New Holland - White Hatter

Here's another installment from New Holland Brewing's "Hatter" series.  It seems like just about every type of Hatter imagineable has come forth: Imperial Hatter, Regular Hatter, Rye Hatter, Farm House Hatter, Black Hatter, White Hatter, Oak Aged Hatter, and even a Hatterday (see what they did there?) tour at the brewery (actually scheduled for this upcoming Sautrday, June 16, 2012).  It seems like an awful lot of their eggs are in this one basket.  I am a little confused on the plethora of styles present here, but I've never held a little creativity against a brewer and I'm not about to start now.  Let's pour! 

Unfortunately, I was at a local pub and was unable to
take my usual round of photos.  Sorry!

Aroma 9/12

The fresh hop cones are very forward and are rich with spice, pine, resin, and a lesser bitter grapefruit.  For a beer that also claims to be also a pale ale AND a Belgian white, I’m getting very little none of either of those styles.  At this point, I’d have guessed that I’m smelling an IPA.  The malts are non-existant and what little sweetness I can detect could just as easily be from the hops’ citrus.  Does any of this make this a bad smelling beer?  No, just underwhelming given its claimed style.  The beer has to warm quite a bit before the Belgian yeast becomes detectable at all.

Appearance 1/3

This is utterly indiscernible from an adjunct lager except that the macrobrews have a better head. Granted, this is on tap, but I still expect a little something.  The color is a light, golden yellow with extremely high clarity (if you can read reversed text, you could read looking through this glass).  To be honest, it looks more like cider than ale.

Flavor 15/20

Thank goodness the flavor is interesting!  Frankly, that’s the way I prefer it (hence the weighted scoring of this category).  The beer begins by with a little bit of Belgian yeast sweetness and really nice dry, crackery malts.  There also appears appear to be a scuffle amongst all the spices present (peppery hops, cloves) in which no one is a winner and the effect is a jumble in the mouth.  It doesn’t take long before adding an undeniable lemon zest citrus and foaming up in the mouth very pleasantly.  The citrus flavor along with a substantial mouthfeel would have me believe that the wheat percentage of this malt bill is fairly high.  The finish drops out the citrus (and all other sweetness) all together and shows a reprise of the dry, crackery malts.  It also adds a nice bitter, which is complimentary and never threatens to overthrow the malt flavors.  Though in the aftertaste, all that lingers is that same bitter, made all the more intense by the fact that it’s unaccompanied.  As a pale ale, this is a decent, citrusy version of the style.  As a Belgian, it’s virtually non-existent; even more so than in the aroma.  At least in the aroma, it had the decency to show up as the beer warmed up.  In the flavor, it is all but completely AWOL.

Mouthfeel 5/5

The carbonation is a high point of this beer!  It’s crispness really compliments that of the malts and its moderate foaming action in the mouth never contradicts the beer by feeling thick & silky or way too light & mousse-like.  The body feels very full, undoubtedly a contribution of all those dry malts.  No detectable warmth or flaws.

Overall Impression 6/10

This is the story of a better than average beer made less by under-delivering on a promising sounding style.  Had the sweetness from the “Belgian white” come through to sweeten the pale ale portion of the brew, you’d have yourself a interesting combination and probably some great aromas.  Instead, it stands as a pretty decent pale ale with a twist (Get it?  Like a twist of lemon?  Get it… oh nevermind).  However, the mouthfeel is awesome for the pale ale style and the carbonation is spot on.

Total 36/50

I think the “Overall Impression” section says it all. If you drink this for a combination of styles, I think you’ll be disappointed. If you drink this as a pale ale, you’ll probably dig it. The malts are everything they should be for a pale ale: lightly bitter, dry, and crisp. The hops are nicely aromatic, but contribute little other than citrus and spice to the flavor. This is a beer that should’ve been better than the sum of its parts… and the sum of its styles.

Warning: Colors in advertisement's glass may be darker than they appear.

