Trailhead Premium Lager - Wellington County Brewery

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

A pourout at the Fort York Brew Fest 2004. Wateriest and absence of taste of the Wellington line. Golden appearance, no noted aroma. Corny sweet. Some honey mid-sip from yeast. Crisp from Czech hops, altogether below average. Bittery finish. Doesn't work.

Serving type: on-tap

08-08-2004 22:20:43 | More by northyorksammy

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

2.42/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Trailhead Wellington. Dark yellow colored ale with small head and not a whole lot of retention. Aroma is mostly subtle floral malt and very little else. Taste is a balance mix of floral malt with some dryness at the ends. This one lacks character overall and is probably not the best beer from this brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2004 13:59:30 | More by Phyl21ca

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

473ml tall pastel blue can, cartoon fish theme and all.

This beer pours a cloudy medium straw colour, with two fingers of dense soapy off-white head, which leaves some random arched lace around the glass as it fades away. It smells of sweet white cracker grain, a bit of corn mash, subtle earthy honey, and mildly grassy hops. The taste is soft grain, weedy, herbal hops, and some very mild nail polish remover-esque alcohol. The carbonation is fairly soft, the body smooth, medium weight, and a bit oily, and it finishes mostly dry, the musty, weedy attributes hanging on tight.

A fair shake better than your typical AA (heh) Lager, classification-wise, but it doesn't quite follow through on the packaging's promise of a Vienna Lager by dint of Czech hops and German malts - the requisite crispness and zing just aren't there.

Serving type: can

01-16-2010 23:38:05 | More by biboergosum

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

1.63/5  rDev -44%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

473 ml can, big thanks to grub for sharing.

Pours a clear dark straw yellow, medium sized white head forms and settles down to a thin ring around the glass, no real lacing, disappears pretty quick.

Smell is weird, almost acrid, lightly sweet and malty, corn/rice and a bit adjuncty, a bit of garbage bag, honey, some grass, really weird.

Taste is the same, kind of weird and sweet, not really sure what flavour profile is going on, honey and corn, lightly buttery, a bit grassy and some floral, not good at all.

Mouthfeel is light bodied with medium to high carbonation. A huge mess, I would avoid. Thanks Russ!!

Serving type: can

03-09-2011 00:25:06 | More by Viggo

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.13/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Very clear golden colour topped with a thin sheet of fine bubbles. Fair retention and a bit of lacing. Smells of malt/corn sweetness with a bit of fruit and mild spicy hops. The flavour is a bit fruity, the bitterness quite mild, and it has a slightly acidic sharpness at the end. Very light hop flavour that's on the spicy side, it finishes off-dry. Sweetness is pronounced throughout and it's too much for the beer to handle. The body is light, but not to the point of being watery. Easy to drink, nothing special but worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

10-13-2005 00:56:29 | More by DrJay

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Trailhead's prairie gold colour is smeared in a foggy mist to make for an appearance that, curiously, is at once sunny and smoggy. Almost microscopic bubbles race through the beer at near time warping speed. They come to a screeching halt, however, once hitting the tarp of filmy white lather that extends over the beer's surface.

The aroma showcases a very sweet graininess that is one part pleasant (honeyed oats) and one part unpleasant (canned cream corn). The Saaz hops that are advertised can hardly be noted - if at all - although a tinge of floral-accented bitterness does leak out. I'm still unsure if I want my nose in the glass, I reckon it's just as well left out of it.

You're not doing the beer any disservice drinking it at near freezing temperature - you're probably doing yourself a favor. At very least, you aren't missing out on anything (nothing important, anyhow). Not to suggest the taste is bad, rather just plain and conventional and, well, not exactly good. It just tastes like grain, specifically a mix of barley and corn.

And when I say corn I don't mean corn syrup or any distasteful canned corn-like flavours, but rather that of a grist that was minimally diluted with a little flaked maize in the way American lagers traditionally have been. Like any adjunct lager it's not entirely desirable but, unlike those which use corn (or its syrups) too liberally, this is at least agreeable.

Fortunately there's enough good beer out there that none of us should ever have to settle for something that's just 'agreeable'. Trailhead was obviously designed for those with low standards and, while not the bottom of the barrel for beers in this style and price range, I personally would have to feel pretty down on myself to sit through another pint of it.

