Mill Street Lemon Tea Ale - Mill Street Brew Pub

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This was one of the draft offerings at Craft Beer Market in Calgary.
This beer arrived looking slightly hazy, brown orange liquid with a short chunky head. Foam quickly faded leaving no lace.
It smells of black tea, along with some caramel malt sweetness. The taste has a distinctive iced tea flavor. I was pleasantly suprised by both the aroma and taste, with the iced tea coming through nicely, but still not overpowering. Refreshing lemon finish.
The carbonation is average, the body light, would make a great hot weather / summer drink.

Serving type: on-tap

12-10-2012 18:49:38 | More by BigBry

Tone

Missouri

3.95/5  rDev +16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy, maize color. 1/4 inch head of a white color. Great retention and good lacing. Smells of strong earl grey tea, slight pale malt, slight sweet malt, and a hint of hop. Mouth feel is sharp and crisp, with an average carbonation level. Fits the style of a Herbed / Spiced Beer. Tastes of strong tea, slight pale malt, slight sweet malt, and slight hops. Overall, good appearance, aroma, and body. Since, this was a 'tea' beer the domination of tea in body and aroma was very pleasing. I also enjoyed the distinct and discernible flavor of the Earl Grey.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2012 13:27:04 | More by Tone

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: It has a nice clear golden/yellow color to it. It has a nice thick off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves no lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of lemon, citrus, iced tea and grainy malts.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a lemony flavor with citrus notes, iced tea like sweetness and some grainy malts.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a decent overall balance and feel.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with light but decent flavors and aromas.

Serving type: can

05-30-2012 20:41:59 | More by SebD

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Awesome to see this as part of the Summer mixed pack for 2012. This is a very unique Summer beer that uses the Tea notes and the Lemon in a balanced and understated way. You can tell its a Wheat beer but the tea flavours add some depth and dryness and the lemon adds a citrus note to the finish. Nice full mouthfeel and long finish, I will be buying more of this as the days get hotter.

Serving type: can

05-18-2012 01:46:35 | More by canucklehead

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

3.93/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance- Pours a foggy honey colour with a finger width of foamy white dense head.

Smell- Citrus/lemon, hint of orange pekoe tea aroma, wheat.

Taste- Predominately wheat flavours with a touch of the orange pekoe playing a supporting role. Subtle hint of lemon and mild sweetness.

Mouthfeel- Light to medium bodied with light carbonation. Very smooth texture. Has a pleasant refreshing quality.

Overall- A great summer sipper by Mill Street. The unique tea flavours make this beer one of a kind. I'm pleased that the lemon and sweetness levels are well balanced and not overpowering. Session worthy on a hot summer day.

Serving type: can

04-21-2012 04:05:47 | More by leaddog

Antikythera

New York

3.73/5  rDev +10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: golden brown with a light head.

S: the tea really comes out in the aroma.

T: lemony, tart, and complex on top of a maybe nondescript beer. Very refreshing.

M: not drying or acidic as you might think with all that lemon and tea.

O: I'll definitely buy this again -- it's a great summer beer that's more interesting than your average lager.

Serving type: can

04-09-2012 20:41:03 | More by Antikythera

fostachild

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

pours a murky light orange/yellow color. little bit of head that fades pretty quickly - not that appealing.

smell was malty, sweet, fruity. bit of lemon peel and ice tea as well.

tasted like ice tea with some wheat, malt. also fruity/lemony - pretty good.

had good carbonation and was easy to drink - overall an enjoyable beer to try.

Serving type: can

11-07-2011 02:49:50 | More by fostachild

nighthawk

Nova Scotia (Canada)

3.4/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

473mL can poured into mug. Date code on bottom. Part of seasonal six-pack from Mill St. available at Bayers Lake NSLC (among other well-stocked locations)

Pours a slightly murky orange-brown with amber highlights. Looks like a hazy iced tea. Head is initially fluffy, white and large, but quickly disappears.

Bright lemon, sweet bread and cake aroma. Dominated by the lemon and tea.

Lots of bold lemon tea, skirts overpowering. Sweet bready and biscuit malts, hints of bitter grassy hops. Finishes sweet with a lingering lemon iced tea taste.

Mouthfeel is medium, nice bright carbonation, and a slightly sticky but not cloying finish.

Different, refreshing, flavourful, but a bit too much like iced tea for my liking.

