I picture a grizzled old prospector, chipping away at the Canadian shield in the 1860’s and shouting out Eureka, then heading off to the local pub for an ale. This seemed like a fitting brew to kick off the local mining week. The Bancroft area has a storied history of mining, with gold first being discovered there in the 1860s. Over the years a wide range of minerals were mined there. Arthur Shore discovered uranium there in 1949 and the Faraday mine started in 1952. It was later renamed Madawaska Mine and operated until 1982.
If you recognize the name Bancroft but are trying to think of where it is exactly, Bancroft is just south of Maynooth and east of Wilberforce and north of Gunter. You know right there.*
Bancroft Brewing has me toasting the miners with an English Style Pale Ale. A nice 24K golden pour with a touch of a ruby red tinge to it, with a slim trim off white surface showing. Mild malt and bread on the nose. First swig renders a full malt bread flavour and a mild zip on the finish. A nice full but mellow malt, with mellow bread as well. Now a smooth no bite no zing finish. A full rich flavour. Eureka**, I struck it rich! Drinks like a lager now with a slightly sweet lager finish. Every drink it gets more tasty, by the time I am finished I sure won’t want to be. Is this a premium lager in pale ale garb?
To paraphrase Maxwell Smart “drinking this beer… and loving it”.***
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