21st Amendment - Bitter American

Dammit.  It's an election year.  This of course means that extremists from both parties will emerge as predictably as cicadas to declare the opposite party's dedication to evil and single-handedly destroying the U.S. of A.  It also means that any form of entertainment I choose to enjoy will inevitably be populated by attack ads like flies on a summer roadkill.  All that said, I try not to focus on all that.  Truth be told, I try to ignore it much as possible by doing my own research and selecting the best candidate.  Plus, summer brings out more reasons to be proud to be an American than most other seasons.  Summer gives us the 4th of July, D-Day Anniversary, Flag Day, VJ Day (Victory in Japan), and this weekend it brings us Memorial Day.  While Memorial Day can certainly be a time to crack open a few craft beers with buddies, grill out, watch the Indy 500, go shopping, and enjoy a day of rest, I certainly hope that we can all take some time to remember those who have died while  in service to this great country.  They have certainly earned it we owe them that much.

Stepping off of my soapbox now, but I'll be reviewing a beer that is closer in name to the divided politicos than the fallen soldiers.  Today's review is for 21st Amendment's Bitter American.  I obtained this with a trade from Eric as I currently don't have 21A in my neck of the woods.  The can indicates that this is an "extra pale ale with bold malt and hop flavors."  Since I love pale ales and big beers, I'm really looking forward to this.  Let's pour!

Thanks to my buddy Kevin for this pic.

Aroma 10/12

Not initially strong in aroma.  The malts are first to the nose in a straw & biscuit combination that eventually allows the biscuit to win out.  Hops come next and are a well-blended mix of a  light pine and spice.  Citrus, at this point, is far, far in the background, but as the beer warms it becomes more and more of a primary player.  This citrus note allows the hops to dominate the slightly warmed beer with a sweet citrus note, not unlike a mandarin orange.  Very pleasant!

Appearance 3/3

This would earn higher marks if it could.  It pours a fairly light gold, but settles in the glass as a wonderful bright apricot orange.  The head is a perfect size, slightly beige in color, and shows excellent retention.

Flavor 19/20

This concoction definitely focuses on the "crisp" nature of a pale ale!  The beginning is an insanely dry and crackery malt with even a bit of bitter on the front of the tongue.  What a great sensation!  Before diving into the backbone, the beer dangles those sweet citrus hops in front of you for just a moment before snatching them away and plummeting the drinker into what Coolio would certainly describe as a "Malt-tastic Voyage."    It is a voyage of more crackery malts that are so crisp you'd swear you could snap them in half.  A moderate bitter from intelligent hop usage adds to the effect.  The finish is a continuation of the backbone, but with hints of grain.  It then becomes perfectly clean before splashing back to existence with a steady crescendo of bitter.  That bitter doesn't linger too long and the aftertaste is mostly clean and extremely drying.  I can't believe one beer can do all this!

Mouthfeel 5/5

The carbonation in this brew compliments the crispness extremely well.  While the carbonation is not abundant, what is available is fairly lively, helping give that extra little bite.  The body is much heavier than most pale ales and at 4.4% ABV this "session ale" (as described on the can) has no detectable warmth.

Front half of can.

Back half of can.

Overall Impression 9/10

This beer focuses all its effort into one characteristic with laser-like intensity: being crisp.  Everything from the  dry crackery, malts and carbonation, to the light citrus aroma and light bitter flavors all come together for a common purpose.  I must say, it succeeds wonderfully.  On top of being crisp, it's also light enough in flavor and ABV that I could truly put these down all day.  Talk about a session ale!  21st Amendment has hit the nail on the head.

Total 46/50

It's not so much that it's a really bitter beer as the name would imply (though the can claims 42 IBUs), it's that 21st Amendment has managed to remove almost all sweetness from this beer.  No caramel malts, no hoppy citrus, no unfermentable sugars, this beer is just dry malt and fairly clean hops.  As unappetizing as that may sound, this beer is fantastic!  Some folks might like a bit more sweetness in their pale ale, but I would urge them to try this anyway just for a different take on a fairly universal style.  I absolutely dig it, even though most of my favorite pale ales often involve a citrus bouquet from the hops.  Doesn't matter.  Like I mentioned earlier, I could drink this all day.  In fact, if these were available in my area, I probably would.  This was my first 21st Amendment beer, but I can assure you, it won't be my last.