Serving type: can

11-06-2006 18:14:47 | More by biegaman

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Wellington says "No ordinary lager! A Euro-traditional style lager derived from Czech hops."

It's definitely more of a Euro Pale Lager than a macro.

A: Clear, golden-straw. Subtle, fizzy white head quickly dissipates. No retention or lace.

S: Earthy, metallic & floral hops with some underlying maltyness (bread with a touch of light caramel).

T: Plenty of hop flavour (earthy, metallic & a little floral), a little malty sweetness up front, with a moderate bitterness in the finish. Slight buttery flavour. Personally, I'm not a fan of the Czech hop flavour. It does have a nice malty flavour.

M: Light to moderate body (surprising for its strength); moderate carbonation.

D: A good, sessionable beer, but the hop profile isn't my style.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2006 23:44:03 | More by Derek

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.28/5  rDev +12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml can poured into pint glass sept17 2009

A slightly cloudy golden yellow with a decent one finger head with fair retention and very little lace. This is one of the more carbonated beers I've seen lots of bubbles.

S a little bread with some floral hops

T a little grass and some mild hops, nothing great but nothing offensive

M light, lots of bubbles, pretty crisp and clean

D overall not a bad beer better then average but not by much

not bad for a Canadian lager

Serving type: can

09-17-2009 23:39:18 | More by wordemupg

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

2.55/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

473ml Can from the LCBO

Appearance - Clear yellow colour with a small size fizzy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there isn't much lacing. The head lasted for 2 minutes.

Smell - Bread, apples, corn, grains

Taste & Mouth - The beer has an average amount of carbonation an I can taste bread mixed with corn syrup and apple juice. There is also a light amount of a grassiness and some grains.

Overall - Nothing to write home about. Just another basic adjunct lager that is inter-changeable with so many other beers in it's style category.

Serving type: can

02-15-2012 20:37:05 | More by spinrsx

grub

Ontario (Canada)

2.13/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

500ml can. sampled march 8/2011.

pours hazy pale yellow with a big fluffy white head. the head drops quickly and leaves almost no lace.

aroma is okay. honey and buttery toffee. bit of dms. corn. white bread and cracker. light alcohol. bit of faint floral/herbal character.

taste is delicious! well, maybe not... bit of carbonation bite, but not as bad as the silver wheat before it. bit of honey and butter on white bread. dms and corn, more than in the aroma. low bitterness level, but with a sort of clingy lingering unpleasant aftertaste.

mouthfeel is bad. bit of sting from the medium-high carbonation. light body, almost watery. unpleasant clingy lingering mouthfeel.

drinkability is okay. i suppose it's not aiming very high to begin with, but still not interesting or enjoyable.

Serving type: can

03-09-2011 00:35:29 | More by grub

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Clear golden in colour, quick splash of head that fades quickly.

Wonderful aroma of bready, biscuity malt, rich and lush, ends on a graham cracker sweet note. Floral hops.

The flavour is a malty treat as well, fresh baked bread throughout, very light hop finish, the goodness is only cut short by the bristling unbalanced carbonation of the mouthfeel, it interferes more than it helps to present. As a result it feels thin and watery in the end, even though it isn't. It's actually kind of creamy.

This has potential for sure, just round out the carbonation a bit and we have a winner here, otherwise a great malty lager.

Serving type: can

10-19-2008 02:56:37 | More by IronDjinn

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +23%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

A - Medium carbonation. Golden, corny, yellow colour. White head that only sticks around for 5 minutes and doesn't leave a cap whilst consumption ensues.

S - Sweetish. Grassy and grainy. Noticable saaz hops. Good for what it is.

T - Grainy and malty up front with a nice grassy hop finish and mild bitterness. Once again, not amazing but for the style it's good.

M - Thin, somewhat watery. This is where it reminds you what it is. Carbonation is present. Goes down smooth.

D - Fairly high. If I wanted a really really easy drinking Ontario lager with just barely enough flavour for an evening of drinking,this would have to be it. The 4.5 ABV is also swell.

