Okanagan Extra Special Pale Ale

Brewed by Okanagan Spring Brewery (Sapporo)
Style: English Pale Ale
Vernon, Canada

Name: Okanagan Pale Ale
Date: September 06, 2009
Mode: Draft
Source: Flying Beaver, Vancouver
Appearance: clear copper, frothy off white head, drippy lace
Aroma: light sweet caramel malt aroma with light floral hops
Flavor: sweet caramel malt flavor, touch of butterscotch, light floral hops
Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 11/20
Rating: 2.8/5.0
Drinkability: 6/10
Score: ** /4

Extremely bland, generic pale ale. Non-existent aroma. Standard macro ale. Very weak.

It’s a pale ale all right and goes down quite easily, with very little coming in between you and the drinking - including a flavour, an aroma, an admiration of beer brewing in general. This is a backyard barbeque brew, and that’s fine, and it makes it passable as such, but it’s easily forgettable.

Pours a clear copper with medium-sized white head. Light caramel and grains in the nose. Decent caramel malt in taste with a light fruitishness and a hint of corn. No real hop presence. Wasn’t as weak bodied as I’d expected from something Sleeman associated. On the whole, nothing special.

Copper body very nice crown on top. Light sweet caramel aroma with floral hop hints nothing to special extremely mild but pleasant. Light crisp taste some astringent but good, mild to weak malts are tasty just not enough power behind them. There is a bitter hop finish but with no real hop flavour, I guess I can taste some citrus in the after taste. Good light beer to sit back and drink I’m glad I found it on tap.

Draught. Amber in the glass with a thin white head. Aroma of caramel and light hops with some grain. Mouthfeel is fairly light. Flavour of caramel in the malt with some slightly piney hops. Finish is short.

Deep orange color. Sweet scents on the nose. Very smooth and yet boasts a plain taste.

After the first sip I’m still not a fan of Okanagan beers. I’m still waiting for that one beer to turn me but I’m really losing faith. Poured out a thin white cap that vanishes but the colour is good - nice hue of amber. The aroma is a cross between English and Canadian styles. English hops, some grain, close to cardboard, stale crackers, faint caramel - to me this is not a sweet aroma, not even one bit. The taste is pretty plain and that is what kills this beer. More English hops, slight spicy zing, slight sweetness that has a touch of fruit, caramel. Actually, when I put my mind to it the flavour is not that bad but who wants to concentrate this hard with this beer? Good body but I’m torn on the carbonation. Finishes with mild bitterness and dryness. Let it warm up to be able to milk out it’s best qualities. Looks like another long gap between Okanagan purchases.