Keeneland September Ale
Country Boy Brewing

 

Poured from a 12-ounce can dated 8/31/22. A bit hazy, gold, with medium persistent white head. Smells of citrus. Tastes strongly of grapefruit rind and lightly of doughy bread. It finishes dry with a hoppy bite. Medium body and highly carbonated. More of a New England IPA than an English Pale Ale, Keeneland is enjoyable for what it is but it suffers from an identity crisis. The Keeneland September Ale, which Country Boy serves in their taproom, is far superior and a much better example of an English Pale Ale. But don't let that stop you from enjoying, whatever this is.

 

 

12 FL OZ can
Served in a pint glass

This beer pours amber with lots of yeast suspended in it. It is topped with an inch of tan head that leaves fantastic lacing.

Citrus aroma. I also get some pine. Hints of caramel malt.

Citrus flavor with some pine. Some cracker flavor from the malt.

Medium bodied with a slightly gritty mouthfeel

This is a real solid old school pale ale.

 

Dark golden in color. Head was a dusky off-white. Nose has a little bittern smell to it, giving me hopes if a hoppy after taste, but I was fooled. Taste is just a clean easy drink. Slight malty after taste. Good beer

At the brewery in a flight. Deep Golden color. Orange smell. I like it.

 

 

Beer and horses? Perfect pair.

 

 

 

I was excited about this interesting take on a Pale Ale but was taken aback by a sour dish rag aroma. It had additional aromas of cardboard, toast, barley and crackery Pilsner malt.

The flavor was actually a bit worse as I catch, straw or hay, green peas, sour cracker malt, cardboard and toasted biscuit. I asked my wife to drink some, fearing my palate was corrupted and she tasted sour dish water. Maybe the glass just wasn't rinsed well but I won't drink this again.

 

With the fall season litterally falling into place, common occurances play out in the Bluegrass. One of those traditions are the fall horse sales that draw quite an audience- an audience thirsty for the offerings of local producing products. While the bourbon industry has had a stronghold, locally produced beers are tethering their way into the scene as well. Enter Country Boy September Ale!

Its long and juicy malt flavors are plump with caramel, shortbread, biscuit, butterscotch and angel food. Those fresh-baked aromas are light and savory while its lightly cakey sweetness coats the palate eloquently. Its citrusy hop counterpart is of marmalade and lemon peel and is much more of an aromatic leader early on.

Across the middle, its sweetness wanes but does so gradually while the earthen taste of fresh-hung tobacco, marmalade and juniper embark upon a hoppy tilt of citrus and pine.

Its closing taste is dry, toasty and nutty; although a broad woodsy pine note persists. With the bulk of taste trailing, only the hops trample onward with a bitter taste that echoes with fruit and tobacco.