Empire Pale Ale
Batch Brewing Company

 

 

 

 

Pour on tap at the brewery, clear orange-red pour with white head, aroma brought notes of bread, biscuit, caramel, slight earthy, herbal hops with a touch of grass. Taste was a mix of bread, biscuit, slight caramel into a bit of earth, spice, grass, finishing fairly dry and bitter.

A very nice, light pale ale sampled on tap at a local bar. Looks absolutely fantastic - a slightly golden-amber color with anundant sheets of lingering lacing that lasted forever. Also a small amount of nice foaming white head. Smells of cracker, malt, faint hops, caramel and a little vanilla. Taste follows the nose, and there is a good balance between the sweeter malt backbone and the slightly bitter fainter hops. Easy to drink, refreshing, well-made and I would call it sessionable if it weren’t for the slightly higher ABV. A very good offering.

 

 

12 ounce can into pint glass; no can dating, but was just released. Pours slightly hazy medium golden/amber color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of orange, grapefruit, lemon, plum, fig, cucumber, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red apple, citrus peel/zest, wood, light peppercorn/pine, cracker, lightly toasted biscuit, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of citrus/fruity/earthy hops and bready malt notes; with solid strength. Taste of orange, grapefruit, lemon, plum, fig, cucumber, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red apple, citrus peel/zest, wood, light peppercorn/pine, cracker, lightly toasted biscuit, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate pine, citrus peel/rind, herbal, woody, grassy, peppery bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of orange, grapefruit, lemon, plum, fig, cucumber, peach, pear, apricot, melon, red apple, citrus peel/zest, wood, peppercorn, pine, cracker, lightly toasted biscuit, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/earthy hops and bready malt flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and no lingering hop astringency after the finish. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/bready/sticky, and slightly resinous/rindy balanced mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 5.8%. Overall this is a very nice American pale ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of citrus/fruity/earthy hops and bready malt flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the modestly bitter/drying finish, not aggressive. Empire/Cascade hops; with some unique fruit character from the Empire. Juicy and fairly dank/earthy hop complexity; great balanced bready malt backbone, with mild residual sweetness. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.