Big Horse Horse Tail Pale Ale

Tap. LIghtly opaque, medium amber in color. Fair sized white head fades to a film and leaves excellent lacing. Nice earthy and citric hop aroma. Goes a bit skunky towards the end of the glass, a bit lightstruck from sitting in the sun. Light to medium bodied. Well balanced with lingering bitterness. Pleasant.

(Draft: Big Horse Brew Pub in Hood River, OR) On my brewery tour of Oregon, it’s been awhile since I’ve had a quality American Pale Ale, but this is a very fine one. Mild, lightly sweet, and slightly grain malt base allows the tasty, lightly citrusy, moderately bitter hops to shine without stomping the taste buds. The subdued, but balanced nose is lightly malty and pleasantly hoppy. Golden color is fairly cloudy in appearance. Light-to-medium bodied, clean, with a crisp finish. The off-white head rises to half an inch, and as it slowly settles to a film, it leaves a few streaks of lace on the glass. A well-crafted, perfectly balanced APA that doesn’t try to be an IPA, but would make a great session beer for me. Solid.

On tap at the brewery. Nice pale with a doughy malt character and grassy and lightly citrusy hop finish. Pours golden with a medium white head. Good sessionable pale.

Tap. Golden copper color. Good malty/hop balance. Fairly smooth.

Light bronze colour. Slightly fruity nose. Moderate bitterness. Light pale malts and a hint of tropical fruit esters.