Birrificio del Doge APA American Pale Ale at 4.8% ABV (2016 Craft Beer Advent Calendar #1, 330 ml, bottle date 1-Mar-2016, best before 31-Mar-2017, acquired 25-Sep-2016, reviewed 1-Dec-2016)
Appearance: clear pale gold with one finger of fluffy white head, excellent retention and moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, grassy/floral, pale malt, light pine. (5/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (5/10) Palate: medium-light body, moderate-low carbonation, short duration mildly bitter and watery finish. (3/5)
An Italian version of an American Pale Ale, huh? That’s how you want to start the Advent calendar? That’s what screams “Christmas” to you? Well… it’s not terrible. I guess. And though the body drops off from light, to positively watery in the finish, there’s a nice little bitter in there. A bit more of a Golden Ale than an APA in my opinion, but really both styles are so broad as to have little realistic meaning. Might’ve been better fresh, but at this point it’s not as bright or hoppy as I’d like to see. (And mine’s been stored cold for the past two months – I doubt those who kept their calendars in the closet are having a better experience!) Thinking optimistically (hoptimistically?) maybe this is the light and breezy start to a sequence that gets progressively beefier during the run-up to the big day? Maybe? Hopefully? (11/20)
5.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
