Big Bear Hibernation Pale Ale

Draught at the brewpub. Amber colour. Rich, lychee-like hop aroma. Sweet anbd solidly malty with clean, somewhat hard mouthfeel. The aggresive hoppiness brings plenty of grapefruit and some licorice, smoothing over the minor shortcomings in malt structure. Lingering resiny, very bitter finish. In the end it’s a really good, über-American IPA.

Vibrant orangey-amber colour with some haze. Very earthy aroma - wood, grapefruit and a pleasant spiciness. Firm, rich bitterness with fat sticky crystal malts, brown sugar sweetness, breadcrust and grapefruit. Fresh berry nuances emerge as it warms. Nice stuff.

Draft... Mostly clear light amber ale with a small, creamy, white head. Decent retention. Fruity, earthy hop aroma with notes of grapefruit and clementine and lesser notes of spruce and dried flowers. Well-bittered with lots of grapefruit rind hops, tannins and earthy pine. Crystal malt undertones. Medium-bodied and watery with average carbonation. Lengthy, lightly toasted, moderately bitter finish.

My Bottom Line:
Citrusy, earthy, and resinous hop flavors dally along the well-positioned caramel maltiness in this quintessential American Pale Ale. The only hop fix at Big Bear, but it is thankfully of the refreshing and unfiltered kind.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A screen of foam tops the unfiltered orangey amber.
-The lean mouthfeel aptly carries the hop flavors and bitterness.
-Again, this is served WAY too cold to be properly tasted.
-Pale malt happily roams under the hop bitterness.

Always on tap at the brewpub.

on tap-pours a creamy white head that laces with gold color. Aroma is grapefruit, hops. Taste is grapefruit, hops with a bit of bite. Good carbonation. Better with food. 070222-rerate