Sky Bridge Dry Hopped Pale Ale
West Sixth Brewing Company

 

Beautifully balanced with a drier caramel and greater hop presence than the classic American pale ale shows that this once even-keel style is undergoing rapid change. -A change that West Brewers recognize and exploit.

Sky Bridge pours bright straw and with a golden haze. Casting a dense, creamy and stark-white froth, this nitro-version floats a tight weave and looks creamy from retention to lace. Gently rolling aromatics of citrus and orchard fruit carry a dainty and delicate hop perfume while its taste is supple with light caramels and honies with a fructose simplicity that helps to sell the hoppy fruit impressions well.

Little changes over the palate while the light sweetness retreats into dryness and the fruit turns from succulent to bitter, but as the mouth acclimates to the beer's steady nuance, elements of orange, grapefruit, kiwi, melon and lemon emerge with a supple juiciness. But as the flavors dissolve, a finish of juniper and spruce offer a mildly acidic offset to the malt.

Medium-bodied, the nitro pour once again ensures a dense and creamy texture early on the tongue but a dry chalkiness to close. Along with a trending medium-bitter finish, the ale's lasting legacy is juniper and grapefruit in their tangier senses.

 

 

Citrusy, piney notes form the aroma, with grapefruit countering a resiny hop character. There's a bit of biscuity malt shining through.

Flavor is more malty, and actually sweet in the finish. Odd. Think they saved all the hops for the aroma. There's a hint of citrus, and a bready, lightly toasted malt character, but that sweetness is likely attributable to underattenuation.