22 oz bomber. Thanks go out to…
Pretty much exactly what I expected which is a very good thing.
The pour is excellent with a lovely orange amber body, a high head and some serious head retention and creamy, broken, dripping lace. Carbonation is just about perfect.
Rather than entering into a long description about the beer it’s probably best to describe it in terms of styles. The American Pale Ale style has the potential to be bland, but this is hopped up enough to break that stranglehold of mediocrity. Even at these relatively low levels, the hops are still amped above the the level of an English Bitter, but in combo with the APA style it comes out to be a dry version of a typical English beer. Having read a lot about ths beer I figured that’s what would happen. I had confidence mainly becasue of the quality of Bear Republic – they did not disappoint.
Finishes a little more bitter, a little more floral, a little more hoppy and a little drier than a malt based English bitter, but in terms of an American beer it comes really close. I like it a LOT, and I have to take what I can get here in the USA. It reminds me a little of a Courage Best bitter from the late 80’s/early 90’s with a bit of soap in the ending.
Drinkability for me is HUGE and if this were available to me on a regular basis I think it would be a staple.