Smuttynose is a blindspot for me. I know they're a mainstay of the East Coast craft beer world and I've never heard a bad thing about any of their beers but I have yet to try any of them. I think there's a simple reason for this. Silly as it may seem, I've never bought any Smuttynose beers because I don't like their labels. Yes, I am guilty of judging a book (beer) by it's cover (label). And don't lie, you do it too. When I was getting into craft beer I pretty much solely bought a beer based on the label. Before I knew what the hell an English brown ale even was I knew that the label for Hobgoblin was really really cool. And so with that in mind Smuttynose, with their nondescript labels and uninspired typography, was overlooked. Until today. I'm trying new things. To the beer!
Shoals pale ale pours much darker than I anticipated. Deep amber red with fiery orange accents when held to light. It's all caped off by a layer of off white head that leaves a good bit of lacing down the sides of the glass.
There is a strong biscuity malt character to the aroma. backed by some light floral hops.
The flavor is where this beer gets interesting. Shoals pale has a lightish body with a wet mouthfeel along with some prickly carbonation. It has a toasty caramel malt base with a light toffee like sweetness. The hop profile here is a bit different. Not so much bitter, at least as far as I'm generally used to. But more of a sharp hop bite. An herbal, earthy, floral, slightly tangy hop flavor balances the malt.
This is a very different pale ale. But different in the best possible way. This is a damn tasty pale ale. Serves me right for overlooking Smuttynose for not liking their labels. Shows what I know! I'll definitely be picking up that sampler pack the next time I'm at Jungle Jim's. Seek this one out.
HD
No comments:
Post a Comment