Muskoka Mad Tom IPA - Muskoka Brewery

cyrenaica

Ontario (Canada)

3.1/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

500ml draught
6.4% ABV
I tried this beer on June 24, 2011 at "The Beerbistro" in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The beer poured a hazy golden orange colour with a creamy white head. Aroma was lemony, citrus, pine, and grainy malt. Mouthfeel was medium bodied with medium carbonation. Flavour was citrusy hops with a lemon lolipop taste to it, some grains, and a bitter finish.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2011 21:18:35 | More by cyrenaica

slitherySOB

Ontario (Canada)

3.11/5  rDev -19.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

A relatively decent IPA, this beer pours an amber colour with about a little over one fingers worth of head that slowly dissipates. Smells floral, citrusy, and grassy. Big lemon and grapefruits. Tastes a little bit paler than the aroma. Lemon, grapefruit, orange zest, floral flavour and a touch grassy. Mouthfeel is medium bodied. I did notice a slight metallic taste as the beer warmed, leaving an odd flavour in my mouth.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 20:37:57 | More by slitherySOB

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Tasting notes from 6/1/11
Poured in to Hop Cat tulip glass

A - Light, almost straw yellow colour with a hint of amber in the middle and one finger of foamy off-white head that slowly disappeared. Almost transparent; somewhat light for an IPA.

S - Pine and citrus are noticeable up front with a crisp but not overly strong bitterness. Some sweet caramel in the background. A nice nose.

T - Some pine come and light citrus notes come through from the hops initially with a nice overall bitterness. Some sweetness comes through in the middle followed by a dry, bitter finish. The hops don't provide much in the way of flavour but do pack a good bitterness. A decent attempt at a west coast American IPA but this needs some tweaking, specifically with respect to flavour contribution from the hops.

M - Medium body with a slight chew. Light carbonation.

O - A good IPA and definitely a welcome addition to the Ontario craft beer scene. I feel like this one was close to being great but didn't quite get there. Some definite tweaking is needed here.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 01:44:41 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Michaelf318is

Manitoba (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Lovely copper color, sllightly cloudy with carbonation and next to no head lingering after the pour

Smell: citrus as expected very fresh and light. Quite inviting.

Taste: orange zest and lingering grapefruit. Kept waiting for some malt to chime in some balance but it was faint. Disappointing but did improve as things warmed. The hops backed off and so I'd drink this next time a bit warmer than the usual IPA.

Overall: Well worth drinking anytime but the overall major hops forward may get old (this even from an IPA lover). Locally I' d choose a Flying Monkeys Smash Bomb IPA over this for the same money. However, you won't go wrong on a night out by trying this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 23:11:06 | More by Michaelf318is

Kremlock

Ontario (Canada)

3.23/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: 1/4 inch white head. Head is very bubbly and stays.

S: GRAPEFRUIT!, citrus, fruity.

T:, Grapefruit, bitter, a very softtoffee flavour with more grapfruit.

M: Carb is lighter in the mouth then it looks, smooth and has a bitterness that lingers for awhile.

O: Great beer and great IPA. Good balance of malt to bitterness but you've got to like grapefruit as this flavour does come through.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2012 20:11:39 | More by Kremlock

JOaikido

Quebec (Canada)

3.25/5  rDev -16%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

355 ml bottle.

A- Flat and slightly cloudy. Pale amber colour. Some lacing.

S- Grapefruit, sour fruits. Faint watermelon.

T- Strong grapefruit hops, fruity and bitter. Light malt giving an acceptable balance.

MF- Light body for the alcohol level.

O- OK, but not my style.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 03:09:26 | More by JOaikido

TheHammer

Ontario (Canada)

3.28/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Half a finger of head that doesn't retain and barely produced any lace at all. The body however is that cloudy IPA orange/yellow with low carbonation.

Smell: Dry hops are the obvious culprit, as they have a almost wheaty smell to them. There some citrus notes and a light malt far in the background. As with most IPAs, warming was not needed.

Taste: Starts with a bit of an orange taste with a light malt that seems to step away as a completely separate dry hop kick comes into play. Lots of pine and dry grass here. It's strong but not overwhelmingly so.

Mouthfeel: This is one of the few IPA's I've had where the hop oil doesn't leave an oily texture, probably because of how dry it comes across as. It leaves you with that dry hop taste, but not the texture. Points however get deducted for the lack of head.

