“Our take on the California gold rush Steam Beer. Brewed with the pale ale malt and Cluster hops used in the 19th century, combined with woody Northern Brewer hops. We then round it out with the ever reliable Cascade and the Australian Ella hops to create a piny, woody and grapefruity aroma backed up by light fruity esters and a light malt body. Finishes slightly bitter but crisp and dry.”
Glassware: Footed flute.
Appearance: Slightly hazy amber that builds a big three finger head. Retention is excellent and the lace work is even better.
Aroma: Lager or pale ale? We’d be doing well to get it right in a blind tasting. Can’t find many lager qualities here but we are getting a lot of citrus-forward hops, passion fruit, mango, pineapple, caramel and buttery malts. Maybe just a hint of corny DMS and cereal grains but really, it’s all ale here.
Flavour: Even more confusing than the aroma. It’s ever so slightly tart upfront. Mostly lemons but it’s flirting with that sour region. It recovers with more mild citrus and unripened fruits only to finish on a slightly metallic note with an off putting chemical flavour on the rear.
Mouthfeel: Spritzy, light and rather refreshing. 32 IBU and 4.7% ABV. Mild-moderate body.
Overall: We don’t know what’s happened here. Either the brewers have it all wrong or it has been infected. Far from your typical California common….and unfortunately not in a good way.