Petes Place Basement Batch Pale Ale

12 oz bottle via trade with Soonah, thanks again for helping me knock out another state. Poured a good looking slightly hazed orange with an average sized foamy white head. Aroma started with some nice apricot notes but they quickly faded and lots of dusty cereal grains took over. Lots of fizzy carbonation and a thin body makes for a rather lusy combination. Flavor is rather flat with dusty grain and some seltzer. Not to much going on with this one.

Bottle. Strange, this one is a gusher. Pours a huge, rocky, immovable white head. Lasting, with great, patchy lacing. Slightly hazy, light orange body. Once the head subsides a bit, this is one attractive beer. Aroma is dominated by grapefruit and a hint of pine. Flavor is of pale malt and light biscuit followed by some citrus. Light, somewhat thin bodied. Average carbonation with a crisp, clean, bitter finish. Overall not a bad APA, but fairly run of the mill. Could use a bit more body/refined mouthfeel and malt presence.

Deep hazy orange-tinted copper coloured body with a nice three centimetre tall tan head. Aroma of malt, light grassy hops, yeast and a bit of cereal. Medium-bodied; Mild yeastie and worty flavoured body with a bit of hops, some malt, cereal, rice and unfinished character. Aftertaste shows a bit more hops, but just stagnant flavours that really don’t show well. Overall, a pretty mild and subdued beer that doesn’t go over well. I sampled this twelve ounce bottle purchased from Broadway Wine Merchant’s in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma on 31-August-2009 sampled at home in Washington on 15-October-2009.

12 oz bottle
Labeled as Choc Brewing this is a passable attempt at a basic pale ale. I could easily see someone making this in small batches in a basement; it is drinkable but lacks that flair of someone trying to do more than paint by numbers.

Aroma / Appearance - The thick foamy head was the consistency of eggshells. A carbonated mandarin orange body bubbled with life as the smell of lemongrass, wheat, and citrus escaped the cozy confines of the glass.

Flavor / Palate - Rye crackers, hayseed, and a residual bitterness blend into a mundane and typical pale ale. Far from undrinkable it is essentially a reference point for what the style should be and nothing more.

Sampled during the Autumn Brew Review in Minneapolis, MN as Choc Basement Batch Pale Ale. From a 12-oz bottle pours a clear copper orange colored brew with a thin beige head that quickly dissipates to a thin ring. Aroma of caramel malt, citrus and grapefruit zest, a touch of fruit and some earthy herbs. Flavor is medium bodied, some carbonation with taste of caramel malt, some citrus and grassy hops and touch of fruit. Finish is mildly bitter with some grassy and citrus hop aftertaste that quickly disappears.

copper-orange colour with a medium off white head. Aroma is dusty malt, some caramel and biscuity tones. LIght fruity hop. Flavour is sweet bready malt, caramel and some fruity/herbal hop. Nice and drinkable.

Orange color. Light malt and hop aroma. Flavor has fresh bread and malt, and minimal hops. But it does taste good, drinkable enough. I think it is much better than 30th percentile.

Amber color with a smallish beige head. Lightly toasted malt, grass and grapefruit in the aromas. I seem to catch a bit of light chocolate and caramel as well. Seems a bit unclean though. Flavors of earthy malt and hops. Bitter finish and the linger is similar. Seems a touch unrefined.