North Peak Original
North Peak Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

Pours a hazy copper color. 3/4 inch head of an off-white color. Great retention and good lacing. Smells of spicy hops, slight piney hops, sweet malt, hint of wheat, hint of alcohol, and a hint of caramel malt. Fits the style of an American Pale Ale. Mouth feel is sharp and clean, with an average carbonation level with an average bitterness and slight dryness. Tastes of spicy hops, slight piney hops, sweet malt, hint of wheat, hint of alcohol, and a hint of caramel malt. Overall, good appearance, aroma, blend, and body.

 

 

 

More details to follow, but this one stood up with some of the best in a recent blind taste test we had. Out of the many pale ales we tried, there was about a four way tie for first and this was one of them. We were a little surprised, actually. I only had the one so far, but I am planning to buy this again for sure.

 

 

 

Poured out a clear, golden orange color with a small, white head of foam. It smelled of pine, grass and roasted malt. A little too malty for an APA with a mild piney hop bitterness.

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, bottled on 3/28/2017. Pours fairly crystal clear deep orange/light copper color with a 2 finger dense and rocky off white head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lasts. Great dense webby/soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a light amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of tangerine, grapefruit, peach, pineapple, apricot, lemon zest, orange peel, light pine, caramel, toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/fruity hops and dark/bready malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of big tangerine, grapefruit, peach, pineapple, apricot, lemon zest, orange peel, light pepper/pine, caramel, toasted bread, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light pine/grassy/spicy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of tangerine, grapefruit, peach, pineapple, apricot, lemon/orange peel, light pepper/pine, caramel, toasted bread, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity hops and dark/bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero cloying sweetness after the finish. Light dryness from lingering bitterness, lightly increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready, and fairly sticky balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.3%. Overall this is a delicious pale ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity hops and dark/bready malt flavors; very smooth and refreshing to drink from the mellow bitter/drying finish. Very juicy, fruity, and citrusy on hops; sizable malt backbone, but never overly sweet or heavy. A really enjoyable offering.