Granville Island Brewing West Coast Pale Ale American Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV (C$7.99 at Quarry Park Calgary Co-Op, 650 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 29-May-2016, reviewed 29-May-2016)
Appearance: hazy pale amber with one fat finger of rocky ivory head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel malt, mildly dank pine, faint citrus, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate carbonation, off-dry mild bitter finish. (3/5)
This is a bit of a strange beast. Yeah, I get the “west coast” dank aspect, though that’s not what I expect from ANZ hops – those, I generally find to have a more vinous character, and I’m getting none of that here. Moreover, in terms of the hop/malt balance, this is more like an English pale, with caramel malt leading the way, and a distinctly earthy character to the hops. English malting, ANZ hops… it’s not a “West Coast Pale”, it’s a “Prison Ship Pale”! It’s not terrible, by any stretch – but it’s a long way from memorable. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
