MacLean’s Pale Ale

Brewed by MacLean’s Ales
Style: English Pale Ale
West Grey, Canada

Rerate:
On cask at the Victory Cafe. Had this today and it’s way better then I describe below, it’s a refreshing and tasty Pale Ale, especially on Cask, and deserving of a better score.
Original score: 5.3.5.2.11: 2.6
On cask at Bar Volo. Mild aroma of hops and caramel. Amber colour with no head. Flavour is too moderate, not enough hops and malt. Decent but fairly bland.

On tap at the Golden Kiwi in Cambridge. Pours a slightly cloudy orange gold with small, lasting white head. Nose of earthy/floral hops and light bread. Flavour follows suit. Slight bitter finish. Decent sessionable beer.

Hazy amber, small intense bead. Good hop,dry malt nose. Great balanced flavor with medium hop finish

Cask @ Castle on King. Served at cellar temperature, minimal carbonation. A nice subtle citrus/grassy hop combination, both in the "flavour" hops and in the finish. A decent malt backbone that works well with the hopping, instead of trying to steal the show.

The pour reveals a slightly cloudy golden color with a medium diminishing bubbly white head. Aroma of caramel malt with mild hops. Surprisingly good flavor of woody hops and caramel malt with a mild bitter finish. The body has a medium thickness with an oily texture and lively carbonation. This pale ale is interesting, the hops are satisfyingly flavorfull.

Draught (cask) At Volo. Poured quite creamy and cloudy (reminded me of Boddington’s Pub Ale), settled quite quickly to a fine off-white head. Color is quite coppery, but pale, slightly cloudy. Aroma very bread-doughy, taste is mildly bitter, the maltiness is there for sure, but in background. Medium to light bodied. Tends to a grapefruit bitterness on the palate, builds slowly. Well-suited to the cask. Virtually no carbonation, of course - great patio beer.

I think i had a dry hopped version of this at the C’est what? spring beerfest in 2006. There was a reall ynice nose of english hops, its was actually kinda skunky it was so hoppy. I seem to recall it being served at room temperature, and it was abubble frothy head, so i’m guessing it was on cask. Nice beer, great english pale ale. well made.

Cask @ Hostex: I think I lucked out getting this one on cask at a foodservice trade show, so chalk me up as a happy camper to start off. Poured virtually head free, but with a pleasing cloudy copper colour. Aroma is subdued but I could pick out significant hops and a bit of caramel. Flavour is great! Great hopping with an awesome earthiness alongside sweet malts that hit after the hops.