This brew was a beaut. It poured a musty orange, and was more intriguing than others of a similar look. A huge, booming sticky head hung from the top of the glass and gave a perfectly coordinated off-white hat to the orange body of the beer. My main areas of explorations in beer have been mostly Belgian style ales. I gravitated toward them for some reason and have dabbled quite a bit. When I first sipped, after taking in the nuttiness and caramel of the nose, I was taken aback. The bottle clearly said “Pale Ale” and yet my tastebuds immediate reminisced to the sweet, malty balance of many a belgian ale. It was smooth and creamy with a hint of sweetness akin a bit to Goose Island’s Matilda. I looked at the bottle again, thinking perhaps the “Pale” was indeed “Belgian.”
The nuttiness and hints of caramel continued in the taste and were accompanied by a spicy, peppery mix and an unfortunate bit of alcoholic, dirty water flavor. While that obviously sounds disgusting, it was so faint it didn’t matter and I continued to enjoy. The constant carbonation continued through the duration. A bit of a bitter aftertaste was present, but not nearly what I’ve seen in other pale ales and again, much more of a Belgian-type finish. The mouthfeel was pleasantly heavy and coating and it all ended with a slight spray of orange.
ABV: 5.6%
Grade: A-