Great River - Hop-A-Potamus

Friends!  It's only May 9th and you've already made this my best month ever!  With a little extra love from Goose Island, it's not only my best month, but I also breached 20,000 hits.  I'm feeling pretty good about things right now and with that in mind, today's review will be for a brewery who also has quite a few things going for them.  Today, I'll be reviewing Great River's Hop-A-Potamus.  Don't worry, if you haven't heard of it.  They're a local brewer in Davenport, IA (just off the Arsenal Bridge, for those wishing to find it), but are enjoying a pretty good local distribution and really coming into their own with some unique, flavorful beers.  Also they recently won a "Canny" Award at the first ever Cannys.  The Cannys are "a competition that recognizes the high-quality, captivating graphics featured on craft beer in cans. Awards were presented during the Craft Brewers Conference, May 2-5 in San Diego, California." (Source: craftcans.com)

Photo blatantly stolen from Great River's Facebook page.

The best part about Great River?  Their craft brewing spirit.  They've embraced cans.  They collaborate like crazy with a local distillery, Mississippi River Distilling Co, to the point where both business have been out at local supermarkets giving out samples.  They have a great presence at local festivals.  They try creative things at their bar ("We have organic brown beer and vanilla beans?  Throw 'em in the firkin!").  They seem to embody everything that is right about craft beer and I hope that attitude continues with their deserved success.  The can for Hop-A-Potamus reads,

"Hop-A-Potamus is a double dark rye pale ale made with a ton of pale and six kinds of rye malt for a 'full' body.  This double dark rye pale ale is fiercely hopped with a Northwest blend for a stampede of flavor and aroma.

Beware: Hop-A-Potamus will charge if provoked!  Hop-A-Potamus is not for the foolish for the faint of heart."

With a description like that, who can wait?  Let's pour!

Aroma 10/12

I initially poured this beer a bit too cold and it changed the aroma completely.  Initially, the hops and rye were fairly minimal but the sweet malt was bursting from the glass.  The malt was so laden with caramelized sugars, I could've sworn it was an overripe banana.  Really weird considering the style.  The hops materialize soon enough and provide a light citrus and what could be a peppery spice, though that is likely from the rye. While the malts never fade away entirely, the rye becomes more noticeable in that earthy, slightly sour way that rye has about it.  Thankfully, the sour of the rye helps to bring out those faint citrus hops.

Appearace 2/3

Simply sitting in the glass, this beer appears like a darkly stained cherry wood.  Deep walnut browns and blacks abound, but not without ruby facets shining from time to time.  When held to the light, the red shades become even more striking and allow for all sort of brown-red combinations like maroon and even magenta.  The head was small, less than a finger, but appeared creamy, wet, and thick.

Flavor 18/20

A lot of earthy, yet not spicy, rye gets things started and quickly moves into a backbone that is quite reminiscent of the aroma.  The sweetness returns in that uber-caramelized way that I swear reminds me of an over ripe, caramelized banana!  Is there Belgian yeast in this?!  Despite the sweetness, the beer remains remarkably crisp, and enjoys a faint, bright citrus note.  An earthy note from the rye casts its shadow over the proceedings to bitter things up quite a bit (and add a moderate peppery spice), but only an occasional glimpse of hop resin is available from time to time.  The finish is a strengthening of all the ingredients that would cause you to buy this beer in the first place.  The hop resins bite at ya, the rye is earthy and bitter, the alcohol (9.0% ABV) even shows up a bit, and there's a finish almost like mouth-watering, bitter, brown ale. Aftertastes are a reprise of the rye's sour and a dark, lingering bitter down the back of the tongue.

Mouthfeel 5/5

 I dig this.  For a beer that claims to have 9% ABV (I believe it) and 99 IBUs (I am skeptical), this beer drinks like it has neither.  It's full-bodied (as advertised on the label) and offers a carbonation that is not aggressive enough to compliment or bring out a rye's spiciness, but neither does it leave the beer feeling flat or syrupy.  Keep in mind, not feeling syrupy is no easy task with he amounts of malt the brewers have crammed into this can.  The warmth is all but invisible throughout the beer and two pints of this on an empty stomach will leave you laughing at all sorts of internet nonsense.

