It is finally here! After a long, protracted through the LCBO Social Responsibility battlefields, the Flying Monkeys Smashbomb Atomic IPA has finally reached store shelves in Ontario. This moment has been quite anticipated by hopheads in the province, which will be the final step in the realization that there is a market for hop-forward beers that extends further than most breweries thought. The past couple of months have been a treat for anyone with a hop tooth. Locally, the Great Lakes Crazy Canuck Pale Ale, Spearhead Hawaiian Style Pale Ale and Muskoka Mad Tom have shown that our Ontario brewers can make excellent beers that show off the different qualities that hops can impart into beer (and sell a lot of beer in the process). The Garrison Hopyard and Southern Tier 2XIPA were brought in as specialty releases and increased the shelf space devoted to hops (note: the Tree Hophead IPA will be coming soon in sixpacks). The weather has played its part as well – all of these beers taste great on the hot, sweaty days that have been plaguing the province. Smashbomb may have increased competition with all of these other hoppy beers vying for attention, but it has also had the benefit of a lot of press making for a lot eager beer drinkers waiting to have access to the beer at all times.
Having not had the Smashbomb on tap in a while, the copper-nectarine colour is surprising at first. Aroma – pine, peach, caramel, nutty. Taste – starts with caramel and toasty malts, thins out in the middle, ends with a balance of pine, citrus (grapefruit, bit of mango) and caramel. A little nutty and some green hops. Moderate bitterness, but the malts provide a nice counterpoint and don’t let things get out of hand. Medium bodied. A little more carbonation to bring out hops would be nice, but a really good beer overall. All the components work really well together on the tongue (and with a nutty cheese like Monforte’s Toscano).
For the next couple of months, expect there to be a lot of talk about whether or not Smashbomb lives up to the hype. That may or may not be fair depending on your point of view, but it is the reality of business where there has been so much anticipation building. Does it taste different in bottles? Yes, but that’s normal, especially for aggressively hoppy beers. Carbonation makes a big difference in how the tongue perceives hops and usually hops are the most prevalent on draught. My six-pack was bottled on June 17th, so it is still fairly fresh. Even if it was sitting in an LCBO warehouse, I don’t think the hops would have diminished that much in the course of a month. The amount of malts in the beer is surprising to me. The Smashbomb is closer to some of the Ontario Pale Ales like Tankhouse and #9, but with a hoppier punch and a little less malts. But it is still a really good beer, one that might have been perceived as great a couple of months ago but now has to compete with a number of hoppy beers vying for the wallets of Ontario beer drinkers. This has a good chance of being a year-round presence in my fridge.
Recommended If You Like: Munchkins. Amsterdam Boneshaker. C-hops. Pretending to be the Hulk. American IPAs with balance.
A Year Of Beer! 
I picked up a 12 pack for my husband at the brewery when I was in Barrie last month.
Sales look good for this beer. I tried it along side a Red Racer IPA and found both delicious. Red Racer had a bit more flora/piney hops to it but I think if you were going to drink more than one, Smashbomb was a little more moderate and would allow you to do that. Bought it on Friday and returned to the LCBO today to pick up some for a guest that is visiting from the middle east. Both were completely sold out over the weekend.