It’s been a while since my last review of a beer from Toronto‘s Amsterdam Brewery. And, as far as I’m concerned, it’s been too long. Having already reviewed Amsterdam’s Boneshaker Unfiltered IPA, I’ll leave you to check out that review if you’d like to learn a bit more about the brewery. Although I frequently see Boneshaker in my local LCBO, I don’t see Amsterdam’s Cruiser All Day Pale Ale, basically a session version of Boneshaker, as often as I’d like.
Amsterdam Brewery: Cruiser All Day Pale Ale – First Sip
Cruiser pours a semi-opaque straw yellow with lots of bubbles. A thin layer of foam forms at the top of my half-pint glass, and sticks around. I smell citrus as I take my first sip, and enjoy Cruiser’s bitter but smooth flavour. Cruiser’s high level of carbonation supports its crisp taste nicely, and allows its bitterness to stand out in the finish.
Amsterdam Brewery: Cruiser All Day Pale Ale – Last Sip
Unlike Boneshaker, Cruiser’s a session ale that you can drink a few of without overloading your taste-buds. And, at 4.9% ABV in 355-mL bottles, you can also avoid overloading your liver.
For the frequent pale ale drinker, Cruiser represents a standard for sessions. Exceptionally crisp and drinkable for a pale ale, Cruiser is also a good brew to try if you’re new to the wonderfully bitter world of hops.
Its crisp taste provides Cruiser great drinkability, but if you’re typically a lager drinker then you may want to limit your intake. Because of its smooth flavour, Cruiser is a good beer to have a few of, but its balanced bitterness also makes it a good brew to have with dinner. Pale ales, as always, are great with salty food, but since it isn’t exceptionally hop-forward Cruiser’s good with just about any meal.
