Bluegrass American Pale Ale

Brewed by Bluegrass Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Louisville, Kentucky USA

Date: 10/16/1998
Mode: Firkin
Source: Brewfest, Real Ale Festival

copper, wispy head, strong fresh aroma, rich hop flavor, slightly sour, good dose of bitterness with a long finish, otherwise one dimensional
-------- /> Date: 04/28/2005
Source: brewpub
Score: ii to iii

dark amber, thin white head, velvet smooth body,solid hop flavor on a slightly sweet carmel malt bace, touch of citrus, nice long bitter finish, after the cask the c02 version appears lighter, still more body but the sweetness of the first round takes a long time to start to appear, cask is supperior
-------- /> Date: 04/28/2005
Mode: cask
Source: brewpub

slight haze, huge cask head, light citrus hop aroma, rich cream body, light hop flavor but a long bitter finish, the cask mellows it into a fine esb

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 8/10; Overall: 16/20
Rating: 3.8/5.0
Score: **4
-------- /> The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

Deep amber body, nice head. Pine-grapefruit aroma. Strong bitter body with strong pine aftertaste. Serious beer, not for the faint of heart.

(Bottle) Pours an amber color with a medium-sized head. Had kind of a sticky mouthfell. Average tasting pale ale.

12oz bottle. I wouldn’t call this one a gusher but more of a foamer that slowly came out of the bottle. Poured a medium golden color with a huge sized head. Aromas of roasted grains, earthy, floral, and toasted caramel. Tastes of caramel, citrus, and lighter floralness. For the huge head and foam, I didn’t expect the nearly flat body.

12oz bottle-pours a thin white head and hazy copper color. Aroma is mild citrus hops. Taste is dry citrus hops with some bitterness, secondary medium malt-slight caramel. Some seltzer.

Bottle... Mine poured a mostly clear, orange/amber with a large, frothy, off-white head. Terrific retention. The aroma is equally malty and hoppy. Malty caramel and very light milk chocolate. Hoppy grapefruit, tropical fruit and pine. Hearty, malty flavor up front; followed closely by an abundance of American bittering hops. The result is a brew with good balance that leans just a little toward the bitter side of the scale. Full-bodied and creamy with lively carbonation. Lengthy, moderately bitter finish. More body than any other ≤6% ABV beer I’ve ever tasted with the exception of Dark Horse’s Tres Blueberry Stout (4.5%).

Pours a bronze amber with a thick lacy white head. Aroma is mostly blooming with hops. Body starts with a smooth malty sweetness, but becomes more bitter and overpowered by the hops by the finish. A decent APA, but could use some more balance and refinement.

My Bottom Line:
This quaffable American Pale Ale develops a perfumy, spicy and citrusy hop intensity balanced out by lightly biscuity, caramelized cereals for a very approachable example of the style.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A ring of foam circles the veiled amber.
-The finishing hop bitterness is spicy and quite leafy.
-The mouthfeel is lean and rather bubbly.
-The flavor profile is balanced, but not necessarily memorable.

Bottle; best before May ’09.