Mickey Finns Mr. C.s Pale Ale

Sampled from roving 64-oz growler during Dark Lord Day ’09. Pours a clear golden pale amber colored brew with a thin off-white head that quickly dissipates to a thin white ring. Aroma of citrus and grassy hops, some golden multi-grain malt, a hint of herbs and iced tea. Taste is medium bodied, mildly bitter with flavors of multi-grain malt, flowery hops and a touch of spice. Finish is semi-sweet at first and then a crisp aftertaste with a hint of hop character.

I unknowingly got the "nitro pour" and spent the majority of the beer wondering why this beer was carbonated with nitrogen. I’m pretty convinced it didn’t fit the style well. It pours golden with a nitrogen head. The aroma is sweet and floral. The flavor is creamy, toasty, with a few caramel notes in it. Much of the taste gives way to a fake grape before the bitter hop finish. Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, but thin. Overall, I think the beer suffered from the Nitro pour, so I’d try it again from a normal pour. However, the odd fake fruit taste was enough to make finishing the pint difficult.

Pour is clear golden with a thin tan head...lightly sweet toasty nose...taste is lightly toasty and bready with a subtle hop bitterness in the finish...

Name: Mr. C’s Pale Ale
Date: 11/07/1997
Source: Brewfest, Real Ale Festival

golden amber, strong east ken goldings aroma (single hop), good hop flavor, slight bitterness, better aroma than flavor

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.7/5.0
Score: *4
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The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

On tap at the Mickey Finn Brew Pub. On nitro. Poured a medium orange color with a small sized off white head. Aromas of floral, caramel, and some citrus. Muted tastes of the same. Thinner body. Lacing left on the glass.

Cask version. This I liked. A hazy color with that ever-present quarter-inch foam head. A great balance between hops and malts. Man am I going to miss this place.

I had both the "regular" nitro-dispensed and the casked conditioned versions of this ale (that the pub refers to as an EPA rather than an APA) and the latter won out hands down. Sadly, this rating reflects both brews. The casked version is copper colored with a thick creamy head. It’s got a pleasant caramel malt and herbal & floral hop aroma that has a hint of apples or pears to it. Medium-bodied, it has a nice blending of the sweet malt and bitter hop tastes along with a bit of yeasty fruitiness. The finish is mldly bitter. Nice. Unfortunately, the nitroed version is a muted characature of the other and has way too creamy of a mouthfeel. Sad.

<font size=-4><a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Places/ShowPlace.asp?PlaceID=3241>Mickey Finn’s Brewery, Libertyville, IL<font size=-1>

Amber color. Slightly sweet smelling. Thin, but bitter. Sweet, hoppy aftertaste. One of Mickey’s better ales, for what that’s worth.