Drinkability: It's pretty dry, so I don't know if I'd really want it frequently. The bitterness of the beer is a bit too high for my liking, but it's an IPA so I got to cut it some slack. Light on the system though, so sure.

Final Thoughts: All in all Mad Tom kept things interesting and I didn't feel cheated by it. Warming really seems to help it's case as the hops seem to mellow out a bit more and more of the orange and malt takes over. That all being said though, it's not my cup of tea and I reviewed it because it is one of Canada's top beers right now.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 02:09:10 | More by TheHammer

Columbanus

Ontario (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Poured a light copper colour, good head retention with lacing. Strong hop aroma, perfume and flowers come to mind. Flavour is all about the hops, strong floural and citrus notes, distinctly American (American hops were used). Not much malt body, kind of thin given the 6.4% ABV. A clean, bitter finish. This is labelled an IPA, but is really more of an APA. If you like these American hops it's a very drinkable and flavouable beer. Great to see this brewed in Ontario.

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2011 18:07:05 | More by Columbanus

MasterSki

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Extra from peensteen. Best before October 11th? Or October 2011? Hard to tell, as the ink is smudged. Served in a CCBW pint glass.

A - Pours with two fingers of creamy white foam that has excellent retention and settles to a thick cap, leaving behind chunky lace. Transparent golden body with lots of visible bubbles.

S - Lemon, pine, grass, toasted grain. Somewhat understated, and very English in character. I don't get nearly any of the citrus mentioned by the other reviewers - maybe very faint grapefruit peel.

T - Taste is a little better, with some orange zest and light sugary notes. Bitterness in the aftertaste is medium. Otherwise grainy and bready malt dominate. Not bad, but a bit dull.

M - Very resinous, with a dry finish and lots of residual hop oils. Carbonation is moderate and pleasant, and the body is medium and slightly grainy. No obvious alcohol.

D - Drinks lighter than the listed alcohol. Could use more dry-hop aroma. If this were advertised as an English IPA it'd get a very good score from me (probably an A-). As an American IPA it's pretty bland, particularly in the aroma department. Easy enough to drink though - could definitely have a few bottles.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 22:08:18 | More by MasterSki

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I found this to be a little one sided on the hops dept vs the malt. I love hops but this was a too bitter at times and really hoped for more balance. Still not bad for an Ontario IPA but not on the same level as Smashbomb for complexity or balance...

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 00:26:45 | More by canucklehead

WeedKing4

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly dark, golden copper thats quite clear. Decent amount of head in the sam adams perfect pint glass. Very slight tastes of citrus, with some grassy pine notes. Could definately use some more hop character. Its not terrible...but i'm still expecting more flavour for an ipa.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2011 02:55:19 | More by WeedKing4

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - light copper with vigorous visible carbonation and a thick, persistent head.

Smell - Citrus, fresh pine, tropical fruit, and mint.

Mouthfeel - medium body and creamy texture.

Taste - Caramel and toffee, orange, and lots of bitterness, especially on the finish. A bit of the pine comes through as well.

One of the better Ontario IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2011 00:48:28 | More by

ism

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

355 mL bottle poured into the hotel's mini-tumblers (about 160 mL). Attractive, bubbly white head, one-finger with consistent lacing. Isinglass-clear, dark straw color.

Nose of orange peel, a squeeze of grapefruit, a light floral, almost herbal note, and a biscuit earthiness. Average carbonation and appropriate for the style. Medium-thin body.

High-alpha acid bitters, nice complexity going on here. A pure, base bitter anchors the stage as citrus and herbacious notes dance upon it. Biscuit earthiness balances it out. Grapefruit and herbs in the short finish.

This is the "truest" Ontario-made American IPA I've encountered on my trip. It deserves to be a local favorite.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 00:16:34 | More by ism

Jeffo

Netherlands

3.6/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this one at the LCBO this past summer.

From a 16oz can into a snifter.

Note: Tested this one as part of the Great Ontarian IPA Showdown against Nickel Brook's Headstock IPA, Railway City's Dead Elephant, and Double Trouble's Hops & Robbers.

APPEARANCE: Pours a two finger, medium looking, fluffy, off-white head with good retention. Slightly hazy gamboge in color with no carbonation evident. Head fades to a foamy wisp leaving some chunks of lacing down the glass. A little too chunky for my tastes, but nothing wrong otherwise.

SMELL: Pale malt, caramel, honeydew melon, and some piney and grapefruit, citrus hops. The citrus aromas come forward a little more than the rest. Pretty nice.

