Muskoka Harvest Ale - Muskoka Brewery

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

750 mL bottle from the LCBO; listed at 7.0% (2012 edition). This is one I've been looking forward to for months, and fortune seems to be on my side as it was quite easy to find this year. One of the two Muskoka seasonals I have yet to try (or review).

Pours a beautiful, transparent amber-orange colour, with nearly two fingers of billowy, puffy off-white head seated atop the liquid. It's resilient stuff, hanging around for more than a few minutes before finally wilting into a bumpy, foamy cap on the surface - and as an added courtesy, it leaves behind a delicate web of lacing on the sides of the glass. Definitely a very fine-looking pint of beer, and the aroma is nearly equally impressive - plenty of orange, grapefruit and caramel; very floral, very fruity, and very enticing to boot.

Very tasty stuff; the hops are quite prominent, but the malts remain a fixed presence, particularly at the start of the sip. Their sweet caramel and vaguely nutty notes, though, are soon overtaken by pink grapefruit, lemon citrus and floral, slightly piney hop flavours. Finishes with floral hops and earthiness lingering into the aftertaste. Medium-bodied, with a slick mouthfeel and mild carbonation, making one very smooth-drinking ale. The abv is nowhere to be seen - this is absurdly drinkable stuff, and the large bottle is well-suited to being consumed slowly over a crisp fall evening.

Final Grade: 4.35, an outstanding A grade. I anticipated that this would be pretty good, but probably not worth the nearly $9.00 pricetag. Except this may just be the best APA I've ever had, so it is absolutely worth the price. Although the American-style hops do play a dominant role, they are far from overwhelming, so if you are not a hophead there is no need to be wary. If you are looking for a sturdier, relatively balanced ale with some hop bite to it, or if you're just a fan of Mad Tom looking for something familiar but different, Muskoka Harvest Ale is a perfect choice for the coming autumn and winter months. Very impressed with this stuff - I will probably pick up some more before stock runs out, and it's worth mentioning that the quality of this brew (and the Summer Weiss) has me looking forward to the release of their winter seasonal.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 23:54:17 | More by thehyperduck

MylesMac

Manitoba (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

04-11-2013 17:32:36 | More by MylesMac

GoHabsGo

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.3%

03-22-2013 22:06:06 | More by GoHabsGo

timiskin

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.3%

03-12-2013 19:41:51 | More by timiskin

IanSpindler

Alberta (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%

02-27-2013 20:58:36 | More by IanSpindler

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

02-13-2013 12:44:48 | More by DaPan

mjacquard

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

01-27-2013 23:16:09 | More by mjacquard

Simko1209

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

12-04-2012 03:16:19 | More by Simko1209

Digimaika2

Ontario (Canada)

4.05/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

(4.0) A: Clear copper coloured with a decently sized frothy beige head. Long lasting retention and good lacing.

(4.5) S: Pine, tart citrus elements, crisp apple, earthy peat, buttered bread, and toffee. What a great mix of aromas with a defined hop-like character and earthy qualities that contribute to the complexity.

(4.0) T: Similar to aroma with fresh grasses, spices, lemons, grapefruit, and a slight burnt wood taste all coming through. Complimented nicely with a robust and rich bread-like malt taste. Solid bitterness throughout with a mildly dry finish. Very good.

(3.5) M: Medium bodied with a moderate carbonation. Slight syrup like stickyness with a mildly viscous body.

(4.0) D: Very tasty with a great hop profile and fresh earthy qualities. I still prefer this on-tap if given the choice, but nonetheless, a very good harvest ale and something to look forward to in the Fall season.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2012 01:36:33 | More by Digimaika2

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -23.3%

11-06-2012 19:42:04 | More by cfalovo97

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

2012 edition - 750mL, 7%

Appearance - Pours a dark amber with two fingers of bubbly foamy head.

Smell - Citrus/tropical fruits, caramalts, strong piney hops.

Taste - Piney earthy hops along with citrus, tropical and dark fruits. Nice caramel/caramalt flavour. Grassy bitter finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with light to medium carbonation.

