Show Pony Pale Ale
Last Best Eatery & Brewpub

1st brew reviewed from Last Best....lets see what we have here!

A- Pours out of the can with gusto....super aggressive carbonation that reminds me of a Schwepps Ginger Ale! The coloration of the beer is medium/dark golden, with bronzed hues in the background, and is very clear. The head is just off white, very impressive texture and thickness (3 solid fingers) and retains well, leaving behind a large number of clumpy foam around the inside of the glass. An impressive looking Pale Ale!

S- There is good malt character about this one, but not in a super sticky sweet kind of way....yet plenty of caramel/toffee and brown sugars are noticed. Everything is balanced out by oily bittering hop cones, and reminds me of an English Bitter of sorts....in the middle, toasty vanilla, charred Earth, bread and yeast are present too.....a well to do Ale on the nostrils!

T- The bitterness from the hops used is more front and centre than the aroma would have led me to believe, which is fine with me too.....I find the beer overall somewhat floral, leafy and of dry grassy grains, with the malt sweetness taking a back seat and the finish being clean and crisp, with some lingering dry bitterness.

M/O- Medium light mouthfeel, and the carbonation, while it starts off aggressive, smooths out fairly fast and the bottom half of the glass is quite delectable.....easy drinking Ale and would pair well with a greasy dish or like a Sheppard's Pie type meal. Would definitely have this again, and when in Calgary, will certainly order and enjoy this on tap!

 

 

Far from Last Bests best, maybe the crappy lines at Craft? I’ll try it again if I get the chance

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you've tried this beer in Last Best's early days, I'd urge you to go back and give it another look--whether it's a matter of freshness, care, or recipe, recent batches have come out fighting, screaming for attention in a crowded field of Alberta-based pale ales (a category that has become weirdly excellent, and weirdly prolific in the last two years). I dismissed this one a year ago, but it's gradually become a local favourite.

The colour has become cloudier, the head more persistent, and the flavour. . . . my recent pints of Show Pony have become absolutely magical fruit bombs, with lots of pineapple, mango, papaya, and just a touch of pine-y resin and malt backbone. It's a really lovely, approachable beer, and inching closer to the standard bearer of Alberta Pale Ales, Troubled Monk's Pesky Pig.

Enjoyed on tap at Bottlescrew Bill's in Calgary. Show Pony is truly pale - straw coloured with a bit of white head that rims the glass. I was pleasantly surprised by the complexity that lay below the pale face. This has a nice hop profile that lends some "oomph" to the aroma and taste. If this was readily available in my neck of the woods, it would probably be part of my regular rotation.

Draft pint at Bottlescrew Bill's in Calgary.
Clear, gold copper color, with a tall foamy slightly off-white head. Thick lines of lace, then finishing with a full sheet covering the glass.
Smells of bready malt, slightly caramel sweetness, and then some fruity hops.
The taste starts with malt grain, then kicks in with citrus and floral hops. Grapefruit, oranges.
Good carbonation level, medium body, smooth, dry finish.
A very drinkable beer, a good one from another local brewery.