Serving type: can

10-23-2011 02:01:08 | More by nighthawk

mgclark

New Brunswick (Canada)

2.85/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Poured out of a can into a tulip glass. Nice rich white head frothed forward but quickly dissipated to a soapy film. That too vanished quickly.

S: This is where the beer shines. The smell is malty, slightly bready with lemon and tannon.

T: It doesn't work for me. The lemon is out of balance with the absent acid which makes the malt kind of pop in a fruity way.

M: Bigger body then I would have thought, it was cut with a nice, but maybe too high, level of carbonation.

O: It was a neat experiment, and its not a bad beer in the heat, but overall its not my thing. I probably wont get this again.

Serving type: can

08-11-2011 00:35:46 | More by mgclark

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - one finger head from a can, yellow colour with a slight orange hue, a little patchy lacing

S - oranage, tea, wheat

T - orange, lemon, tea, wheat malt

M - some bitterness and lingering stale biscuit/metal aftertaste -light to medium body - plenty of carbonation

O - an interesting brew however somewhat unbalanced - still plenty drinkable

Serving type: can

08-09-2011 03:44:54 | More by Stocean1

Converge

Alberta (Canada)

3.33/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

473ml can poured a 20oz tumbler.

A - Just under a two finger head, slightly off white, and gone in seconds. Looks like iced-tea.

S - Upfront I'm getting a lot lemon and iced-tea type aromas. There's a distinct bready malt in the background here as well.

T - The lemon doesn't quite feel like the focus of the flavor here, as I had expected. The tea certainly isn't very prominent at all. Some sweet, toasty grains and mild malt are also present here. Not a particularly strong flavor, but there's also something else that feels really off-putting. Bits of orange are becoming more apparent as it warms.

M - Pretty fizzy feeling. Light-to-medium feeling body.

D - Decent, but not all that enjoyable. Something different, and worth a try, but probably not worth revisiting.

Serving type: can

07-23-2011 05:50:35 | More by Converge

Roke87

Ontario (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

473 mL can, chilled and poured into a pilsner glass.

Apperance- Pours a clear golden amber colour with a huge three fingers of soapy white head that very quickly dissipates to a nice bubbly top eventually surrendering a bubbly ring leaving

Smell- The smells coming from this one are very interesting, but in a good way. I definitely do get the lemon and tea aromas right away which are quite inviting. There is a somewhat weird aroma that I can’t really put my finger on, and other than the lemon aromas there’s not too much else going on here.

Taste- The tastes are actually better than the smells, the lemon tea aromas come through so much better in the tastes, it actually does taste like a lemon tea; to be honest it also really reminds of a box of fruit loops both in the tastes and aromas. Some mild malty grain flavours coming through in the background as well, I’m not really getting much hops but maybe that’s because I am used to hop dominated American IPA’s?

Mouthfeel- Light bodied with what starts off with ample carbonation that quickly turns into a below average carbonation, it is a very smooth, crisp, and refreshing beer though.

Overall- Very interesting beer here from a very quality Ontario craft brewery, I know it’s not your average beer and I haven’t seen any other lemon tea beers out there (and I make trips down to the states monthly). But for how out there this beer may be, it is something that you probably don’t want to miss, especially for you lemon and tea lovers this is a no brainer. I would definitely get this one again to sit down on my patio and drink it during a hot summer night, congrats Mill St. yet again another very quality beer, you keep showing us Ontarioins what you’re really made of.

Serving type: can

06-19-2011 05:44:33 | More by Roke87

Rutager

British Columbia (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance. Pours a slightly hazy gold-amber with over a finger of smooth foamy white head that leaves some nice sheets of lace.

Smell. Ivory soap and a little lemon peel. Not especially appealing to me.

Taste. Some toasty grains, a little grassy hops and lemons with a hint of bergamot in the end.

Mouthfeel. Lighter body with smooth medium-low carbonation. Crisp and refreshing.

Overall. Very nice beer for a hot summer day. The flavours work much better together than I would have expected.

Serving type: can

06-05-2011 00:09:45 | More by Rutager

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Of the six varieties inside the Mill Street sampler I picked up, this is probably the weirdest, but I am still pretty eager to try it. Pours a slightly hazy golden-copper color, with a thin fizzy head that fizzes itself right out of existence in a few seconds, similar to soda pop. Smell is of sour lemon and wheat, maybe a bit of an iced-tea vibe to it but that could just be the lemon.