 Overall Impression 8/10

This is a tasty beer, but I'm having a difficult time determining the borders after these worlds collide.  On one side, you have a ton of malt (rye and pale).  This results in a lot of sweetness, a great color, and a full body.  Got it.  However, if six kinds of rye malt are being used in this thing, I rather expect it to be insanely earthy, peppery with spice, and bitter like a custody battle.  While I get lesser amounts of bitter and earth, the spice is all but absent.  And on the OTHER hand, you have a pale ale - traditionally, a biscuity.crackery tasting, dry, lightly hopped delight of a beer (pale ales are rapidly becoming one of my favorite styles).  I'd venture that none of the pale ale characteristics remain.  There is an abundance of sweetness in the malt, despite the rye's attempt to bitter things up, and... OK, I guess I can see how some folks could argue this an "imperial" version of a pale ale.  Abundance of (attempted) dry malts up front and a nice hop presence behind.  However, if that argument IS to be made, then the malts up front need to be made even more dry and crisp (the hallmark of a great pale ale) with the rye, and the hop presence at the end could be made even stronger.

Total 43/50

I can nitpick all I want, but in the end this is a damn tasty beer.  Big, earthy, with high marks in the technical categories, and a well hidden ABV, this beer is one I would encourage more locals to buy if it was available.  This beer sold quickly once it hit the shelves.  It truly is a unique beer and I have trouble measuring it against other styles... but I'll try anyway.  It's not as rye heavy as Sierra Nevada's Ruthless Rye, but then again it's also trying to blend in the pale ale style.  It's much more bitter than a good pale ale (like, say, Three Floyds Alpha King), but lacks some of the hop intensity one might expect give the abundance of malt (and the high IBUs).  This review was written on my last two 16 oz cans, but I happened to find a lonely 4-pack in the back of a grocery store cooler.  Huzzah!  If you're planning a visit to the Quad Cities, make sure that Great River is on your list.  They completely understand the craft beer vibe and they make some damn good beer to boot.  Cheers Great River!  Keep up the great work.

Stolen from the Great River website.

Finch's - Cut Throat Pale Ale

Alright gang, time to shine the spotlight on a local craft brewer that seems to be making big strides every time I hear about them.  I am, of course, referring to Finch's Beer Company located in sunny Chicago.  Now I like this company already for the following reasons:
1.  Umm, hello?  They're out of Chicago.
2.  They involve birds in their labels and I'm sort of a bird watching nerd.
3.  They have a great festival presence and were at both MWBF & SCBF in 2011.
4.  They can their beers.
4.  Their latest can design was in collaboration with another local business, Chicago clothier Threadless (@threadless), and is super cool.

Plus, if you head over to http://www.threadless.com/ right now, they'll give you 50% on purchases $25 or more (through 10am CST, March 30, 2012).  No, I am not being compensated in any way to say this.  I just simply enjoy both companies and wish them a lot of success.

However, I'll try to put these biases aside and give this beer a fair review.  For those curious, this brewer is widening its distribution area every day.  I've seen it in WI & all over IL.  It's worth looking for.  Let's pour!

Aroma 11/12
It begins with a strong piney hop, but isn't afraid to show more.  The malt is a hearty version of a typical pale ale cracker/biscuit variety.  It's a toasted, bready malt with a touch of sweetness that shows enough grain aroma to make you think it might be one of the nice, seed-laden breads in the super market.  Citrus is there right along with it, provided a interesting citrus that I described once as "lymon" and I stand by that call.  It has the bright lemony citrus and is not hard to imagine, but it also has the darker, almost bitter citrus as when one bites into a wedge of lime after a gin & tonic.  It is definitely a different citrus bitter than a grapefruit.  As the beer warms, grassier hop notes arrive, but do not take anything away from the existing bouquet.  They only add to it.

Appearance 3/3
This has the bright, pumpkin-flesh colors that we expect in a pale ale and also a light haze.  The haze is well done as it is present enough to provide some color differentiations, but also light enough to provide a clarity that compliments the colors.  The head was a light rust pastel, almost two fingers worth, leaves little lacing, and had adequate, but not stellar, retention.

