Sledgehammer West Coast Ale
Five Seasons Prado

 

Arrived in a pint glass with maybe 1/4" of off-white head. This quickly dissipated to a thin cap over a deep amber beer (mostly clear from what I could see in the subdued lighting).

Smell: piney hops with some malt sweetness coming through.

Taste: The hops bitterness comes through nicely. But, in my opinion, this is a nicely balanced beer. The toasted malt is held mostly in the background.

Mouthfeel: Medium body (I prefer a bit more body). Carbonation on the low side (which is just fine in my opinion).

Drinkability: Quite good. I could have had more if I wasn't just passing through.

Pours fairly dark for an apa, dark copper with a decent head and lacing. The aroma is a little faint, I mostly just get lightt cereal grains. The taste, however is wonderfully fresh and with an intense piney hoppiness. Its overall flavor profile is spicy and with a slightly metallic and coriander finish. This one was brewed to go with food. The mouthfeel is a little prickly, but with an appropriate body. Pretty drinkable, but nore of a food beer than a sessioner. A little fruitiness would help this one.

Beautiful reddish-brown with a thin but rich and persistent head. Aroma is hoppy. The strongly but not overwhelmingly hoppy flavor has caramel undertones. Smooth and lively, not too bitter, it is good for sipping before or after a meal, or with lunch or dinner. Five Seasons keeps on brewing winners.

Arrived on draft in a twelve ounce short pint glass. Very cloudy dusty red with minimal head and lace. The smell is moderately full of west-coast hops and nothing else. Limp and facile flavor profile. A medium dose of American hops and, um, nothing once again. Thin and over-carbonated body.

B-O-R-I-N-G.

Five Seasons knows how to make good beer. This is not one of them.

On-tap into pint glass.

Slightly hazy deep reddish amber, light tan cap. Stacked sticky lacing.

Sharp piney citrusy grapefruit-like hops with a little grain.

Bitter hops, but not too powerful, allowing some of the maltiness to come through. Medium bodied with good carbonation. The finish has lingering bitter hops. The alcohol sometimes makes its way through as it warms a little.

A good American Pale Ale, still fresh. A good one to try if you love hops.

The beer arrived at the table cloudy pale amber with a white lasting head which laced the glass.

The aroma was citrusy and estery with a malt presence that increase slightly as the beer warmed.

The flavor was boring. Mainly comprised of citrusy bittering that was not well balanced and only some slight malt presence was noted.

The finish was dry with slight lastin bittering long into the aftertaste. The body was medium light. The best thing about this beer was allowing it to warm so the flavor and aroma increase, but it still could not bring this corpse back to life.

Very dark dark, hints of ruby. Fruity aroma, big hops, but not harsh. Hops have a piney character but not quite sappy. Head was wispy remnant by the time I got it. Flavor is nicely malty and nicely hoppy. Reminiscent of Arrogant Bastard, but like it's little brother.