“A new Pale Ale where hops run the show.
Our Grunion Pale Ale wasn’t born on a beach, but in a backyard. Originating from an employee-only home brew contest, this award-winning hoppy pale ale is named after the tiny local fish known for late night frolics on shore. A pair of new hop varieties lend strong yet balanced summer melon aromas and herbal flavors, while a soft caramel malt sweetness holds it all together.”
Served in a shaker glass. Grunion pours an attractive amber complexion with a thumb of foamy white head taking shape on top. It gradually reduced to a film and leaves a thick and blotchy lace trail clinging to the walls of the glass.
This certainly possesses all the hallmarks of a world class American pale ale. We get grapefruit, we get loads of pine, we get orange citrus and lemon rind along with a subtle spice and a floral undertone. There is an element of malt sweetness that hints at toffee and caramel too, bringing the balance and pulling those aromatic Mosaic hops in to line. Brilliant aroma.
The mouth feel is snappy, effervescent and vibrant in texture, a lot owing to the bouncy Co2. As to be expected the bitterness is as eager as hell and comes in at 50 IBU – discernible from beginning to end. Medium body.
The flavour profile opens with a big impression of grapefruit, pine, orange citrus and a suggestion of spice. The sweet malts try to peek through but they’re denied as the zippy citrusy hops carry through the mid leading in to a dry and bitter finish leaving hints of citrus peel and vines on the rear.
This is a top notch APA. A bit of a staple for us at the moment as it’s fairly priced and readily available at a lot of semi-commercial bottle shops. Very similar to Pirate Life’s APA.