Flavor 19/20
There is a brief, but intense, flash of grain and then the palate is awash in bitter grapefruit citrus, which makes up the vast majority of the beer's backbone.  To be fair, the grain doesn't go away completely, but it does take a back seat to the hops and transitions to more of a crackery, traditional pale ale malt.  The hops are not only of grapefruits, but are also somewhat peppery and lend just a slight sour note.  This is a very nice myriad of flavors that all come together wonderfully!  The finish is a return to its grain and grapefruit origins, is remarkably clean, and leaves the mouth very dry.  Usually, that sort of drying is only achieved through a combination of hops and high ABV, but at 5.6% they appear to have done it through hops alone.  I'm hesitant to mention the orange peel notes in this beer (and on its label) because this is not a "orange" beer.  The only telltale sign of the orange is a rather generic citrus note and a definite bitter from the peel.  A quick slurp brings the citrus and what warmth there is rapidly to the surface.

Mouthfeel 5/5
Nothing wrong here.  The mouthfeel is incredibly smooth and substantial, especially for the style.  This is definitely one robust pale ale.  The carbonation is tiny, ample, and does not prick the tongue, again lending to this brew's smooth nature.  A light swish in the mouth yields some additional creaminess.  As mentioned earlier, a quick slurp does bring out some alcohol warmth.  Strange in a 5.6% ABV brew.

Overall Impression 10/10
This is a bruiser of a pale ale.  In its hop content, its hearty grains, its body, and its aroma.  Everything about this makes it a grandiose version of the style.  If you're drinking pale ales for their light, rice cracker malts and hints of citrus, then stay away from this one.  It'll make your eyeballs shoot directly into the bottom of your glass and because you couldn't see that you'd probably end up drinking your own eyeballs.  No one wants that.

Total 48/50
I really tried.  I did.  I went back and looked hard to see if there was anywhere I could deduct points that perhaps my bias had given them unfairly.  Then I realized, I'm biased because I've had this beer before and it was damn tasty.  Guess what?  Still is.  It's a great, big version of the style and if you're looking for subtlety go elsewhere.  If it weren't for the strong, grainy malts this could probably pass as an full-bodied IPA.  As it stands, this instead offers more balance due to its malts and still manages to be very refreshing.  It might be a bit much on a summer scorcher, but cookouts/picnics/4th of July/National Panini Month/Duct Tape Days or whatever it's bound to be a success.  As I've recommended before: buy this, share this, drink this.  It won't let you down and it's gonna be GREAT this summer.  Cheers Finch's!  This is fine work.

Oskar Blues - Dale's Pale Ale

Confession time.  I couldn't care less about the Oscars.  In fact, the only Oscar I've been able to think of since all this "Oscar Fever" started its pandemic is Oskar Blues.  Luckily, I just happen to have a few cans waiting for me.  As I've mentioned about 100 times before, I live in a small rural area so we don't have access to everything that a craft beer drinker might desire.  Oskar Blues is one of those beers that doesn't make its way out here, so to crack open a can is always a special treat.

Also, their "Deviant Dale's" began hitting the shelves recently!  Get a few (if you can) so I can live vicariously. In the meantime, this is going to be the next best thing.  Let's pour!

I love the juxtaposition of cans and tulip glasses.

Aroma 11/12

I was very concerned initially as the beer smelled metallic and like minerals.  However, I determined this to be a problem with the remaining water in a recently washed glass and not the beer.  A stern reminder to always use clean (and apparently dried) glassware.  The aroma for Dale's Pale Ale is not exceptionally complex, but it performs its job admirably.  The piney hops can be smelled right out of the can and a small pour allows that pine to fade almost entirely into the background.  A molasses and citrus blend take over and give it a sharper sweet smell.  While the molasses isn't the typical smell for a Pale Ale, it is a welcome variation on the theme.  As the beer warms, a grassier hop note is also introduced and is quite nice.

Appearance 3/3

This beer pours like a fire and when in the glass it exhibits all those colors that we love so well:  burning embers & bright golds.  The haziness dulls down the edges a bit and gives the colors a rust-like quality.  The head is slightly more than a finger, persistent, and ends with a milky pour on top of the existing head.  It's wet and thin, and eventually pinholes of escaping carbonation begin to dot the surface.

