alcohol content: 4.7 percent ABV.
• IBU: 20.
• Serving temperature: The brewery recommends 4–6º C, which is 39.2–42.8º F.
• Here is the brewery’s description from the beer’s webpage and can:
• Mill Street was bought by Labatt in 2015, which is owned by Anheuser–Busch InBev. According to the Toronto Star, the acquisition disqualified Mill Street’s membership in the Ontario Craft Brewers group.
• Mill Street is named after its original address on Mill Street in Toronto’s Distillery District.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B/B+.
The color is lightly hazy golden amber. I could not fit all 473 ml in the glass at first, and when I poured the last couple ounces (or milliliters in this case), a lot of yeast sediment came out and clouded the beer, making it look like an unfiltered New England IPA. A finger and a half of beige, dense, bubble-spotted, lightly buttery head dissipated slowly and evenly, leaving a ring and trails of foam stuck to the glass.
The aroma is fruity and tropical. I shared a can of Hopped & Confused with conference co-workers in Toronto and do not remember the beer smelling this good. (I was feeling the first effects of a cold or something and drank it from a plastic cup, neither of which are ideal for evaluating beer). There are scents of pineapple, mango, kiwi, and orange juice. It smells a lot like a New England IPA. Earthy hop spice is also present.
The flavor is very much like the aroma but not as tropical (unfortunately). The orange juice element is prominent, and it reminds me of a mimosa, but earthy hops steal the show. It is creamy and smooth, and it is very easy drinking, true to the “session ale” claim on the can. There are hints of pineapple, mango, and strawberry. It also reminds me of an Orange Julius.
Fun facts about Hopped & Confused:
• Style: The brewery calls it session ale.
• Price: C$3.15 for a 473 ml can at the LCBO on Queen Street West in Toronto.
• Alcohol content: 4.7 percent ABV.
• IBU: 20.
• Serving temperature: The brewery recommends 4–6º C, which is 39.2–42.8º F.
• Here is the brewery’s description from the beer’s webpage and can:
This beer is really hoppy but not bitter. It is an ale and a lager. It is juicy, herbal, floral, smooth, crisp and doesn’t taste like anything else. It is a sessionable version of a non-sessionable style. Hopped? Confused? Once you try it, you’ll get it. It is deliciously straight-forward.
• Mill Street was bought by Labatt in 2015, which is owned by Anheuser–Busch InBev. According to the Toronto Star, the acquisition disqualified Mill Street’s membership in the Ontario Craft Brewers group.
• Mill Street is named after its original address on Mill Street in Toronto’s Distillery District.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B/B+.
