“The citrus punch of a big IPA, minus the one-dimensional hop sledgehammer. Several select European and domestic malts round out the edges for a complex, copper-colored brew. Like its namesake ski lift, it’s an insider’s ride to fresh thrills.”
Cool label, reminds us of our late 80’s/early 90’s snow trips. Before the days of quad chairs & gondola’s, there was the ricketty, yet humble old 2 seater chair lift that you prayed wouldn’t fall apart when you’re suspended 40 metres up in the air! Good times. Served into a shaker glass the translucent copper-red pour produces a tightly packed two finger off-white cap. Good head retention and lacing. Initially we picked up a strange scent of window cleaner, but after the beer warmed and a few vigorous sniffs a more enjoyable set of aromas including orange peel, resinous pine, burned sugar and sweet malt were being presented. Quite different for a pale ale. In the mouth it’s slightly dry with medium carbonation and decent bitterness. A bit light on body with the flavour slightly favouring the hops. Nevertheless the balance was still good with standout floral tastes of pine, caramel and citrus. Nice bitter finish. 6.2% ABV was quite well hidden in this pale ale. A decent addition to their range but just missed the mark for us. Still, an enjoyable ale.