Flavor 19/20

The beer starts out fairly unassuming, but nearly ambushes the drinker by springing into the backbone.  The palate soon finds itself surrounded by a myriad of cohesive flavors.  Caramel sweetness is easily found and a warmth can be detected at times with a faded citrus not far off.  Holding the beer in the mouth reveals a toasty, cracker-like malt which combines extremely well with the aforementioned light citrus.  Good citrus?  Crackery/biscuity malt?  Now THAT's a classic pale ale!  The majority of the hops wait to reveal themselves until the finish and they comprise the second wave of ambushers.  Other than the citrus, the hops were all but absent in the backbone.  Now they come forward in a fury!  The tone quickly changes from light malted, citrusy nuanced theme to a reintroduction of the darker caramel and the a wonderfully contrasting bitter.  The bitter continues exclusively to the finish, and with the help of a 6.5% ABV leaves the mouth dry and begging for another sip.

Mouthfeel 5/5

The carbonation was initially very tiny and its lively nature helped add a refreshing nature to this beer.  It loses some in the bottom half, but still has enough to keep up appearances.  The body plays appropriately off of the carbonation.  In the first half, I would have said "medium-light" body.  Toward the end it is safe to call it medium bodied, at the least.  The warmth is hidden, even if at 6.5% it is not a monumental challenge to do so.

Overall Impression 9/10

A tasty, tasty pale ale!  I especially like the way that the aroma doesn't overshadow the flavor, but instead gives a foreshadowing of things to come.  The colors are grand, the flavor is mouth-filling, and the mouthfeel helps makes this rich version of the style still come off as lighter and refreshing.  Beers like this is why we should all like Oskar Blues.  Oh, and it gets extra for being packaged in "the metal" (er, cans).

Total 47/50

I was worried at first because the can reads along the lip, "A Huge Voluminously Hopped Mutha of a Pale Ale."  I thought it was going to be over-hopped for the sake of being extreme and at the expense of a great style.  However, Oskar Blues has me eating crow (not an ideal food pairing), by not only remaining true to the pale ale style, but by also ratcheting things up a notch in the process.  You get the balance, you get the bisuity/crackery malt, but you also get some caramel and a stronger hop presence than more pale ales have.  The result is a delicious ale that a hop head can appreciate, and someone that prefers a bit more balance can also nod their head in agreement.  The can reads, "Rocky Mountain Pale Ale."  Finally, a beer that the Rocky Mountains can be proud of.

Bent River - Dry Hopped Pale Ale

If I'm spending the entire day in the Quad Cities unsupervised, you better believe that I'm going to be hitting up some great local craft beer!  Today's review is for Bent River's Dry Hopped Pale Ale.  I didn't have a camera with me that day, so I apologize for the lack of pictures.  Before I start this review, let me just say that I can't wait until this brewery has an opportunity to be "discovered" on a larger scale.  Let's pour!

Pic blatantly stolen from their website.

Aroma 11/12

This absolutely reminds me of the Bell’s Hopslam I had 2 days ago!  It starts out a bit piney, but quickly turns sweet and eminates aromas of dried pineapples and mango.  The hops in this are amazing and make a veritable tropical fruit salad for your nose.  The best part is… IT’S STILL COLD!  I can’t wait to see what else comes out as this beer warms.

Appearance 2/3

The head wasn’t monstrous, but then again the bartender (whom I just met) made sure that most of the head was poured off for me (good work, Justin).  What head remained appeared white in the dim light of the brewpub and remained as a disk on the beer for as long as I wished.  The color is a dark, earthy, pumpkin orange that glows a bit more golden toward the bottom.  I won’t say that the beer in unfiltered as I don’t see any sediment, but there is certainly a haze at work that under better lighting conditions could lend itself well to displaying a variety of hues.  If I can see that it's cloudy in this light, it must be an extremely cloudy brew.

Flavor 18/20

Only briefly is one exposed to a bright citrus flash before the sweeter, more tropical backbone arrives.   The mangoes from the aroma are abundant as is the candied nature of a dried pineapple, but without any of the pineapple acidity.  To hold the beer in the mouth accentuates a splendid hop bitter that shows a strong presence while going a long way to balance out the tropical sweetness.  The mangoes are present everywhere, even when on the back of the tongue during the finish.  Eventually they fade after the beer is swallowed and a moderate bitter rests on the tongue like a pill you didn’t swallow soon enough.  The after taste is a less intense version of the bitter, with no sweetness, and is somewhat drying.

