Sonoma
Track Brewing Co.

Having just spent the summer in Sonoma County, I had to try this. Many North American micros could learn from Track.

Sonoma Looks only slightly above average; a nice foam, but lace and protein swirls are possibly below average. Sonoma Smells better, lots of typical grapefruit and then some pine resin comes in. Tastes are well-balanced, which is the primary lesson; don't let the hops steal the show. A balanced beverage will eventually overtake the three decade fad of "pile in the bitter hops." (Or so I hope.) Medium-mouthed. Finishes semi-dry, sometimes bitter and sometimes the fruit comes back. By far, Sonoma is Track's flagship. And a good one to build the business around.

I give Track good Overall Hugs. While its website indicates Track mostly is one man's mission, they have taken their brewing and its food seriously. Maybe when Track matures it will sprout more as fuller social enterprise.

 

 

Best by date 08/07/24. Poured pale gold; barely hazy; frothy white foam with excellent cap retention; heavy ring; lots of soapy lace. Mild lemony nose. Taste follows; light bitter citrus hops. Light body; moderate minus carbonation; no astringency; not watery. Overall a perfectly fine sessionable (3.8%) pale ale with a lovely light lemony linger.

Pours a hazy yellow with fluffy head.

Smell is fruity, juicy, crisp and a bit grassy. Notes of citrus, apricot and peach.

Taste is fruity and juicy, a bit sweet and grassy and very clean and crisp. Notes of citrus, citrus peel, peach, melon and lemongrass. Soft bitterness and ridiculously easy to drink.

Mouthfeel is medium, soft and well carbonated.

A great low ABV pale ale, designed to drink all day, but with so much flavor and character.

Sample on tap at Track tasting, Cardinal Pub & Bar, Stavanger. Pale yellow colour, moderate white head. Nice aroma of citrus and "spicy" hops, a hint of tropical fruits too. Light bodied, but not bad for a 3.8% beer. Grapefruity dry flavour, distinctly bitter finish.

440ml can from Wee Beer Shop, Glasgow (£4.30):
Very light golden & slightly hazy with a thin surface lacing with more on the sides. The nose is mainly citrus & melon with faint spice & dry hops with lemongrass & a floral finish. The taste is quite sharp & dry with grapefruit, faint tropical fruits & grassy hops. It seems stronger than 3.7% without being overly pronounced; very sessionable & balanced.

 

a very light and tasty pale ale, modern for something english, dry hoppy and clean, extra pale in color, real light in body and alcohol, and bitterness too, all making it a real easy drinker. the hops seem nice and fresh in here, my first beer from track. hops are juicy forward with a ton of citrus, almost a cryo hop character in that they start really early in this. lemons and tangerines or clementines or something, a hint of lemongrass and that herbal freshness to it. the grain seems real light to me, wheaty and raw, simple and earthy, a nice base for this that is hardly english at all, no toasted or sweeter grains, just a dry cereal base. on top of that, i dont taste much yeast here, definitely more of a north american pale type, aside from the totally sessionable abv. the hops are clean, not oily or slick or anything, no overdone vegetal element, and without much bitterness there really isnt any linger after the swallow. flavorful and tasty beer, i like hoppy beer at this real low strength, and wish we could do a little more of that here in the states. nice beer this time of year!

 

 

 

Drank on cask at Heaton Hops
beautiful looking dark amber pint with solid white head due to good handpump
Nice malty brew after having big hops still a good hop whack but beautifully balanced