The Fox & The Goat
18th Street Brewery - Gary Taproom

Crisp delicious new pale ale collaboration with Girl and the Goat. Enjoyed this one at the brewery, no date printed on can. Pours a clear golden color with lots of fluffy white head and spotty lingering lacing that persisted. Smells of clean crisp lemon, orange and grapefruit hops. Also malt, bread and vanilla. Tastes similarly, good crisp refreshing taste and definitely sessionable. Smooth mild mouthfeel, good carbonation retention. Very tasty!

 

 

 

 

12oz can, date stamped 9/05/18. Slightly hazed light golden body capped with a creamy white head that holds great retention. Grassy and fruity hop aroma with hints of lemon-lime, and piney mango. Flavor is similar to aroma: big citrusy burst of lemon-lime, mild tropical notes of mango and tart passion fruit. Medium body, moderate carbonation, a bit resinous, semi-dry finish with bitter earthy pine and grassy hops lingering. I was excited to see this collaboration and it did not disappoint!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from undated can into pint glass. It pours a hazy, golden-orange color with a thin, bright white head and attractive lacing. The smell is subdued; light lemon and tangerine with grass and biscuit. The taste, though, is flavorful with sour citrus and some sweet orange or tangerine and grass and cracker. This ale has a pleasant mouth feel with moderate carbonation and an easy drinking 5% ABV Overall, this is a really pleasant APA with distinct, fruity flavors and an appealing mouth feel. It's really well done and I'd definitely seek it out again.

 

 

 

 

A sixer ran me $11.99 USD at a Binny's in Chicago. Brief impression below:

"Pale ale." "Unfiltered."

APPEARANCE: White coloured head is ~1cm in height. Body is a dull dark copper. Lacks vibrance and life, but it's generally appealing and seems well-carbonated.

AROMA: Juicy fruit. Citrus. Fruited bread. Pale malts. Golden raisin. Generic pale malt and 2-row sweetness.

Timid, but pleasant and inviting. Aromatic intensity is subdued. I find no off-notes or booze.

TASTE: Lacks hop pungency, but there's enough hop flavour to keep it interesting...vague fruit, citrusy fruit, subdued pineapple. . Honeyed malt. Slight breadiness. Pale malt. 2-row.

Balance isn't dialed in. Hop profile isn't horribly interesting compared to widely distributed cheaper expressions of the style.

TEXTURE: Unrefreshing. Overcarbonated. Smooth. Wet. Medium-bodied.

Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, harsh, rough, or scratchy.

OVERALL: A hum-ho stab at an oversaturated style with no unique or special characteristics. I wouldn't buy it again (especially not at $2 a can) and I think it's substantially less desirable than a cheaper more widely distributed pale ale like Mirror Pond from Deschutes or Pale Ale from Sierra Nevada, but it's drinkable, and by no means a bad brew. Just an average one.

C (2.89) / AVERAGE