Strong Pale
Perrin Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This brew was served from the tap at HopCat in Grand Rapids, Michigan. It arrived in a generic nonic, showing a lightly brassy yellow coloring. It put up a one and a half finger head of creamy white bubbles, showing decent retention, and leaving mountains of lacing caked around the glass. No haze or sediment was noted, and carbonation appeared to be active. The aroma gave a fresh pale malt base with the faintest wheat, crispy wontons, and grease around the edges. To balance were biting citric and earthy hops, juicy yeastiness, and grapefruity juiciness. With warmth came more nectary and herbal hops, warmed caramel malts, and lavender candle waxiness. Our first impression was that the flavoring showed good balance, with nice freshness and grit from the hops to work well against the sweeter pale malts. As we sipped, the taste opened with grapefruit skin, sunflower seed, faint musky woodiness, bittered pales, toasty caramel breadiness, and softer buttery diacetyls. The middle comes to a peak with continued bitterness of grapefruit hoppiness, resiny twang, bark, and moss, light booziness, and the start of a pale malt wash that pulled us to the finish. Here there was blending from those big citric hops, chlorine, light corny adjuncts, tinny metallics, fusels, black pepper, and a caramel revival for balance. The aftertaste breathed of gravel, dust, resiny hops, graphite, freshly cut grass, lemon wipes, standard pales, and light wheaty toast. The body was medium, and the carbonation was medium. Each sip gave okay slurp, smack, cream, and froth, with a creamy coating left all around the mouth. This eventually gave way to tannic dryness and slight pucker. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was the nice depth to the malt bill throughout the flavoring. The caramels were inclusive but not overpowering, with just the right level of pale grain to keep things even. The hops on the other hand were comparatively light, and while they weren’t boxed out, they just didn’t come up as strongly as you would like. We also lost a few points due to the feel, which at times felt like sipping on some hard water. Either way, this was a good beer from an exciting up and coming local brewery, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store.