I can remember being 19 (so, in 1999) and seeing beer from a company called Muskoka, in the LCBO in Port Carling while up at the family cottage. If I recall, I mainly got the Cream Ale from them. I have no recollection, and wasn’t equiped at the time, to gauge it’s qaulity on a beer-geekery scale, but I certainly remember enjoying it quite a bit, and at the end of the day, that’s all that matters. I seemed to loose track of the brewery for a while, so was happy to note a few years ago, that they were still open and also a well-respected brewer. Then our friend and beer rep at Castro’s, Jon, moved from Cameron’s to Muskoka, and the Cream Ale was soon running through our lines. And I still enjoy it, though my tastes have certianly grown away from more simple ales and lagers. I had been told by Bill George (LCBO beer avatar) that Muskoka’s Hefe-Weisse was one of the better and most under-appreciated wheat beers in Ontario. So when I got handed an OCB sample pack at the Toronto Beer Week launch, I was stoked to see the Weisse in it. And in case you didn’t realize it, wheat beers are the perfect breakfast beer!
Muskoka Cottage Brewery Hefe-Weissebier
From a 473ml tallboy with a serve before date on it, this beer pours a nice dark yellow with a fluffy head that dissipates pretty quickly. It’s much more clear then I would expect from a weisse, though it is a little hazy. Aroma is massive banana, with some nice yeasty hits. Taste is actually pretty sweet and mellow, still big on bananas, but with undertones of honeydew melon and maybe even a little lychee. There is also clove and pepper in there, sort of on the mid-palate, but the finish is all melon. Mouthfeel is nicely carbonated and on the light side of the scale, but feels lovely and goes down easy. Sure, this is a perfect summer-time hot-weather beer, but it is also the perfect breakfast beer. Not crazy complex, fruity and pretty mellow. Great start to a great day!
