Haystack (English Summer Ale)
Town Hall Brewery

Picked up a growler at the brewery. Best by date: 19 August 2011.

Pours a very clear, pale, apple juice golden yellow. Big fluffy white head, good retention and nice lacing.

Smell is enigmatic - an interesting balance of pale malts and light hops, with a peachy fruitiness behind it.

Flavor is, likewise, a balance of grainy pale malts and mild hops. The fruit is there as well, but more like apples in the taste. There's a light lemony crispness, too, but I want more of it to really make it refreshing. The flavor becomes much more bitter as it warms up - above about 45F, I started liking it less, as the more subtle flavors got washed out by the assertive hops.

Light-bodied, decent carbonation. I was looking for a nice dry finish on this, but it's rather watery.

A good session ale, balanced, with some light fruity notes. The crisp citrusy flavors were faint, and I wanted more of them to give the beer some vibrance and pop. I wouldn't turn it down, but I also wouldn't feel compelled to drink it again.

10 oz pour on tap into a snifter.

A- One finger frothy off white head, well carbonated, clear golden straw color, nice lacing.
S- Lemon upfront, citrus, more lemon, malt, slight breadiness.
T- Lots of lemon, malt, earthy notes, nice carbonation, a nice bite after every sip.
M- Medium/light mouth feel, well carbonated, crisp, bitter aftertaste.
O- This beer is definitely refreshing, easy drinking, great session beer at 4.7% abv, while it’s not the best beer or most memorable it does the job, would not drink again though.

Had this on tap last Wednesday (7/25) at Town Hall Brewery. I believe it's just under the name "English Summer," as the waitress was writing this on the board while I was eating. So, I decided to get one.

Nice, cloudy summer ale. Hints of clove and some other spices on the nose. Head was a creamy, fluffy bright white, at least 2-fingers. Noticeable lace around the inside of the glass as I drank it down. The taste was refreshing, quite pleasing to the palate. I noticed hints of banana, maybe allspice, very little hops and an overall wheaty/malty sweetness to it. Good beer for those hot summer days. Seeing as how it was 94 F in Minneapolis that day, this one really fit the bill.

Growler thanks to Jeffboo, coming through again.

Pours out straight gold and sits crisp golden yellow in the glass with a large white head, fading to a nice skimming, abundant lacings.

Aroma is a blend of creaminess and fruits. Apricots, apples, pears and peaches, light sugary caramel and just a touch of leafy hops.

Tastes dry up front, impeding hop bitterness. Dunks you into a vat of stewed grasses and raw leafy goodness. Apple skins and a bit of pear juices squeeze out. Finish is moderately bittered, crisp and clean.

Creamy, yet completely refreshing. Fine and crisp carbonation built withing a medium-light body.

Very interesting this beer is. I wasn't sure what to expect coming in to this. It pulls out bittering characteristics of a traditional German Pils, yet pushes out more complex flavors. Overall, I like it, quite a bit. Good call Jeff.

Not close to an English style in taste but a hell of a nice Pale Ale...Big citrus aroma with some leafy tobacco notes as well...the malt lends a sweet vanilla bean touch as well...

Body is on the high side of light...a quencher for sure but not watery...What impresses me about the taste on this one is the malt profile...subtle but tasty...almost bready and doughy with a little vanilla bean presence...some lemongrass on the finish....

I liked this better than I thought I would....I'd call it an American Pale Ale along the lines of Summit EPA but better...pretty interesting taster

Hazy sun yellow appearance. Thin pure white head. Lacing is quite full. Great nose. Lemony and grainy. Honeyish and biscuity. Great flavor as well. Nice little hop bite to it. Grainy and biscuity malt tones. A nice dryness lingers. Quite the quencher. Moderately carbonated. Light-medium body. I could make a nice little session with a few of these growlers.

Setting down with a growler at home, (I don't have quite the photographic, or, shall we say palate-ographic memory as Mr. tavernjef), after several pints at the pub...

Hazed straw golden hue, fine layer of creamy, dotted milk-white foam stands guard above.

Citrus greets the nose first, laced with honey, lemon, peach and apricot stand tall in the aroma, with herbal, grassy tones at the side.

Taste...big time fruit rushes into the mouth, a complex texture, though, overall, malty, but made more distinctive with the wheat involved. Very crisp and refreshing, with a substantial medium-sized body. Long, citric finish. Very well-balanced, and clean, with significant flavor and unabating pleasure. Extraordinarily drinkable, I could easily down this growler in one sitting. Has just enough zing to keep the tastebuds happy, yet so light, crisp, and smooth that one is undaunted from attacking another glass of the stuff.

A great summertime beer, but a bit of a headscratcher for those of us trying to pigeonhole into into a "style". ( Nice choice, by the way, Jeff.)
Town Hall don't play that, though, and they just keep brewing every style every known, and making up a few new ones along the way.

On-tap at the brewpub and enjoyed with a few friendly BA faces: Modest blurry straw gold color with a small white cap of tight froth. Lacing decorates the glass well in snowflaked webby patterns.

Aroma is of a Pilsner/Kolsch mix, pale malts, bready, grassy, tiny bit sweet, fruity, and candyish, wheat centered with a light floral hop addition. Quite crisp and relaxing. Took a while to evolve; its a bit light at first, but as it sits it gains some nutritionistic values and heightening.

Nice taster with broad and well based pale malt and wheat malt play. A nudge sweet and fruity with a wheatish snap with a firm grassy edge to its corners balancing out to a floral Pilsner-like zip and malting with light spices into the finish. Very well rounded and extensive with long lasting breadish spicy malts. The wheat is the mainstay at first, then the Pilsner malts and character take over for a fantastic little grassy spiced finish.

Feel is a medium to light body with a simple carbonation and slippery tone. Nearly perfect for the style as its very straight forward and easy going with only a slight emptyness to its overall front and middle.

Quick drinker. Floats right down and could easily be quaffed from a growler or from a seat at the pub; take your pick. A great summer brew from TH.