Granville Island English Bay Pale Ale

English Bay hits you with a solid malt backbone first—there's real substance here, a breadiness that sits on your palate. The hops are restrained, almost respectful, letting caramel and grain do most of the talking. That extra 0.9% ABV isn't huge, but you feel it as a gentle warmth on the finish. It's the kind of pale ale that tastes like it was brewed with intention toward balance, not just chasing bitterness.

Nor'Hop

Nor'Hop is noticeably leaner and brighter—the hops sing a bit more despite matching the IBU count, probably because there's less malt to compete with them. It finishes drier and cleaner, almost crisp. The lower ABV makes it genuinely quaffable; you could drink three of these without feeling heavy. It's got that British pale ale restraint but with enough hop character to keep things interesting.