Sodbuster Pale Ale
River Market Brewing Company

 

Clear, amber-gold in hue. A frothy white head was served at one finger in height. Head retention was excellent and there was plenty of sticky, webby lace. This beer looks very attractive. I can only hope the trend continues…

The first sniff of the nose is a disappointment. It is weakly hoppy with pine and citrus, the malt is too vocal; it is caramely and kind of toasty. Light fruitiness. Airy. Based on the mild potency and lack of hops I might have called this a Pale Ale in a blind sniff test. Maybe. Still, it is neither inviting nor offensive.

The palate is fair; I might write this beer off as English in nature because the malt is at least flavorful. It is too bad the hops are dull. They offer little bitterness with a trace of pine and flowers, some lemon-like zest. Light fruitiness at the back. Clean. Ordinary… sadly this is an all to common brewpub Pale Ale.

Medium/medium-light in body, the carbonation was moderate but natural. It was fitting but far from noteworthy.

Drinkability stops at one glass, I had no need for a second. Boring. Inoffensive. This is nothing I need to drink again.

Clear light amber. Thin, sticky head leaves rough lace. Aroma of faint citrus and sugary light caramel. Devoid of any esters or noteable hop nose. Weak. Generic citric hop presence balanced with functional caramel sweetness. Vapid, faintly bready base malt undertone. Approaching bland. Lanky, thin and lacking viscosity in mouthfeel. Finishes with a slightly soapy wateriness. Uninspired and forgettable. It's main strength is its cleanliness and lack of outright flaw, but this beer presents nothing noteable in character.

An American-style pale ale, this brew taps into an orange-gold color with a very thin lace around the glass and a very light spice aroma. The initial flavor is fruity with a lingering building non-aggressive bitterness that really only comes through at the bottom of the glass. The body is decent, but overall not a fantastic brew.