Amarillo Pale Ale
Celtic Bayou

Appearance – Boy, was this growler righteously filled. I popped and poured it the next day and the head came up just right: not too big, not too small. It was slightly off-white, showed good retention, and clinged to the inside of my Ruination glass.

The beer itself is a dark, malty-looking orange and very thick. This beer just looks absolutely gorgeous!

Smell – There’s a really big malt balance in this APA. The malts are a bit nutty and remind of the 60 Minute. The Amarillo hops are light but very pleasing to the olfactory bulb. This nose is definitely balanced towards malts.

Taste – The taste is true to the nose. The Amarillo may be a bit bigger on the tongue, but then come the nutty malts. The light peanut buttery sweetness at the end rounds things out nicely.

Mouthfeel – This is a solid medium-bodied with some strong but not “too much” carbonation and a moderate but appropriate level of bitterness. I really loved the balance among the flavor, body, and carbonation. It is creamy smooth like Jiff.

Drinkability – This beer was just terrific. PacNW hopheads looking for their next Cascade/Columbus fix will probably dump this in the sink, but if you want a truly balanced East Coast-style session APA then this is it.

Comments – Normally I would mark down a bit an APA that is balanced towards malts as the BJCP Guide plainly states that the balance should be towards hops, but I think by using a delicate and reserved hop profile (to the extend that they named the beer after it) clearly indicates the intentions of the brewer.

Lastly, this is listed as a “brewer’s special” and doesn’t promise to be around long, so if you want to try it I suggest gettin’ while the gettin’s good.