Mouthfeel 4/5

This is a very full-bodied, big beer!  The heavy body helps rein in all the monster flavors present and gives the carbonation a free pass on being just higher than desirable.  Not in its quantity, but its somewhat prickly nature.  The foaming action in the mouth doesn’t lend any additional smoothness, but does help the experience from becoming too heavy as a whole.

Overall Impression 10/10

I enjoy this beer immensely!  I’ve never encountered hops that provide such a strong flavor & aroma outside of an Imperial IPA.  While this doesn’t have the caramel sweetness that traditionally comes with such a strong hop presence, it is not needed.  The hops in this case provide all the sweetness in a delightful and powerful mango tone.  The only thing needed to balance out those hops is… well, more hops.  The bitter note balances the mango nicely and makes this beer anything but sweet.  The body is also a great attribute to this beer, though easy to overlook after such a striking flavor and aroma.

Total 45/50

In case, you couldn’t tell I really enjoyed this beer.  Technically, it’s not the most complex thing on the planet.  However, the hop presence is soooo delicious in all its forms that I find it hard to justify any sort of lower score.  A beer doesn’t have to be complex to be good, right?  True, it helps, but a beer that can impress me while maintaining its simplicity is also deserving of praise (even if it might be more difficult to achieve a perfect score).  Mango and bitter.  Bitter and mango.  That tandem carries this beer to a delicious success.  If you’re even in the area, find it.  If you like Hopslam, find it.  My next growler is this beer, no questions asked.

Samuel Smith's - Old Brewery Pale Ale

Allow me to start by stating that my experience with true Pale Ale's (a.k.a. "English Pale Ale") is far and few between to say the least.  It is much more common to find IPAs or American PAs than anything else.  So while I am used to the style's variations, I cannot claim great familiarity with the original style.  Other styles you rather know what to expect: stouts are dark roasted and coffee-ish, hefes are cloudy, creamy, and spiced.  With this style relatively unfamiliar to me, I am really going to have to use my palate and sniffer to find out just what exactly I am tasting.  Wish me luck.  Let's pour!

Picture is my own.  Bottle art image used without permission for educational uses only.

Aroma 10/12

A sweet, sweet smell arises from this brew.  Thankfully, it is not the beat-you-over-the-head hop scent that the offshoot styles prefer.  There are apples and an extremely floral scent.  Very appropriate for this springtime when everything is budding and blooming.  The hops are there, but unaggressively so, which is appropriate for the style.  A very pleasing aroma.

Appearance 3/3

This beer may have the longest head retention of any I have had the pleasure of sampling.  I pours a lovely amber color with a healthy-sized beige head.  Everything is up to par here and rated accordingly.

Picture is my own.

Flavor 17/20

A superbly balanced beer!  I can see where the offshoot styles seize their inspiration.  First to the mouth is a buttery, almost nutty toasted malt.  Its sweetness is mild and is matched perfectly by the complimentary, not overstated, hops.  Although the hops are not floral nor sweet as they were in the aroma, they blend perfectly with the malt allowing it a sweeter finish before truly making their dry and bitter presence known in the aftertaste.  It is a very neat sensation.

Mouthfeel  5/5

Initially high carbonation quickly yields to a style appropriate level.  A smooth, medium-bodied beer with great drinkability.  No flaws here.  Keeps it simple and does it right.

Overall Impression (8/10)

It is hard to judge this beer because it is simply that: beer.  There are no gimmicky flavors here.  This is straight up, old school beer with classic ingredients and a near immaculate balance.  It is so fundamentally strong that it does not need gimmicks to cover up a lackluster flavor or flaw.

Total (43/50) Excellent

This score places it near the top of the "Excellent" category.  This is just a superbly made, simple beer.  If you're not going to experiment with the style, then you better nail it to the wall and Samuel Smith's does exactly that.  Samuel Smith's is commanding more and more of my respect with each brew of theirs that I drink.  They are not flashy, but they perfect authentic styles and tell you how it is supposed to be.  Definitely a session beer and an true authentic sampling in a time where craft beers too often turn to copious amounts of ingredients.  These simple ingredients blend perfectly (I cannot stress that enough) and should be a lesson to others in the art of balance.

This will not appeal to those seeking crazy, strong flavors, but it is hands-down a technically fantastic beer.  It would also be an excellent gateway to those entering into the world of "hop heads."  Best to know your roots before you sally forth, boys.