The yin-yang of a radiant brook trout and chrome Atlantic salmon drew my attention to an otherwise plain white 4-pack of 16 oz. beers. Nestled among a myriad of local and regional brews, the artwork on Northwoods Brewing Company’s Landlocks & Brookies Pale Ale stuck out like a sore thumb. Maybe it’s because I’m a fisherman and just about any beer with a fish on it catches my eye, or maybe it’s because the artwork is that good. Either way, I needed to try it, and I knew just the man to share them with.
With beers secured, I grabbed a fresh bluefin tuna loin and a nice cut of toro from my fridge, and paid a visit to my friend Andy Nabreski. Andy was a longtime graphic designer, skilled artist, and cooking columnist at On The Water, and the original author of our Fish Beer Friday reviews. It had been a while since we sat down to catch up, but whenever I have fresh tuna or tautog fillets, I’ll trade some meat for the bounties of his home garden. We swapped tuna for tomatoes, string beans, eggplant, and hot peppers, and proceeded to share a toast in his kitchen.
I cracked open a can of Landlocks & Brookies Pale Ale, and a nice foamy head bubbled over the side. It had a hazy golden color and floral, yet lemon-forward aroma that paired nicely with the initially tart taste, but the tartness didn’t linger. Instead, it mellowed out into barely-noticeable fruity notes coupled with delightfully rich grain and breadiness. A hoppy and malty flavor followed toward the end and led to a semi-bitter, but smooth finish.
Overall, Landlocks & Brookies Pale Ale is a pleasant, well-balanced beer that seems fitting for a summer camping trip, a post-trout-fishing refreshment, or the first cool autumn night around a backyard fire pit. It goes down easy but is packed with flavor, and left citrusy reminders of summer on my tastebuds. In my opinion, it’s a near perfect beverage for the transition from late summer to early fall—the days are still warm, but the nights are chilly enough for a hoodie.
Andy seemed to enjoy it, too. Although that’s not exactly surprising, considering he was OTW’s in-house beer connoisseur years before my tenure began.
“I thought it was ok—I’d give it a 7/10. Very cool can!” – Andy Nabreski
I will definitely grab another pack of Landlocks & Brookies Pale Ale once the trout stocking trucks start making their rounds this fall. Although, if I need to offload more tuna in exchange for Andy’s fresh garden veggies, maybe I won’t wait that long.
Northwoods Brewing Company
Landlocks & Brookies Pale Ale
ABV: 5.0%
Hometown: Northwood, NH
Official Score: 7.9/10
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