Taste is definitely different, but not in a bad way. The lemon and soda pop carbonation are the most notable things, but there is some barley malt sweetness underlying it, as well as spice, but wheat is the main flavor. The aftertaste is dominated by lemon and tea bitterness. Carbonation is quite high and very biting on the tongue; very suitable for a hot day.Thin-to-medium bodied; slightly creamy.

I have a feeling this is the kind of brew people either love or hate, and I think I tend toward the former. If you're a purist and don't like the taste of tea or fruit in your beer, you probably shouldn't bother with this - without those pretensions though, this is a refreshing summer beer and is worth a try.

Serving type: can

05-25-2011 05:27:28 | More by thehyperduck

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.03/5  rDev -40.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Can thanks to rmalinowski4 in the Generosity BIF. Served in a Captain Lawrence tulip.

Pour yields a murky light golden beer with a single-finger white head that dissipates pretty quickly and leaves a few spots of lacing behind. The nose brings forward a bit of lemon and not too much tea. Maybe a slight herbal character. Hint of toffee. The flavor reveals a strong diacetyl presence. The lemon is completely covered up. No bueno. Mouthfeel is pretty bad with a thick buttery character. Mild carbonation. Yuck.

Serving type: can

05-04-2011 00:23:15 | More by Thorpe429

CrazyMike

Alberta (Canada)

2.63/5  rDev -22.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Hazy orange appearance with thick white head that slowly settles down. Smell mainly consists of citrus and orange, picked up some brown sugar.

Taste also consists of citrus and orange. Picked up some sweetness, has a bitter finish. Taste is very light though, doesn't fit the smell. Light-medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Aftertaste is dry with a lingering orange taste.

I'm surprised that this is 4.9% ABV from the light taste. Interesting and alternative beer but doesn't have enough kick to it. If you want to try something different, check it out, otherwise it's nothing special.

Serving type: can

04-18-2011 01:56:47 | More by CrazyMike

RyanBelle

Ontario (Canada)

2.68/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into an extra tall pub glass.

Smell - This beer smells bad. It smells like burning hair coming out of the can and I wish I was exaggurating. Not good. Luckily, the beer tastes completely different and only gets better from here.

Appearance - Murky Orange. Looks line a glass of sunshine to be honest. Above average looks with an average amount of carbonation/quick dissipating head which does leave slight lacing on the glass I poured it into.

Taste - A winner. This is different. The hints of tea and lemon are essentially in the aftertaste more than up front for me. This is a craft beer, but not a session beer, the aftertaste could be 'too much' after a couple cans. Perfect for a summer day though, more than likely while cutting the grass.

Mouthfeel - Thin. Nothing to brag about but it's substantial enough to not feel like water, I must say that.

Overall? This beer is getting a 3/5. Worth a try would say, but up to you ultimately whether it's your thing or not. Neat idea and props to a great Canadian Craft Brewery...Mill St!

Serving type: can

04-15-2011 05:38:02 | More by RyanBelle

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

2.98/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

473ml can from the LCBO, shared with my girlfriend in a couple pint glasses.

Poured a filtered golden amber, with 3 or so fingers of fluffy head that fades as fast as it appeared. A thin ring of head remains, no lacing and no retention. Nose has some lemony and grassy hops, loads of lemon tea (surprise, surprise!), a general sweetness to it and darker (almost Earl Grey-like) herbal notes. Taste is super fizzy initially, again some thin and watery lemon tea, sweet malt and very mild hops. Some tea 'leafiness' in the finish. Mouth was thin and watery, super high carbonation. Drinkability isn't horrible, and definitely suited to the summer patio. Lemon tea for sure, and I'll give it a little more credit for nailing that, if unspectacularly.

Serving type: can

04-06-2011 16:55:51 | More by liamt07

grub

Ontario (Canada)

1.88/5  rDev -44.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

500ml can. sampled march 8/2011.

pours orangey amber with a small cap of fine white head. the head drops quickly and leaves no lace.

aroma is nice. yep, it's a lemon tea ale alright. nice lemon character that is neither sour nor acidic. nice light tea character. touch of caramel and honey. cracker and white bread. hint of alcohol. bit of floral character that comes across slightly soapy.

taste is terrible. did i just drink a glass of lemon scented dish soap? lemon and soapy floral character. after you've been overpowered by the soapy lemon, the herbal tea character starts to come through a bit. white bread. light alcohol. bit of grain.

mouthfeel is okay. medium-light body. medium-high carbonation level.

drinkability is bad. looked okay and smelled nice enough, but it was all downhill from there...

