PA Pride 1.0 - A Hazy Pale Ale
Susquehanna Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

I do not recall any beer that I have tried had spelt grains. The beer is a collaboration with Deer Creek Malthouse. I also think this beer is my first beer that is a hazy pale ale. I used a pint glass; the beer's temp is 40 degrees. The pour from the beer formed a two-fingered creamy off-white head with excellent retention. The head of the beer slowly dissipated, leaving lacing on the glass. The color is SRM 4, pale gold with amber yellow hues. This beer is hazy. The appearance of the beer is excellent for this style. This beer showcased excellent head retention and beautiful color.

Initial aromas in the beer are pine, grapefruit, oranges, and floral. Next, I detect toasted malts, cereal, lemon, and herbal. Lastly, I smell bread and a touch of dank.

I taste pine, earthiness, dank, musty basement, oranges, pineapple, lemon, mango, spicy floral esters, toasted malts, and cereal.

The mouthfeel of the beer is carbonated, creamy, and dry.

The body of the beer is medium, medium-plus carbonation, and a medium-minus finish.

I have a sample IPA with this caliber of hops. For a pale ale, this beer is above average. I just wanted a bright hop profile.

Susquehanna Brewing Co. "PA Pride"
one pint can, "CANNED:103020 11:05AM PA CRAFT MALT" and sampled on 112820

Notes via stream of consciousness: This is a collaboration beer done with malt from Deer Creek Malthouse, and it's interesting in that it contains spelt (AKA hulled wheat, dinkle wheat, farro). Spelt, of course, is just another variety of wheat, but they're probably growing it because they can also sell it as a healthy grain to eat on its own. Close to 40 Pennsylvania breweries have brewed this as part of the collaboration but this can comes from the Susquehanna Brewing Co. in Pittston, PA. Anyway, it's poured a cloudy dark orange body beneath a finger's width of rocky off-white foam. The aroma is resinous and hoppy with soft grapefruit, citrus pith, a spritz of lemon, and dried orange peel over a grainy malt base. It's not the brightest aroma I've found on a hazy pale ale, but it's not bad. If it was a hazy IPA I'd be extremely disappointed, but it's just a pale ale. On to the flavor then... well I was hoping for more but it's OK. In fact, it's more juicy than that aroma suggests, and there's more orange and apricot and just a touch of grapefruit - even a little bit of berry and passion fruit. It's also very grassy, and I can't tell if that's from the hops, the grain, or a combination of both but it works. I also find it a touch spicy in the finish, and subtly piney, which helps to dry it along with a median bitterness. I'm going to guess it's around 30 IBUs but I generally find it harder to gauge IBU levels in hazy beers for whatever reason. In the mouth it's light-medium, and maybe even medium-light, but again it's hard to tell because of all the extra proteins. It feels pretty close to but not quite medium bodied though. The carbonation level seems fairly standard, and in the end the head held up OK and there's some nice spotty lacing left behind. It's not the greatest appearance but it'll do. I'm a little more than halfway through the glass at this point and I'm kind of over it, which says something, but at the same time it is drinkable. I think they've pulled some nice hop notes out of it but I'd have liked more overall. I can't really even tell what varieties are in there. So... final thoughts, it's a decent enough, kind of lighter styled hazy pale that could easily step in to replace your usual for a night at the pub (if this is your kind of thing), but it probably won't turn any heads.
Review #7,092

16 oz can

pours an opaque bright yellow orange color, thick white head. good head retention. aroma is fruity, citrus, orange, a touch of lemon. taste has some of those flavors, but bready and sweet malt as well. but not a caramel sweet, more of a grainy sweetness. fuller bodied, smooth mouthfeel.