Grapefruit Pale Ale
Laughing Dog Brewing

 

 

Crystal clear light orange pint from upstairs at Whole Foods... Standard American pale ale with a blast of dry pithy citrus zest... grainy pale malt is the big player despite the zest and hop promises.... well balanced pale ale with the grapefruit coming up as more of a perfume. Very very drinkable.. Goes away very fast.

3.75/3.75/3.5/3.5/3.75

20oz, old school British pint at the Idaho Pour Authority in Sandpoint - strangely not available at the brewery yesterday.

This beer appears clear, bright medium copper amber colour, with one skinny finger of frothy and ultimately bubbly off-white head, which leaves some decent broken webbed lace around the glass as things quickly subside.

It smells of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, grainy pale malt, and further leafy, herbal, and piney hops. The taste is more malty up front, as the biscuity and crackery pale graininess asserts itself, the grapefruit rind fruitiness settles into equal partner status, and the sort of side player leafy and piney hoppiness keeps things well within the realm of sanity.

The bubbles are fairly moderate in their plain and innocuous frothiness, the body an adequate middleweight, and generally smooth, the malt taking the reins from the guest ingredient in that respect. It finishes off-dry, both the grapefruit and perky pale malt prancing on around my willing and game palate.

A well-made fruit ale, I gotta say - crisp, refreshing, and yet still with plenty of proper beeriness underlying it all. I find it amusing that as I enjoy the rest of this pint, a case of Stiegl Radler sits on the floor near my table.