Pale Ale
Tributary Brewing Co.

Quite flavorful and delicious. Light amber color with a good fresh smell of hops and then crisp taste. The lost art of great pale ales, and this one nails it.
Not at all surprised at its high score here

 

Draft at NR

 

 

 

 

 

On tap at Tributary Brewing in Kittery, ME.

This one pours a burnt orange color, with a small head, and lots of lacing.

This one smells like grapefruit, lemon peel, grassiness, toasty bread, and tea.

This is a super tasty take on an old school American pale ale. There’s a slight toasted maltiness, but mostly fresh and great hop character.

This is very drinkable and clean, with a smooth bitterness on the finish.

This is absolutely one of the best no frills pale ales out there.

 

16oz can poured into a snifter.

A: Brassy golden color with great clarity. Creamy, large-bubbled off white head sits at a solid inch in height and retains well. Chunky lacing.

S: Pleasantly hoppy 'pop' on the nose. Orange slices and hints of ripe mango. Flashes of lemon zest and grapefruit. A bit green, fresh grass clippings, subtle pine. Floral. Doughy malt base with a slight hint of toast and graham cracker.

T: Hoppy up front with green and oily flavors. Grass clippings and pine. Ruby red grapefruit. Flashes of orange, lemon peel, and mango. Firm but gentle grip of bitterness. Faintly yeasty, but the fermentation is quite clean. Great balancing malt backbone of grain, toast, and graham cracker. Drying finish is green, woody, and oily.

M: Medium bodied. Round and creamy malt textures. Brush of hop tannin. Firmly scrubbing and prickling carbonation.

O: This is a phenomenal ode to the west coast classics that started the craft beer movement. The dry hop is nailed, and it has that great citrus-and-pine character that is token in such beers. Balance and drinkability are superb. It feels like it could hold its own alongside Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, and I mean that as a high compliment. I'd personally put it on my short list of standout New England brews.

Poured from the can into a nonic(k) pint glass.

Pale amber, with a nice colored mix of light bronze and dark brass yellow. Good clarity, with a bright white fluffy topped three finger head. Quite thick and practically IPA like retention, with large chunks of lace and staying power.

Subtle aromas of tea and soft herbs of hop on the nose. Creamy sensing malt with a faint hint of brown sugar sweetness in the mix. Really nice balance of delicious subtle flavors to sense.

Palate really gets the job done. Nearly crisp, but with a crackling malt sweetness somewhere between bread crust and light toffee wafers. Tea, honey, even a bit of graham biscuit sweetness mix nicely all together in the mid palate. Nearly creamy like finish, but sticks to simple malt backbone without getting watery. Delicate in flavor, but full of aromatics and strength.

Delicious pale ale.

 

 

 

 

From a 16oz can, dated 05/06/21. Served in a Tributary Brewing-branded willi becher because totally proper glassware.

Pours a lightly hazed, sunshiney honey-gold with two fingers of soft, fluffy head. Retention is very good, leaving a thick cap and scattered gobs of foamy lacing.

Low-to-medium intensity nose of soda cracker and sweet orange.

Taste is a thoroughly dialed-in balance of dry crackery malt, sweet juicy orange slices, and resinous, turpy pine.

Feel is crisp and clean, medium bodied but maybe a little hefty relative to the style, and briskly, brightly carbonated. Juicy, then drying.

Overall, a well executed pale ale and a worthy flagship beer. Tod describes it as something crushable that he could drink all day but I think it’s probably just a little heavy feeling? to fit that bill. Maybe if I could take short breaks in between? At any rate, I’m certainly willing to try.