Serving type: can

09-11-2010 21:56:16 | More by tbeckett

pootz

Ontario (Canada)

2.93/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

On tap at the Shepherd’s pub: Tapped a golden colour. Moderate heaed...soft carbonation... Light doughy malt aroma mixed with light fruit tones. Soft malty, taste in a light/soft mouthfeel. Tasty light lager with a hint citrus and low bitterness. If I closed my eyes I’d have though this was Neustadt Bruce county lager. A faily light lager...good thirst buster.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2005 03:02:13 | More by pootz

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

2.7/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A - Pours a clear straw with a decent white head of foam.

S - Sweet, slighty sulfury smell with a touch of leafy hops.

T/M - Drier than expected with an astringent edge. Rough, albeit mild, hop bitterness in a watery finish. Not overly fizzy.

D - Overall, a clean, light, watery brew. A good choice for people who don't like beer.

Serving type: can

02-20-2008 02:48:31 | More by allergictomacros

kwjd

Ontario (Canada)

2.95/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear pale orange colour with white head that dissipates quickly, but some lacing around the glass. Smells of bready malt with some very faint grassy hops. Not much in the way of flavour, but nothing off about it. Is there actually adjuncts in here? Ok carbonation level and easy to drink.

Serving type: can

10-19-2010 23:15:53 | More by kwjd

CAMRAhardliner

Ontario (Canada)

2.58/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a straw gold color with a pathetic non existent head and a few wisps of lace. The aroma has a mildly synthetic feel. Very weak grainy flavor mixes with an equally anemic hop presence. The taste is bland and watery with some light herbal hops and a wiff of DMS. The finish is sweetish and short lasting. The mouthfeel is light and carbonation levels are low for a lager.

A very lackluster beer, but still a notch up from BMC

Serving type: can

12-13-2007 05:19:47 | More by CAMRAhardliner

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

2.8/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Havent had Trailhead in bottles for ages, figured I'd give it a go.

Poured into a small stein. Light golden in colour, with a thin head that survived in thin patches - not much lacing to speak of.

The nose is particularly sweet, with notes of corn and lemon, and that very distinctive "welly malt" flavor. (I can't really describe it, but it's a flavor I can pick up in pretty much all of Wellington's offerings)

Taste is about the same, albeit a bit tinny. Suprisingly sweet, almost cloying. Malty, with hinds of lemon and grassy, floral hops. The sweetness really cuts into the brew's balance, placing Trailhead among the other oppressively average lagers this country produces. I understand why Welly brews Trailhead - it's a good seller for those who just want "a beer", like Canadian or Blue; and it's also among the discount brands at the Beer Store - but it's still far from their best, and a poor example of the quality the brewery is capable of.

Mouthfeel is highly carbonated, watery.

As far as a "discount" brew goes, you can do much worse. At around 30 bucks for a 24, it's not a bad brew. Can't say I really enjoyed it that much; it's not among Wellington's best offerings.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2010 17:37:31 | More by JohnnyBarman

roadhouse

Florida

3.38/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Clear and gold, 1/2 inch white head that dissipates quickly. Not looking much like a Vienna Lager as the can states.

Aroma is sweet and grainy, perhaps a hint of pear. Not offensive in any way but not outstanding either.

Taste is actually exactly like the aroma and is on the sweeter side. I kind of like it but at the same time don't think I would want to session it.

Mouthfeel is medium, pretty smooth but ultimately the beer does have quite a sweetness to it and ends up hurting the drinkability. I have no problem with sweetness in something like a Barleywine or RIS because it has depth but this is just grainy sweetness.

Serving type: can

09-23-2010 13:14:58 | More by roadhouse

Shiloh

Ontario (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The brew that" supports wildlife and conservation endeavours"
Very nice and the beer ain't bad either..Colour is a dark golden with redish undertones and somewhat murky...the body is medium and has limited head.
The taste is a little sweet but the hops are also evident in a twangie(sp) aftertaste that also leaves you dry and wanting more..Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2003 18:37:20 | More by Shiloh

elricorico

Alberta (Canada)

2.83/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A very clear deep gold with two fingers of white head. Head slowly falls to a thin cap but holds there for some time.

Slightly sweet malt aroma. Fairly light smell even for a lager.

