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Garrison Imperial India Pale Ale
3 out of 4
Where to buy: LCBO
Price: $4.25/500 mL bottle
Food pairings: Madras-style curries, extra-hot Buffalo wings.
The verdict: About as subtle as a rubber mallet between the eyes.
As a navy mine diver checking under ships for explosives, Brian Titus risked his life every time he went to work.
Today, the most dangerous part of his job isn’t quite as nerve-wracking.
“Well, I suppose I could spill a bit of yeast or malt on myself, but that’s about it,” he says, chuckling.
These days, Titus runs Halifax-based Garrison Brewing, which he founded 15 years ago shortly after leaving the navy. It was, he says, a natural progression.
“In the navy, you get to travel all over the world. I’d always tried local beers wherever I went, and there was some pretty interesting stuff. I got back to Halifax, and the local thing everyone was proud of was Keith’s, which may as well have been Blue or Canadian. I wanted to do something more interesting,” says Titus, who had also been a homebrewer.
Today, the fruits of his labour — along with that of Garrison brewmaster Daniel Girard — can be tasted in eight provinces. In Ontario, Garrison’s Imperial India Pale Ale (IIPA) is on the shelves as part of the LCBO’s fall seasonal release. It’s the two-time winner of the coveted Beer of the Year title at the Canadian Brewing Awards.
The apricot-hued brew has a slightly sweet, citrusy aroma. Flavour-wise, there’s a touch of caramel sweetness, but it’s strictly a sidenote to the real star of the show – the punishingly-bitter finish thanks to the boatdloads of mostly-American hops Titus and Girard use. India Pale Ale is a beer style which evolved in England during the Raj, when brewers realized that hoppier, higher-alcohol brews survived the voyage to India better than standard pale ales. More recently, American breweries began using Imperial to denote an even stronger, more bitter IPA.
In short, this beer, which clocks in at 7-per-cent alcohol and is tongue-numbingly bitter, is everything Alexander Keith’s India Pale isn’t.
“It’s not for everybody, that’s for sure,” says Titus, pointing out that in addition to being 7-per-cent alcohol, his IIPA is also rated at about 70 International Bitterness Units (IBUs). By contrast, Keith’s — believed by many Haligonians to be the exemplar of the IPA style — checks in at about 12 to 15 IBUs. So far, Garrison has been flying off the LCBO shelves.
“We’ve had a really great response from Ontario, which we’re grateful for. The LCBO ordered this last year too, but this time they ordered twice as much because it sold so well,” says Titus, who shipped 10,000 bottles to Ontario. In February, five Garrison beers will be on the shelves at once as part of the LCBO’s featured brewery program.
“We’re just happy that everyone seems to enjoy our beer so much,” says Titus.
