United Nations of Beer

Paddock Wood Rye IPA

by Darrell Billesburger
(Beer Delegate, SK, Canada)

Paddock Wood Rye IPA
Paddock Wood Brewing, SK, Canada

At first taste, this extremely dark IPA has a stong caramel taste that is almost overpowering. But as the beer progresses, slight undertones of bitterness come through, almost to bitch-slap you and say "Look at me, I'm an undertone!"

Brewed by the Paddock Wood microbrewery in Saskatoon, this preservative-free beer is meant to be served warm, in a tall glass.

But be warned, unless you want a mouthful of sediment, don't be over-zealous with pouring, as being a unfiltered beer, you just may get a flavour that is quite overpowering and may distract from this fine beer.

Another key note is that Paddock Wood Rye IPA is brewed with rye, in addition to barley. So what they are actually saying that it's like drinking a pre-mixed Boiler Maker without the whiskey.

At 8.5% ABV it definitely has to be one of the strongest, yet most flavourful beers I've had in recent memory, with a creamy aftertaste that seems to coat the palate and entice you to take another sip, then another, then another... well, you get where I'm going with this.

Paddock Wood Rye IPA is definitely a beer that is not going to be taken lightly. Anyone who is a beer amateur should think twice about buying more than a couple of these to drink in one sitting. After having one (this is me, the self-styled beer expert) I was feeling the effects of the 8.5% alcohol.

So in my tour of Saskatoon beer, I've found some interesting delights that have intrigued me to learn more about the brewing process. And after drinking a number of these, it makes me take a different look at what the local brewery scene in Saskatoon has to offer.