Dakota Pearl Ale

During a brief stay in Simcoe, Ontario, I wandered into a place called The Shire ("Where you can dine like a hobbit"--no joke), which was billed as a brewpub. While they didn't have anything of their own on tap, they did have pints of a potato ale from Ramblin' Road Brewery Farm, which comes from nearby La Salette, Ontario. Known as Dakota Pearl Ale.

My pint poured clear and golden, with a nice off-white head. It had a fresh, sweet grain nose and a crisp, unexpectedly bitter flavour. In between, I caught some sweet cereal notes.

This beer had an unusual vibe. It was curiously bitter for a very pale ale, but otherwise, not a lot of flavour. The finish was bitter, but with a strange cast--bitterness from potato rather than hops?

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.