TASTE: Caramel, butterscotch sweetness up front with some honeydew melon and floral hops at the swallow. Moves into a big, persistent aftertaste of caramel and toffee sweetness, as well as floral and piney bitterness. Not as much citrus as the nose had advertised, but plenty flavorful.

PALATE: Medium body and carbonation. A little lighter than hoped, but creamy on the palate, goes down smooth and finishes slightly dry on the palate.

OVERALL: This was certainly a solid IPA from Muskoka. While the Nickel Brook stole the show, this finished a solid second in the lineup. Worth checking out if you see it at the LCBO. Thanks guys.

Serving type: can

08-28-2012 19:39:35 | More by Jeffo

Noxious26

Saskatchewan (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

341ml brown bottle poured in a pint glass. Purchased at an LCBO in Kitchener-Waterloo Ontario.

Orange-Amber in colour and a little hazy. White bubbly head is 3/8 inch on the pour and recedes to a thin ring around the edge with a line or two of lacing here and there.

Big citrusy-fruity nose. Orange, grapefruit, apricot.

Hop bomb smash in the mouth. Big citrusy hops off the start and all the way through to a wet finish.

Moderate carbonation and medium bodied.

Pretty tasty, but a little heavy handed on the hops for my liking. I prefer some more balance in my IPA, but this is pretty decent.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 03:21:04 | More by Noxious26

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Beer is a murky orange colour, darker at the top. A large amount of frothy white head is on top, and has pretty good retention. Minimal lacing.

Nice citrus smell, fairly pungent. Grapefruit is there, I also get a hint of peach. Somewhat floral. A very slight hoppy bitterness is noticeable. Good smell.

Taste is not quite as nice as the smell. but is certainly a pleasant IPA. A bit of a juicy taste, and a moderately bitter aftertaste. A little bit of pine in the taste as well. The malt is fairly subdued- a bit of caramel in the background, but certainly overshadowed by the hops.

Nice mouthfeel. Light to medium bodied, with a nice subdued carbonation.

Overall, a good addition to the exploding world of Ontario IPAs. Definitely happy to see it in the LCBO. Not one of my favourite IPAs, but I am sure I will be buying more in the future.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 02:21:14 | More by jrenihan

jbonapar

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Muskoka seems to be delving into more interesting beers than many of the other "Ontario Mircobreweries" these days.. Love it.

Pours a nice, golden ever so slightly cloudy ale. Wonderfull head with lacing ta'boot.

SMell is slightly subtle for an American IPA. Oddly, i just percieve the slightest amount of early hops. I am assuming they went more towards the bittering hop than the aroma/dry hop... but hard to tell.

Taste is wonderful, as an American IPA Should. Rich and bitter. Perhaps a bit less sweet than most AIPA's but still, a backbone of malt with a strong building hoppiness. Citrus and earth...A bit strong on the "bitterness" with perhaps slightly less flavor of the hop. Nevertheless, nice and enjoyable for the style.

Overall a really nice A-IPA, not my #1, but up for an Ontario Brew, very good indeed.

UPDATE: Had on tape, actually much better with way more hop flavor and aroma.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 22:49:27 | More by jbonapar

rodlavers

Pennsylvania

3.69/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Poured into a little snifter. Really thin white head recedes pretty quickly, no lacing. Golden orange in color, translucent.

Smells of sweet citrus and floral notes.

Taste is similar, but drier and less sweet.

Mouthfeel is crisp and dry, with a citrus finish.

Overall not a bad Canadian IPA. It's refreshing and serves as a nice starter beer. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2013 00:00:50 | More by rodlavers

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - fully hazy golden orange, thumb of white head retained well leaving a consistent crown of lace
S - perfume, pine, and orange citrus hop notes, mild toasty malt
T - resiny hops dominate from start to finish, lighter pine and citrus, toasted bread malt with a tart finish
M - heavyish body with a medium carbonation kick, strong bitter, finishes full with an oily aftermath
O - the punch of the dry hopping is prominent and pleasant, a hop bomb for sure not for the faint of heart

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 00:18:03 | More by joemcgrath27

abraxel

Michigan

3.75/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a very slightly hazy, golden yellow, with a prodigious white head that drops very slowly. and leaves generous lacing down the sides.

S - Some light, pleasant, pine and citrus hop flavor. Smells crisp and clean.

