Draft Lab: English Pale Ale
Blackberry Farm Brewery

i am not sure if they have stopped numbering the draft lab series or what, but i did not catch a number on this one, just the series designation. its a great beer, maris otter malt driven, and with the same careful attention to detail on the fermentation side as we have grown used to in their saisons, its mellow and nuanced and different without being in your face. its got a nice clear bronze color to it, lots of frothy white head from the tap, and a ton of freshness, more so than i am used to from any actually english made example of the style, bready and sweet like honey, with a toasted biscuity warmth and the right amount of grassy bittering hops, aroma also matched by flavor. the beer is a slow evolution, allowing the grain to really establish itself and for the mellow energy of the beer to relax me almost immediately. strong cereal freshness, a richness that is cut by the hops in the finish, and a cool yeast character that is familiar but somehow fresher and even a little fruitier than i am used to from english ale. pleasant and drinkable beer, autumnal to me in some way, and further proof that these guys really can do it all! this draft lab series has been awesome in my limited experience with it!