Wayne Gretzky Estates Spring LCBO Releases

Wayne Gretzky Estates opened their doors in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON in 2017 primarily as a winery and distillery, bearing the name and number of The Great One himself, and have since expanded their operation into brewing. Their No.99 Rye Lager has been on LCBO shelves for some time now, but this spring will see the addition of a couple of new offerings including a Pilsner and an IPA. They kindly sent all three over for a taste so let’s check them out!

No. 99 Rye Lager - 5.0%

The Rye Lager is Gretzky Estates’ primary LCBO offering. It pours with a clear straw colour and a fluffy white head that dissipates fairly quickly but leaves some nice lacing in the glass. It’s got a full grainy nose offering aromas of wheat, grass, and a spicy hint of rye. It has a smooth, fluffy body with honeyed sweetness on the palate which is almost making me think of a Helles. It’s expectedly grain forward, bready throughout with a wheaty character. The rye spiciness is subtle and stays hidden right until the end. It’s a very enjoyable, medium-bodied, full-flavoured lager.

No. 99 Hazy Pilsner - 4.7%

To start off, I feel I have to comment on the appearance, as it’s not so much hazy as it is slightly cloudy. Not that I have an issue with being able to see through a Pilsner. The only reason I bring it up is just because it’s right there in the name. I have a feeling they were going for “unfiltered”, which I think would have been a better descriptor to name the beer with.

It has a clean, bready nose with a zip of citrus zest and a floral hint. On the palate, the up-front malt bill gives it a big bready vibe with an earthy background and a nice floral tone. It’s got a refreshing effervescence and an herbal flavour alongside a hop bill that’s delivering a strong note of lemony citrus, which gives it a nice zesty quality but also comes on a bit strong and distracts from the malt characteristics. As it has a chance to open up, the floral notes come out a bit more. The bitterness is restrained and it finishes nice and clean.

No. 99 Hazy IPA - 6.0%

Like with the Pilsner, there’s the small point that there is at most a mellow, cloudy haze, and “unfiltered” probably would have been a more apt descriptor. It has a fairly muted nose, with aromatics of candied pineapple. The oats give it a soft and creamy texture. Pineapple flavour dominates the palate giving it a real juicy feel. The bitterness is kept low. There is a slight zip of citrus zest, a hit of pine, and a peppery note at the finish. Overall, the mouthfeel is pleasant and the flavours are good, but could stand to be elevated a bit along with the aroma.

So there you have two new Wayne Gretzky Estates beers to look for in the LCBO this spring alongside their very solid Rye Lager! Give them a try!

Find Wayne Gretzky Estates online:

Nathan

Nathan is a craft beer enthusiast from Ottawa, ON. He is the Co-Founder of @TeamLactose, he’s passionate about travelling for beer and he loves talking about beer from Ontario, Quebec and beyond.

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