Small Pony Barrel Works is a unique brewer in the Ottawa craft beer scene specializing in barrel-aged sours.
This beer style is incredibly popular right now, but only a few brewers take the extra time and effort to age them in wooden barrels.
Located at 101 Schneider Road, in the ‘South March’ area of Kanata, — don’t get confused . . . Big Rig Brewery is at 107 Schneider Road, but hey, if out that way, why not visit both? — the brewery is set back from the road among a row of industrial businesses and warehouses; they need plenty of space to store all the oak barrels!
On my visit to their small but cozy taproom, where you can see all the barrels stacked up high, I managed to obtain a couple of cans of the Limited release of SMUV, a “golden sour beer aged in oak barrels packaged with pureed mango pineapple and passion fruit.”
Let’s start first with the appearance. This beer pours out less like a beer, rather more like a fruit smoothie: thick, sunshine yellow, with noticeable chunks of fruit puree. It’s moderately carbonated, with a thin, rocky head that dissipates very quickly, leaving no lacing behind.
The aroma of this interesting beer is pretty much exactly as one would imagine from its description: Tropical fruit juice with a tangy, almost yogurt backing.
On the palate, it is thick and creamy smooth with a bit of fibrous grit to it from the insane amount of pureed fruits.
Sweet and tart, this beer was a lot of fun to drink.
Produced periodically in limited amounts, this, and other selections in their SMÜV series, are not readily available, so check their socials and the website. Better yet, join the ‘culture club’ and reserve your supply upon release–and other cool SPBW swag!
This beer reminds me of a mango lassi; I would very much like to pair it with spicy Indian curry, like a vindaloo.
Cheers!
PHOTO: JOSHUA JAMES
