Proboscis Pale Ale 100% Simcoe
4 Noses Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

L: Straw gold color that is a little hazy and a small white head and no lacing.

S: Very tropical, notes of grapefruit and Mango, a nice crackers malt backbone.

T: Notes of grapefruit and orange, and Mango, a nice crackery malt backbone.

F: Light and easy drinking.

O:. A very nice pale ale.

CAN: 12 fl oz format. Standard pull-tab.

5.80% ABV. 60 IBU.

APPEARANCE: Hazy dull copper body. White head. Head retention is nice - ~6 minutes.

AROMA: I associate Simcoe with oniony/garlicky notes, but this single hop beer is showing me what I've missed. I think the label's mentioned notes of "passionfruit and grapefruit rind" are a bit of a stretch, but I do find some muted pineapple - and this beer isn't as boozy as most pale ales with a pineapple hop bend. Flirts with the sort of yogurty tangy aroma you'd find in Hill Farmstead's simcoe-hopped (I)IPAs, but never crosses the line and commits. Pale and pils malts mute any hop bitterness.

Overall, I like that this beer is showing me what Simcoe can be, but the gimmickry of a single hop beer aside, the hop profile isn't terribly interesting. Those opposed to oniony hop aromatics will be put off, and those just looking for a good pale ale will wonder where the layered hops are. Want fruitiness, citrus, pine, oily hops, "dank" cannabis-redolent hops, or grapefruit bite? Look elsewhere. I'm optimistic going in, but the aroma isn't exactly mouthwatering...

TASTE & TEXTURE: More fruity than the aroma suggested, but not in a clean citrus sense...more of a candied tropical fruit peel sort of fruitiness. Slightly oniony, though not as much as I expected of a Simcoe single hop brew. Crisp mouthfeel. Notes of pale and pils malts. A blip of resin. Bitter rind.

This is showing me Simcoe has more complexity than I gave it credit for, but it's just not a stellar pale ale. The hop profile is mediocre, the mouthfeel is too rough and coating, and it's not light-bodied or refreshing. Lacks any harmony of texture and taste, and while it's somewhat balanced the build isn't terribly intricate. Yeast tastes English, giving it an unwelcome almost biscuity edge.

OVERALL: Not as drinkable as the best expressions of the American pale ale style, nor as flavourful. There are incredible single hop beers like Mikkeller's Amarillo and then there are gimmicks like this. It's a success in terms of showcasing Simcoe, but it's largely a failure in terms of being a good pale ale. Not a beer I'd soon buy again, and I'm glad I tried it if only to get a glimpse into what Simcoe has to offer, but I couldn't see any discerning drinker picking this as their favourite pale ale in a blind tasting of 5 or more. Give me Lagunitas' New Dogtown, Alpine's underrated Alpine Ale, or any myriad of offerings from Deschutes, Bear Republic, and the like over this.

Proboscis Pale Ale...more like "Plebe Pale Ale" (to be a bit of a snarky jackass.)

C- (2.63) / BELOW AVERAGE

 

 

 

 

the hoppy stuff these guys are doing just keeps getting better and better. when they started out it was all over the place, but recently its been super dialed, and this single hop pale is is a great testament to that. its sunny golden in color, almost perfectly clear, with over an inch of slowly settling white head, airy and pretty, looks great. the nose and taste are pure somcoe glory, but a somewhat lighter version. these are often used to bitter too, but this is more mild in that regard. the juicy citrus and pungent vegetal freshness elements are on point, notes of grapefruit and grapefruit zest are there, and the malt base isnt too light as to be flavorless. there is a fine honey note to it, a tiny bit of residual sugar, fully appropriate though, and even a little bready yeast element in the middle. its real refreshing, but does have a little of the oily hop residue on the tongue at the end. the flavor is fantastic though and the beer is super fresh. i hope they keep doing single hopped versions of this, its a quality base beer. happy to see these guys are finally getting some respect from the beer geeks around town...

 

12 ounce can into tulip.

Appreciate everything going on with this beer. Nice tropical fruit qualities in the nose and flavor with an earthy and grassy finish.

The bitter, earthy aspect of the finish did not appeal to others I shared the beer with, but for me, I found it a good balance. I could see how some might gripe that this isn't as juicy or offering the pop of the heavy hitters, which is fair, but this beer offers a mellow tropical fruit flavor that I can't help but enjoy.

 

 

 

From a 12 oz can to a nonic glass.

A-The beer pours with about a finger of off-white foam. Retention is pretty good and an active carbonation keeps the head tall. Some lacing sticks to the glass too. The beer is light orange with hints of gold. I can see a few floaties in the nearly clear liquid.

S-The beer smells aggressively hopped for a pale, but you know that by reading the can. I sniff some lemon, straw, pepper, orange, and melon rind. There is a touch of honey sweetness from the malt that gives a good balance.

T-The taste is pretty close to the smell. Nice balance of hops with just a hint of bready, pale malty sweetness. Hop flavors suggest orange zest, lemon, and hints of cantaloupe or something similar. Finish is lightly bitter and clean.

M-The body is medium in heft with a softer carbonation that sorta lingers on the palate. An easy drinker.

O-This is a really nice hoppy pale ale. I could easily drink a few of these in a sitting as a replacement for something for an IPA and be perfectly OK. This beer all day over any session IPA for me.