On Queen St. in Niagara on the Lake, on the opposite corner to the storied Prince of Wales Hotel in a former bank, is The Exchange Brewery.

On the outside you think, “Nah, it can’t a brewery here”, but it’s like the TARDIS: bigger on the inside, and they make extremely delicious beer. 

The Exchange Brewery has a roster full of beer styles that are review worthy but today we’re focusing on one particular style that is a relatively recent creation.

White IPA’s are only eight years old, melding the time tested West Coast IPA and the spiciness of a Belgian Wit beer in a collaboration between Larry Sidor, the brewmaster at Oregon-based Deschutes Brewery, and Belgian-born Steven Pauwels, brewmaster at Boulevard Brewing.  

Pouring the Number 7(1) into a glass you get a pale very hazy gold/orange colour, so hazy that even after a couple of minutes it doesn’t clear up.

Although The Number 7(1) might look like a New England IPA, the scent profile is much more Belgian Wit Beer with spices and malts coming through. 

Taste is another story – you get a delightful hop flavour mixed in with tropical fruits and a wee bit of malt for good measure.

Think of it as a Vermont IPA that went to Belgium on a student exchange trip. The mix of Chinook, Cascade, Mosaic, and Citra hops, along with Belgian house yeast, gives you the flavour mashup of hoppiness,  spiciness, and traces of orange in the same glass. 

The 7(1) White IPA is worth a day trip to Niagara on the Lake if you live in Southern Ontario, and is a refreshing beer with both the IPA and Belgian Wit beer heritage.

White IPA’s are a seasonal offering, though due to its rising popularity it might become a year-round offering.

The 7(1) White IPA is a permanent part of the line up on the Exchange Brewery website and is available on tap and in 750 ML bottles at the brewery.  

  • Rating: 4.7 out of 5
  • Style: White IPA 
  • IBU: 68
  • ABV: 6.4%
  • Untappd Reviews

 

Bill Smith
Bill Smith is a storyteller, writer, blogger, photography geek, ski bum, explorer and outdoors enthusiast. He has been seen in Toronto, Oakville and off the beaten path. Favourite beers include well-brewed IPAs, brown ales, porters and pale ales.
Bill Smith
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