Alley Kat Brewing Co. SMaSH Session – Session IPA at 3.9% ABV | 20 IBU (C$4.09 at Collective, 473 ml, packaged on 12-Jun-2020, acquired 4-Aug-2020, reviewed 13-Aug-2020)
Appearance: bright clear pale straw with two fingers of loose white head diminishing gradually to a thin skim, spotty soapy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: citrus, bready honey, fruit, grass, pine. (6/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-low bitter. (6/10) Palate: light body tending thin and watery, moderate-lively carbonation, crisp slightly astringent finish. (3/5)
I always enjoy trying SMaSH efforts, since going with a single malt and a single hop generally allows for a very focussed exploration of their particular characteristics (in this case, 2-row barley and Simcoe) without added elements confusing things. This one, though, is so very light that it falls into the trap of tasting watered-down, in particular the thin finish leading to a slight astringency. In fact, even though it’s an ale, it comes across as a macro “lite” lager. I mean, yeah, there’s none of the negatives you can sometimes get with Simcoe, and at this ABV you could literally drink these things all day long (and maybe that’s the answer to the less-than-impressive finish: don’t stop?) but it really isn’t very interesting. (12/20)
6/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
