Flossmoor Station Farewell Pale Ale

Brewed by Flossmoor Station Restaurant & Brewery
Style: American Pale Ale
Flossmoor, Illinois USA

Date: April 24, 2009
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub
Appearance: hazy yellow, frothy cream head, heavy lace
Aroma: sweet crystal malt aroma, lots of fruity character
Flavor: lots of hop flavor and bitterness, enough sweetness to balance it out, nice citrus
Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.3/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: **+/4

On tap at the brewpub during the Farewell Matt/Welcome Bryan party: It pured a hazy light amber body into the mug, capped by a sustained frothy head followed by loads of lace. The aroma was hop heavy - pine, citrus, orange petal - with some pale malt sweetness oozing out on occasion. Nicely balanced flavor with the malt getting a bit caramelly and the hoppy bitterness surging at the end and lingering long throughout the dry finish.
All the best to brewer Matt Van Wyk and his family as they more out to new adventures in Oregon!

Shared at DLD. Yellow pour with a white head. Malty and hoppy aroma. Some light fruits(apricot? mango?) Flavor is fizzy with malt, hops and fruit. Not bad, not amazing.

Attractive hazed golden straw pour with substantial and lingering frothy white head. The aroma is a welcoming potency of PNW hop scents ie.; pine and grapefruit and pineapple...very appetizing. First impression is a creamy slurp of sweet caramel malt, bread dough, and biscuity...with an immediate follow-up of tangerine, grapefruit and pine resins in generous proportions and lingering long on the palate. How is this not an IPA, I wonder? But there is SOME restraining hand on the hop scoop, I guess, and the balancing act between sweet and bitter is really pretty tightly performed. Very refreshing brew here with virtually no faults that my half-century-plus-old palate could pretend to detect. And so, I guess, we finally actually bid our favorite brewer a heartfelt farewell, with sincere wishes for success where ever he goes and with whatever beers he chooses to brew. "I’ll see you on the Left Coast, Mr. Van WICK" (Good God, I thought he’d never leave!)

Draft at FSRB. Dark orange body, a bit of haze and a puffy pale ale head. Big smell of pine and orange rind from hops, plus a bit of grass and earth. Familiar PNW hoppy taste, with a citrus pucker, pine needles and a bit of Amaraillo burn, all the hop flavors that make us think of Matt. And wouldn’t you know, I’ve managed to get back out to FS on the night BEFORE they tap Bryan’s first specialty beer. Sorry, Bryan, I’ll have to inflict my opinions on you later.

Nose is earthy, astringent, and catty. Flavor is toast, carmel, fruit, and dirt. Mouthfeel is bitter and acidic. Medium to long finish. Definition of mediocrity.

This poured a nice orange color with a slightly off white head. Aroma was mainly of piney hops, lots and lots of them. Flavor was a little more subdued than the nose, but still contained lots of notes of pine and citrus with juast enough backbone for it to not be a crazy IPA. This to me seemed like shimkos younger brother.

Mug club mug poured draft at Flossmoor station (Flossmoor, Il). Pours a nice hazed amber with big cakey white head. Aromas are citrusy hops, lemon, and pale malt mellow sweetness. Initial is a good solid bitterness, citrusy APA. By the book largely, with a good pale malt balance but some power that tip toes the IPA line. Bitterness could be more citrusy, more pronounced, but that would be me asking for a full blown IPA wouldn’t it, now? Finishes with light pine bitterness sustained on the palate. Cheers, Matt!