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Today I'm going to dive into a Gnarnia Lil' IPA by Sawdust City Brewing Company up in Gravenhurst, Ontario. I can tell you right now this beer packs a hoppy punch to the solar plexus judging by the fact that I could smell the hops from over a foot away while I was pouring the beer.
It's rocking a 5.5% alcohol volume, and it's frothy on top. It's unfiltered, and I am a little nervous about it. I know there are lots of people that really like big IPA's, but I don't count myself among those people. I will take this opportunity to add my usual disclaimer that I may be wrong about the hoppiness of this beer as has been the case on several occasions.
Let's find out if my disclaimer was necessary.
Wow. That is a really unexpected taste sensation, right there. It opens with a really nice citrus taste that I want to say is almost sweet. There's a quiet sort of resonance that carries through the second stanza and right where you would expect a bitter kick to come along and round out the trip, there's a sign that says "be back in ten minutes" that looks like it's been hanging there for 20 years and there's no bitterness to be found. At all.
It's really good. I love the flavour of the hops, I like that there's not a better finish and it leaves you clean as can be. It's way better than I was expecting, so I am happy to report that I was wrong in my initial assumptions , and I am glad to use my disclaimer to its fullest extent. This beer is really good.
It's light tasting, and actually very refreshing, especially for an IPA. I like IPA's in general for the fun and various flavours they can bring, but for the most part I wouldn't consider them refreshing so to speak. Delicious, for sure, but not necessarily what I would reach for after cutting the grass on a hot summer day.
I would reach for a Gnarnia or two after some serious yard work though.
My rating: 10/10. I rarely grade any beer that isn't a stout or porter with the prestigious 10/10, but this beer is definitely worthy.
My lovely wife is my faithful second sipper and all around hater of all things IPA. Why does she do it, you ask? I'm not sure...
My wife's rating: 4.5/10. That's basically 10/10 when you do the conversion. Science.
There you have it, friends. Gnarnia Lil' IPA by Sawdust City Brewing Company in Gravenhurst, Ontario is some outstanding stuff. I highly recommend it to anyone that likes beer that tastes good. Check out sawdustcitybrewing.com to see what else Sawdust City has to offer.