Malt flavour gives a faint honey and grain impression. Hops are not strong, and give some metallic flavour. Taste is quite average.

The body has a thickness to it, and the carbonation is fizzy. Not bad.

Easy enough to drink, but it really lacks in substance. Could work for a lawnmower beer.

Serving type: can

10-11-2008 16:25:03 | More by elricorico

mrmanning

Ontario (Canada)

2.85/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pretty average lager all around, and not the best I have had from the brewery, but a decent beer nonetheless. Head is foamy, and white, medium sized. Body is a dark amber colour. Aroma is stale hops, corn, and a faint sweetness. Taste is hoppy, bitter, sweet like sugar, and slight corn. Finish is a tad watery, leaving a mild bite in the throat as well. Not horrid, but they make better stuff!

Serving type: can

08-03-2009 14:21:18 | More by mrmanning

Shadman

Alberta (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Nice looking lager, slighty hazy pale straw in color. Really nice head and head retention,

Smell is less than stellar. Slight grainy malts with definite cooked veggie adjunct odor.

Pretty light & unassumming in taste. Weak right across the board. Weak malts, weak hops, weak metallic twang.

Smooth due to it not being over carbonated. Light body as evidenced in the 4.5% ABV.

Not the worst AAL I've tried, but really that far ahead in the taste dept from Old Milwaukee either

Serving type: can

09-06-2009 02:30:41 | More by Shadman

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

2.63/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a turbid orangey yellow with a small head that dissipates quickly. A slight ring of foam persists for a while. Lacing: Negligible.

The aroma is...trace elements of floral hops. A little grassy. Mildly sweet. Meh.

The taste is barely there. Mild honey malt. A little light biscuit here. A tiny nibble of hops there. A touch of dry mineral in the finish. Pretty mediocre overall.

Mouthfeel is thin and watery.

Overall verdict: Wellington should stick to English ales. This isn't a bad beer by any means, it's just a really boring one.

Serving type: can

09-24-2009 00:54:53 | More by MeisterBurger

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Tallboy can from the LCBO; best before July 2012. I knew before I bought this that it was not really much of a craft beer, but given past experience with Wellington I expect it to be at least good for what it is.

Pours that familiar pale golden-yellow colour, topped with one finger of foamy white head. Not very effervescent, but the head retains itself for a few minutes; impressive given the style. It leaves behind a thin, creamy cap with minimal lacing. I like the doughy, vaguely sweet malt character of the aroma; it's approachable for the style but unfortunately it's still quite faint. A little corny, with that apple juice feel I find in a lot of adjunct lagers.

The taste is decent, but nothing memorable. More grainy, slightly doughy malts with a light honey sweetness. Light lemon citrus and tart apple juice notes with some slight dryness toward the end of the sip. Weird sourness in the aftertaste is the only thing that stops this from being a noticeably superior adjunct lager. Thin-bodied and watery, with relatively low carbonation for the style. Crisp and refreshing enough to get the job done.

The packaging leads one to believe that this might be a genuine Vienna lager, but the BA categorization is much more appropriate. It's an above-average pale lager with no serious flaws, but few redeeming qualities of note.

Final Grade: 3.1, about a C+. This tallboy was priced the same as a can of the 'premium' macro equivalent (e.g. Canadian/Blue), rather than a value brand like Lakeport or Lucky. In terms of quality, I would wedge Trailhead between those two groups - a little better than the cheap stuff, but not any better than your typical domestic premium lager. Purchase accordingly.

Serving type: can

02-04-2012 08:36:12 | More by thehyperduck

slitherySOB

Ontario (Canada)

2.58/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I was expecting something a bit better from Wellington brewery. This seems more along the lines of the discount, buckabeer brews. Perhaps that's what it's meant to be? Anyways... Pours a very pale straw colour with a head that quickly fades away, leaving a small film of foam on top. Sort of a basic, sweet, bready smell with a small floral hop scent. Bit sweet tasting with plenty of grain. Has a very mild citrus and grassy/floral aftertaste. Mouthfeel is a bit dry and watery. Sort of a 'meh' beer. Decent for camping, but their are much better session beers.

Serving type: can

04-28-2008 21:26:22 | More by slitherySOB