Boiling Oar Brewing Company Pale Ale – American Pale Ale at 5.2% ABV (C$3.85 at Collective, 473 ml, no packaging date or best before, acquired 9-Dec-2020, reviewed 28-Dec-2020)
Appearance: clear pale amber with three fingers of dense off-white head, excellent retention and heavy chunky lacing. (4/5) Aroma: stewed fruit, caramel, grass, vegetal. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate bitter. (6/10) Palate: medium body, moderate carbonation, medium duration slightly sticky finish. (3/5)
A very straightforwardly old-fashioned APA, with strong English tendencies. I have to be careful here, I suppose, not to mark it down too much for what is very much personal preference in malt/hop balance (and for that matter, malt and hops selection). Although it’s more “Noble/English” than “American” (modern American, in any case), it’s relatively clean with no serious defects. That being said, though, the mixed/stewed fruit starts to tend a little vegetal as the pint progresses. It’s never problematic, but it’s definitely a stylistic choice that has largely gone out of favour – and, I would argue for good reason, since it’s fairly boring. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