Serving type: can

03-09-2011 01:37:25 | More by grub

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

3.05/5  rDev -10%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Picked this up on a day trip to Ottawa last month. Had it last Sunday night with my spaghetti while watching the Oscars.

Poured from a 473ml. can.

Appearance: A generous white head with creamy texture, almost like a nitro pour. Body is clear and yellow-gold. Retention is average and no traces or lacing left on glass.

Smell: Lemon and soapy a little. Not bad.

Taste: Very bland at first then gets marginally better as it warms a little. The lemon is quite weak though my wife says she definitely tastes the tea.

Mouthfeel: Smooth and very light-bodied as per the style though it tends to migrate too much to a watery feel and it's not very alive.

Drinkability: Easy drinking but not much to keep my interest.

Overall: Not feeling it. I guess it's not my cup of tea (*groan*).

Serving type: can

03-01-2011 12:55:22 | More by papat444

PEIBeerGuy

Prince Edward Island (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a cloudy, amber-tinged yellow, very much like an iced tea. A few bubbles in the pour lead to zero head.

It smells almost exactly like a real iced tea with a bit of lemon.

Lemon is in the taste, as well as a bit of apricot. The tea flavour is there, but not too strongly. A bit of hops fruitiness and bitterness.

The feel is pretty crisp and slightly sticky. There's enough carbonation to help it feel bright.. The mouthfeel is pretty light and refreshing without being watery.

This one goes down easy. This is a great beer for summer, and a good beer for any old time.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2011 00:38:25 | More by PEIBeerGuy

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Nice-looking beer. Cloudy in appearance, golden-amber in colour. Not much of a head at all after a fairly slow pour, no lacing to speak of. Has some sediment, sometimes a few flakes of tea.

I get a predominantly sweet aroma, almost honey-like. Lemon citrus aroma does not overpower at all. Also fresh and grainy, some maltiness.

The sourness of the added lemon puree comes through in the taste right away. The mouthfeel is a bit thin and watery for a wheat ale, but carries a decent-feeling carbonation.

The bitterness of the orange pekoe and earl grey teas really balances things out, resulting in a very clean aftertaste and overall refreshment quality.

The Lemon Tea Beer from Mill Street Brewery is quite drinkable, avoiding being too sweet or having an overpowering or unnatural taste to it.

Serving type: can

01-02-2011 17:48:02 | More by bryehn

potterface

Alberta (Canada)

4.38/5  rDev +29.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A-Appears the way a wheat/wit would. Golden with some creamy white head.

S-Grainy, lemons. Cold iced tea.

T-Lemon right away, but dried off by bitter tea. Doesn't get sweet or cloying, and I can still taste the beer. It tastes like iced-tea-beer.

M-Starts crisp, nice amount of carbonation, ends very dry. Now I need another sip!

D-I want to drink these all day at the beach. Not what I'd reach for all winter, but still great as an after-work beer. I really enjoy this brew.

Serving type: can

12-20-2010 22:51:26 | More by potterface

paxkey

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

a flavored wheat beer.
lemon yellow can with lemon imagery. mmm lemons.
poured into a pint glass. giant frothy head. hazy lemony honey color.
lots of carbonation. noisy pint. head sticks around for a bit.
smells light and fresh. citrus spicy floral honey biscuit.
highly carbonated pleasant and refreshing.
flavor is a little toned down for i my liking but pleasant lemon tea taste and tart afterbite.
smells interesting and tastes pretty nice. not exactly the kind of lingering taste i want in a beer but not unpleasant.
nice change of taste in a beer.

Serving type: can

12-15-2010 03:29:50 | More by paxkey

Swedes21

Ontario (Canada)

3.13/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

473 ml served in a chilled glass..

Appearance - Beer pours very clean and clear with a decent amount of carbonation. The head is a fluffy white with some lacing. The beer is a pale yellow with a lot of clarity.

Smell - I can smell some hops along with the lemon, but surprised the lemon scent was not more dominant. As well, there is a hint of sweetness in the background.

Taste - not a bad tasting beer, the lemon is there although again not as strong as i would have assume. There is not much in the way of aftertaste either. I would say the hint of more of cold tea.

Mouthfeel - carbonation is fairly weak in the mouthfeel, but the lemon tea taste does come fwd a little bit more.

Drinkability - Something different to try, i would not go out and get it again but was happy to have sampled.

Serving type: can

11-03-2010 02:29:56 | More by Swedes21