Pale Ale

The beer

Pale-ale citrus and biscuit malt, and both of them modest. The nose does not shout hop oil or caramel. It smells like a pale ale that has been turned down: citrus first, then a dry biscuit, and not much else.

The palate is light, with a gentle bitterness and a little grain-sweetness in the middle. The hop does not dry the finish into pith, and the malt does not turn sticky. Body stays at the light end. There is no astringent edge and no syrupy middle. It is clean enough that a second can is reasonable, which is more than a thin pale ale usually earns.

It is gone quickly. Honest malt and hop, and then it is gone. Serve it cold. As it warms, the grain-sweet note moves forward and the citrus fades.

This is a local pale ale at a low strength, not a hop bomb and not a malt liquor that lost its alcohol. The bitterness is in the right place. The limit is length and volume of flavor. What you taste is real. There is just not much of it. Cold, from the can, the biscuit and citrus are enough for a casual glass. Do not wait for a long hop finish. It will not come. Drink it cold. A second can is the right ambition.