In an appeal to road warriors and RV enthusiasts everywhere, Muskoka Brewers tell us that “home is where you park it”. Hopefully that’s where your hat is hanging too. The spontaneous and destination unknown road trip they describe sounds more like jumping bail or a witness protection program rather than a Griswold vacation. Regardless the reason for heading out on the highway, I am in full agreement that a frosty cold adult beverage upon arrival is hard to beat.
Enter Hazy Pale Drifter, no stranger to us COM, a previous super suds star and highly touted Muskoka pale ale. But there is something different about this drifter. Our last encounter with this beer had Mad Tom quaffing a canteen full of pale ale while wandering the desert. This time Mad Tom is now Dad Tom or more likely Mad Dad with a VW RV cruising down the road, trying to get the rug rats to stop fighting while looking for a gas station with a licensed “family restaurant“ to fuel up and get gas too.
I thought a NITRO version of Drifter would have him rocketed into space and catching up with Major Tom at the “spaced” station, but once again my imagination gets the best of me.* I must admit I thought Drifter would be a hard act to follow, a great beer on its own. Time to tell the tale of the taste test.
Mad Tom Settling Down into Mad Dad
Following the instructions to the word and letter, I gently shake, pour hard, and end up with half a glass of a furious foam fest. And just like the missus, this beer settled for me eventually. Super duper nitro foam and hazy settles into a full headed super hazy. An OJ ruby red grapefruit shade of pale ale, with a thick snow drift of a head juxtaposed against the August heat. An inviting citrus stone fruit aroma finds its way through the nitro clouds.
A juicy citrus peach (mango?) collaboration with a pillowy nitro mouthfeel but a watery body. Can it be pillowy and watery at the same time? The answer is yes without any further elaboration or explanation. A funky hop juice finish, hops and juice in some friendly wrestling match with no clear winner. It settles into a nice mellow juicer with a hoppy finish, funk begone. On a hot August night without Neil Diamond,** this beer proved to be a fine refresher. I think I like the lost in the desert Mad Tom more than nitro Mad Dad but still a solid super suds sampling.
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