“A tribute to our home state of California – the 31st to be added to the Union. Beautiful floral and citrus hop aromas greet the nose with undertones of lightly toasted malt. Crisp pale and crystal malts offer a hint of sweetness. Subtle hop bitterness offers a refreshing finish. Perfect for a sunny California day at the beach or BBQ with friends, Pale 31 represents the bold yet approachable spirit that embodies our state.”
This is our first crack at this Californian breweries range. Served in a shaker glass the golden amber pour offers almost full clarity with only a very subtle cloudiness. The fizzy, 1 finger white head fell away slowly to a thin cap of foam on top leaving rings of lacing on its way down. Like any good west coast ale the nose possesses plenty of fruity and floral hop aromas balanced with a nice toasty, biscuity malt backbone. We’re not sure exactly what hops are being used but our guess would be popular strains such as Columbus, Simcoe and Centennial as the sweet, citric wafts of pine, grapefruit, passion fruit, peach, mango and marmalade are all on show. In the mouth it’s quite light on, smooth and rounded with mild-medium carbonation. Medium bodied. Upfront a marriage of citrus and light malts with a very mild bitterness makes way for a grainy mid-palate. The finish is crisp, light and refreshing but with little length. The 4.9% ABV reiterates a very safe, yet sessional pale ale. We could knock another 6 of these off quite easily. Not really pushing the envelope in regards to craft brewing but definitely a light, sessional, easy drinking pale ale. Pretty good.