T - Nice hop bitterness, with that same citrusy pine flavor. For some reason it also reminds me of sugar snap peas, but I don't know why. The bitterness is at a great level, but I think it lingers a little too long after I swallow.

M - Thin-to-medium mouthfeel, lowish carbonation (in contrast to the voluminous head).

Overall, this is definitely above-average, but I've had plenty better. I'll enjoy the the rest of the glass.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2011 21:03:03 | More by abraxel

MattyV

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Straddles the deep golden/amber colour spectrum, with a 1 finger frothy head. Aroma's a muted mix of piney and earthy hops, some sweetness with some citrus but alot less than expected. Very well-balanced with a good caramel malt backbone and a fair bit of bitterness and a fair bit of earthy/piney hop flavour. Medium bodied, rich and smooth yet still very easy drinking. It was much more English in style than I expected (I agree with others' likening it to Magnotta's IPA beefed up). It's great to see more Ontario brewers starting to brew quality IPAs.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2011 05:47:20 | More by MattyV

Mit

Ontario (Canada)

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a-Pours a golden colour with a slight haze to it. Decent head that doesn't dissipate super quickly.

s-Grapefruit/citrus smells from the hops. Very earthy smelling.

t-Solidly hopped IPA but has a nice malty backbone that keeps things from getting too out of whack.

m-solid for the abv of almost 7%

o-Def my favorite new beer of the season. It's become a regular feature in my fridge now that it's shown up in the beer store.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 18:37:18 | More by Mit

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.78/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks goes out to Jeff for this extra. 473 mL can poured into DFH Signature glass.

A - Pours a muddy copper color with a half finger of frothy white head. Lacing is unimpressive.

S - Smells of caramel, honeydew, and floral hops. A little bit sweet for my liking, but pretty good.

T - Initially quite bitter with pine hops. As it warms a bit, caramel malt and tropical fruits emerge on the palate. A bit spicy with a lingering earthy pine finish.

M - A middle of the road medium body with good carbonation.

O - This was pretty good, but doesn't stand out from my go-to fridge filling IPAs. Good hop flavors with an underlying sweetness that develops as it warms. I do love the pounder can format, so an A for presentation. I won't go out of my way to score some more, but I won't avoid it either.

Serving type: can

09-12-2012 01:05:58 | More by NoLeafClover44

mattsander

Alberta (Canada)

3.79/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Excellent clarity, light copper in color with a long lasting loose white head.

S: "Face in a hop bag" leafy freshness, grapefruit and orange zest, some sticky pale malts. A slight metallic vibe in the finish retracts from it, but this is a nice smelling IPA.

T: Very hop-forward, with citrusy bubblegum leading and just enough malt to back it up. Finishes quite dry and with a lingering bitterness.

M: I love the dryness of this, highly quaffable.

Solid IPA from Muskoka.

Serving type: can

04-17-2013 01:23:05 | More by mattsander

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The lighter, almost pear yellow colour suggests that Mad Tom leans heavier on the hops than it does the malts - and that bodes fine with me! I'll also take the dense fog as a positive sign; unfiltered beer tends to pack a little more punch. Against the sun it swells with brightness. Its head looks like a heap of sand and really mushrooms up along the outside.

In golf, a low score is better than a high one. With X-rays, negative results are better than positive ones. And in IPAs, a stinky beer is better than a clean-smelling one - and this one definitely has an odor! An olfactory orgy of citrus mush and flower petals is laced with traces of pine and spruce resin to make for an overtly earthy, fruity, fragrant bouquet.

Like the bus I take to work, this flavour profile seems to operate on a charted schedule, continuously looping regular stops: first a go-over of the flower garden, then the fruit bar, over a toasty, biscuity maltiness, through a patch of pithy, earthy vines and then it's back to square one again with soft floral and citric fruity components on the finish.

For my tastes, this is a perfect cottage long-weekend beer: although it climbs over 6 percent, the alcohol has been completely deferred and it drinks with the same quaffability as a pale ale. Its aftertaste is soft, with no astringency and hardly any bitterness lingering. Rather, a delicate floral/fruity element rings out like a well strummed chord.

Muskoka Brewery ran a few different test batches of this beer by the public before finalizing the present recipe. While I didn't have the opportunity to preview any, I mention this only because I think it was good on them, not as much for their initiation but for actually listening and acting on feedback! They obviously got things right; this is exactly the kind of beer this market has been sorrowfully lacking up until late.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 19:19:38 | More by biegaman