Butlers Pale Ale

Brewed by Niagara Falls Brewing (Moosehead)
Style: English Pale Ale
Brampton, Canada

It’s an ale, but I’m not sure that its pale. I’m not saying this isn’t pleasant, but its not hoppy at all. Instead, it is smooth and malty with almost a coconut flavor. Not bad in the summer out on the porch.

Considerably paler than your average pale ale. Not terribly aromatic: a touch of malt, a grain of wood, a sliver of steel and that’s about it. Nice, sandpaper-like palate. Fairly good bitterness balanced out by malt and cherry accents. Nice swell of bitterness on the finish with fairly good length. While this could be better, it is likely the best offering one will find at what has become that macro wasteland of a pub franchise.

Bishop and Firkin, half pint sample- Deep gold pour served with a decent white froth leaving minute lace. The aroma is pale malts and diluted grains with some biscuit and cookie dough, and a touch of lemon. Flavour profile matches the aroma and adds a floral, grassy hoppiness and a sweet pale malt base to compliment. Lemony, biscuity aftertaste with just a slight bite. This reminds me of a helles or oktoberfest. There’s no way in hell this is a pale ale.

[080-20061031] Tap @ Fox&Firkin (Toronto, ON). Grainy, doughy yeast aroma. Clear, apple-yellow body with a quick and lightly foaming white head and thick lacing. Flavour is that clean, new, doughy/yeasty, sweet bread freshness, a little boozy with a light plastic aftertaste. Light-medium body. Nice and light but became watery halfway through. May be OK to repeat.

Tap-one of the Firkins on the way to the LCBO, light yellow colour, smallish head. Very light carbonation, nice sweet aroma. Very light hop flavour, some mild sweetness with the tiniest bitter finish. Not so bad.

Draft at some Firkin bar. Pale yellow with a smallish white head and a surprisingly decent bit of brewers lace. Aroma is a bit funky with a very prominently yeasty aroma that reminds me of both Ringwood yeast (unlikely) and some strange pints of Keith’s I had in Halifax at the same time. Flavour is a bit dull, but has more bitterness and a fuller body than most macros. A decent quaff to wash down dinner with but not really one I would order to enjoy on its own.

Draught at the Friar & Firkin. Pours a very pale yellow, quite bubbly, with an average size diminishing frothy white head and decent lacing. Mild aroma is a little sweet with doughy yeast and some light grain, fruit and hops -- decent enough. Flavour starts quite bland and watery but then it comes in with that doughy yeast again, still somewhat sweet and with some light hops and a very mild bitter finish. Average bodied. Pretty bland stuff but at least there’s nothing bad about it. Just O.K. at best, I wouldn’t order it again.

Aroma is malty, fruity and florel, pale yellow, small white head. Taste is milder malt, bready, light bodied, balanced, smooth, has a pleasant bitterness. Good but it seems more like a pilsner?