APA
Katabatic Brewing Company

I am trying a pint of this beer off the tapper at The Antler Pub and Grill in Gardiner, Montana. It poured a clear copper with white head that left some lace. The scent had bright ripe citrus notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with crisp malt base with bitter citrus presence. The mouthfeel was medium in body with good carbonation. Overall it is a solid beer.

 

 

 

 

a great glass of pale ale from a brewery i had never heard before, on tap at the copper whiskey bar in downtown bozeman. they did a great job with this, light golden and super drinkable, but also heavily hopped and quite distinct in its flavor profile, a classic american pale. good inch of white head on it in the shaker pint, aroma and flavor of light spruce and pineapple from the hops, an interesting mix of hop family flavors all without much citrus going on, save a slight sweet lemon element in the very end, but its a well rounded and somewhat complete hop complexion that never really goes where most of these do, down that citrus road. nice medium body, a little honey malt or something gives it a cereal sweetness underneath the hops, and there is adequate carbonation for it to be both very drinkable and quite refreshing. i like the body, and i like the relative lack of bitterness here, it almost finishes too soon and leaves me hanging for more on the back end, thirsty for more, nicely engineered. hope to try more from these guys next time i am back up there! this was surprisingly good.

Sampled at the "Pour House" taproom in Butte, Montana and brought home in a growler (one of those fancy metal insulated ones that provide a tight seal). A moderate pour into a nonic pint glass produces a 1.5 inch head that is exceedingly sticky and long-lasting. The beer is a crystal clear pale amber with moderate carbonation. It really is a beautiful sight in this nonic glass.

The aroma is toned down a bit after sitting in the growler for about 16 hours, but still wafts with floral notes, a strong dose of citrus, and a touch of bread crust. The flavor is alive with notes of citrus pith and blossoms, and a little juniper berry, but with a depth of malt providing notes of brown sugar, molasses, and brown bread. The mouth feel is fairly frothy, contributing to a lingering bitterness on the tongue.

This beer, while quite tasty and aromatic, in its sheer bitterness is more like an IPA than a pale ale, and I find it wearing on the palate after drinking about a pint. For this reason, I don't consider this beer to be a session ale.

Reviewed July 20, 2016