Lore American Pale Ale
Lore Brewing Company

 

When considering pale ales, balance is the name of the game. Drawing from this inspiration Lore Brewing nails the style with a balance of flavors that allows the discussion to be all about the malt and hop, and with a zestier than usual twist.

Like most other pale ales, Lore's pours with a bright copper appearance and a mild hop-derived haze. Its more than adequate carbonation provides the lively construction of white foam that caps the beer with standard persistence and lace.

Hop aromas pull slightly ahead of malt with a juicy and fruity scent of grapefruit, oranges, lemons, and leaf. But the supportive malts rise just after the nose acclimates to the hops with balancing caramel, honey, and toasty grains.

The hoppy taste also dictates the balance of flavor, if ever so slightly. But an early sweetness coats the tongue with tastes of thin caramel, soft nuts, bread crust, and light honey. It doesn't take long for the mid palate of citrus fruit and grassy herbs to properly bitter the taste and lay the foundation for a malty dry finish a minerally (iron-like) snappy"ness".

Medium bodied, especially early, but the impressions of malty weight prove fast fleeting as the dryness of alcohol, hop resins, spritzy carbonation, and brewing salts combine for a very refreshing and zesty final impression. The beer finishes cleanly, a linger of grass and hop leaves give extra grape seed bite on the throat.

Although balance of the beer tilts mildly to the hoppy side of even, it seems that this is the upward trend that favors hop bitterness is how we define today's pale ales. Lore understands and employs the notion quite nicely.

A: Pours a clear amber with a lingering white head.

S: Aromas of biscuit, caramel, black currant, lemon, lime, and herbs are present on the nose.

T: Notes of biscuit, minerals, caramel, black currants, blackberry, lemon, lime, herbs, and earth wash across the palate. The finish is crisp and dry with notes of black currant, minerals, biscuit, and an earthy, stemmy woodiness.

M: Medium-bodied, very dry, and very firm. Carbonation is a bit heavier and harsher than I'd like it to be.

O: This is an interesting beer. It's not often that one encounters an American pale ale that breaks away from the Sierra Nevada mold. I'm guessing that there is quite a bit of Mount Hood and/or Willamette in this beer, as those are the only two American ale hops I associate with black currant and blackberry flavors. I could be wrong. In any event, this is an interesting beer and worth trying. Just don't expect it to be a typical citrusy American pale ale.