Beer Review: Three Wolves

HOWLING: Mac's Three Wolves pale ale. Great value for money. PHOTO/BEN FRASER

I love good craft beer, but it does wear a hole in the wallet.

Don't get me wrong, I don't mind paying for quality, but when you are spending $30 for three or four bottles at the supermarket or off-licence every week it can get a bit taxing on the bank account.

In their efforts to cash in on the burgeoning craft beer market some of the country's larger brewers like Founders, Stoke, Mac's and Boundary Road are producing their own range of craft-style beers and, generally, they do a good job.

Smaller, more niche craft beer brewers spend a lot of money on top quality ingredients but don't have the buying power of the bigger brewers so have to recover their costs somehow.

This week's beer, Mac's Three Wolves pale ale, can be picked up for less than $20 a six pack.

A good start.

Granted it's not as flavoursome or aromatic as the pale ales brewed by some of the boutique craft beer brewers, but there's the classic bitter aftertaste and you can definitely taste the Amarillio, Simcoe and Nelson Sauvin hops.

For a mass produced pale ale I can only give it two thumbs up. The price is a big tick as well.

This American-style pale ale would not be out of place on a trip down the craft beer isle. I also quite liked their new Green Beret IPA, which I reviewed a few months ago.