Citra Pale Ale
Flying Fish Brewing Company

 

Plenty of stark white foam was produced as contents of two twelve ounce cans were emptied into a clear glass liter mug. Unfortunately, there are worse offenders in good number. The liquid is quite hazy, yet a relatively bright apricot-amber. Accurately to purpose, there is a definite citrus aspect to the aroma. But, that's about all there is to smell. There's a citrus character, too. But that's about all there is to taste. The body is barely adequate to carry this. There are fruit juices that drink more substantially. Overall, this is so one dimensionally fruity, it's hard to believe some flavoring wasn't added to it. Positive, it brings that fruitiness without bringing anything astringent and it's not close to being too sweet. It's the body, or lack of one, that's the biggest negative. Maybe that can be refreshing to some. As remarkable it is that the taste mimics a citrus presence, that a beer can have the layering and mouthfeel of Kool-Aid is just as, but on the wrong side. As it warmed, a little starchy hint emerged. The lacing inside the glass wasn't great, neither.

(12 oz can, #4236, 04/03/23; purchased single off shelf... poured into a pub pint)

L: moderately-hazy, yellow liquid with amber highlights; short, but steady foam stand... impressive head retention, with the whiteness of the foam providing an attractive contrast to the gold fog below

S: with an inch poured in: grapefruit peel, then orange flesh, then spicy grapefruit juice... full pour complete: orange zest, with maybe a delicate floury wheat note... intensity dulled upon that full pour

T: pithy hop bitterness pinging the tip of the tongue, citrus essence with a subtle floral accent coating the inner cheeks; bit of a strange overripe/decaying musky orange-rind note at the back of the palate about 10-15 seconds into the aftertaste, quite subtle, but rather exposed, given the overall stark dryness, lack of depth and expression... like on the nose, a floury background note, with perhaps the vaguest sense of grainy pils malt lingering... can't recall last time having a beer with such little flavor impact

F: plush but fuzzy swell up front... remarkably featherweight light... mellow bitter/alc stun to the mid-palate, only evidence a hopped ale had passed through

O: bought this to complete a mix-six at Total Wine... tried it partly because of history and also recently trying Fyne Ales' Jarl (another Citra-forward pale ale) to which I knew this would have a tough time measuring up... interesting to deduce that this has replaced their old XPA, which anyway was passable as in, "I'll pass on that"... so subtle are the flavors here, the beer would easily get lost in most food pairings; not a bad beer, just mad quiet, hmm (2135)

Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a cloudy golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is full of citrus. Taste is oranges, light pine, refreshing. Feels medium/full bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.

 

 

Undated (WTF) can into pint glass. Pours a hazy light gold with a brief off-white head. Not much lacing. Initial impression is citrus, orange and a touch of pine. Mouthfeel is medium, as is carbonation. Finish fades to a slightly bitter fruitiness. Good but not great.

 

 

Flying Fish Brewing Co. "Citra Pale Ale"
12 fl. oz. can coded "07/11/22" and sampled on 05/30/22
$1.79 @ Total Wine & More, Cherry Hill, NJ

Notes via stream of consciousness: Citra pale ale says it all and thus this should be an easy review to do as all it needs to do is represent the characteristics of Citra hops and not fuck up anything else. It's poured a cloudy golden body beneath a short head of bright white. I can see plenty of bubbles rising from below but the head still seems to be dwindling. The aroma offers sweetish malt and orange with just a touch of hop resin to it. It's not a bright aroma but it's just a pale ale. On to the taste... it's exactly as the aroma suggests it will be. Again, the hop flavors are limited but it does the trick. There's some wheat in the malt bill but I'm not sure about oats. A median bitterness balances it and it finishes dry with some orange pith lingering. In the mouth it's medium bodied on the lower end and gently crisp. The head held up fairly well in the end and although it dropped I still have a solid surface covering of creamy foam. The lacing is limited but at least there's some there. All in all it's a little bit of a disappointment as it could be so much more but it's adequate.
Review #8,028