Overall - A unique EPA by Muskoka. The aromas almost suggest a dry-hopped American IPA. Well-executed brew that makes it to the top of my Muskoka favourites list, right next to Mad Tom IPA.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2012 03:34:23 | More by leaddog

KrisDLSmith

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +8.7%

10-14-2012 03:55:22 | More by KrisDLSmith

FondueVoodoo

British Columbia (Canada)

4.18/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

2012 edition - 7% ABV
A: Deep orange-umber, fully clear and boosted a full 2 fingers of off white head.

S: Hoppy up front with sweet candy, followed with field notes of fresh cut pumpkin and wet leaves.

T: Some mild bitters up front somewhat like an ESB, followed with deep caramel and toffee. Some enticing musk flavours that are reminiscent of fall and harvest. This beer is like the sophisticated uncle of a pumpkin ale.

M: Medium bodied with just a few pricks of carbonation that hint at pepper spice. The thick coating leaves a sweet and bitter finish, begging for another sip.

O: As mentioned this brew feels like a sophisticated uncle of pumpkin ale, there is a strong suggestion to harvest flavours and thicker mouth feel thats warm and inviting. This is a great fall brew - looking forward to another bottle, if I'm lucky.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2012 02:08:23 | More by FondueVoodoo

Kristin87

4/5  rDev +2.3%

10-04-2012 01:12:01 | More by Kristin87

decimator

Ontario (Canada)

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

750ml bottle poured into a pint glass. ABV 7%. (2012 vintage)

A - Poured a deep copper with amber hues. 3cm cream coloured head slowly dissipates. Lots of lacing.

S - Sweet, dark fruit, dried apricots, citrus notes, hint of grass, hint of floral and alcohol notes.

T - Light caramel sweetness, grains, some citrus, pine, some spice.

M - Medium-heavy body, medium-low carbonation, creamy, sticky, bitter aftertaste. Alcohol is just noticeable as the beer warms up.

O - The mixture of 4 different hops give this one an interesting flavour/aroma profile. Decent Ale overall.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 02:22:08 | More by decimator

papat444

Quebec (Canada)

4.3/5  rDev +10%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

***2012 Vintage***

Thanks to jrenihan for this one.

Poured from a 750ml. bottle (ABV 7%) and shared a little with my wife.

Appearance: A slightly opaque bright copper body with some great head that kind of creates a moat around a mound of foam in the middle. Side of the glass is slathered with lacing.

Smell: Sweet, sticky hops, bit of grass but mostly a nice, long, juicy aroma reminding me of mango & orange.

Taste: This leans to the resiny, mildly sweet hops. A touch of spice in the finish with some pine rounds things off.

Mouthfeel: Creamy and smooth, like drinking a pint in a pub. Low on bitterness but enough to make things interesting.

Overall: Wonderful ale. Straddles the line between a pale ale & a bitter. Balanced perfectly and one i wished they made year round.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 11:45:37 | More by papat444

Tarks

Manitoba (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -16.9%

09-23-2012 15:37:36 | More by Tarks

jsnoek

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

09-16-2012 00:33:42 | More by jsnoek

Coastal_Brew

British Columbia (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.3%

07-15-2012 16:53:59 | More by Coastal_Brew

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4/5  rDev +2.3%

05-03-2012 04:50:59 | More by DoubleSimcoe

oldp0rt

Quebec (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%

03-15-2012 13:31:45 | More by oldp0rt

mdfb79

New York

3.48/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

From 01/07/12 notes. Thanks to whoever shared this one at the last DC RB tasting. Poured into a tulip.

a - Pours a medium amber color with one inch of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of wheat, grain, floral notes, light citrus notes. Not bad but a tiny bit bland.

t - Tastes of wheat, brains, bready malts, sweet fruity malts, nuts, and toasted malts.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Pretty easy to drink.

o - Overall a pretty nice pale ale. Nose was a bit bland but the taste was much better. Worth checking out once.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 21:32:01 | More by mdfb79

Rlombardi75

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +15.1%

01-18-2012 04:35:26 | More by Rlombardi75

irishkyle21

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +2.3%

01-16-2012 16:35:03 | More by irishkyle21

ygtbsm94

Virginia

2.5/5  rDev -36.1%

01-11-2012 07:10:48 | More by ygtbsm94