Barrel House Cumberland Pale Ale

Brewed by Barrel House Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Cincinnati, Ohio USA

Date: 10/18/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

clear dark copper, whispy beige head, nice sweet carmel and citrus aroma, robust hop flavor with great citrus character, balancing carmel sweetness adds depth, light bitterness, easy drinking flavorable pale ale

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.5/5.0
Drinkability: 9/10
Score: **4

22oz bottle-pours a foamy retaining light tan head and hazy amber color. Aroma is medium malt-sweet caramel, pine. Taste is medium malt-sweet caramel, pine/citrus/floral-bitter hops. Malt is too dominant and sweet for a PA and seems like three quite different hop styles which didn’t work that well. OK carbonation.

Bottle sampled on 10/23/06: Pours a clear copper bronze with a thin coating of wispy-lacing white head. Fresh piny hoppy aroma on top of lightly toasted pale malt. Starts thinner, but lightly sweet fading toward a hoppier bittersweet finish. Smooth and drinkable, decently-balanced APA.

Bottle... Clear amber ale with a small, creamy, white head. Very good retention. Floral, fruity nose with a toffee note and a barely detectable, spicy phenol. The flavor is medium sweet and mildly bitter. The bitterness intensifies a bit after the swallow, but never really kicks in. Medium-bodied with a lightly oily mouthfeel and moderate carbonation. Finishes mostly sweet. Thanks to shigadeyo for sending this one my way!

Bomber courtesy of alexsdad06. Pours copper with a white head. Smells of biscuits, citrus, tea, some pepper. Tastes of resin, some doughy malt, hints of pepper and spice. Finish is bitter. Mouthfeel is caramelly.

Nice looking beer, pouring a pale copper body with a thick, creamy head. Much lacing. The aroma’s sweet caramel covered with tart tangerine and zest of orange. The flavor’s a good balance between the malty sweetness and hop bitterness. Good sessionable ale.

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Hazed light copper color with a moderate fluffy ecru head. Light caramel and grapefruit zest aromas. The aromas just don’t do it for me. There is a amber quality that when I run into it, I have a hard time with. Flavors are there with the aromas. Someday I will put a finger on the small and flavor combination that I have a hard time with in so many ambers and pales. A mix of light raisins, caramel, figs and other stuff. Dryer in the finish and linger. With some metal late in the linger. I find it somewhat water as well. As I took the last gulp, I finally came up with the aroma/flavor that annoys me in so many pales and ambers, it’s the smell that emanates from the sharpening of a new #2 pencil. Some pine and carbon, along with the mild paint.

Draught - Moderate hoppy aroma. Clear amber hue with white frizzy head. Medium bitter flavor that was stronger at the finish.