Line of Departure Premium Aged Lager

Line of Departure Premium Aged Lager comes from LOD Brew Inc., out of Toronto, though the can says it brewed in Guelph, Ontario. It’s a clear, amber-gold lager that comes in 473mL cans. The 5% brew pours with a very thin layer of off-white head, but comes with significant carbonation.

LOD has an assertively malty aroma—toasty, grainy, and with a slight caramel twist. The flavour is pretty rich, with big malt presence, a slight woody chip, and some toasted caramel elements.

On the negative side, the beer is really quite sweet for a 5% lager, which hampers its refreshment value.

A fair approximation of a Vienna lager, LODPAL is an enjoyable oat soda. It’s not perfect, but it tastes good, and it’s clearly an example of a brewery creating something that it feels is missing in the Ontario marketplace, which is commendable. VLs are tricky, because they are more savoury than crisp, and this one skews a little sweet, but I like it alright.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.