Pale Ale
Lillebräu

 

Pours a cloudy, golden amber coloration with a medium, fluffy head. Smells of biscuity, slightly grainy malt and citrus/tropical hops, with notes of grapefruit and papaya, as well as just a hint of pine also coming through. Taste is a great balance of biscuity, slightly grainy and caramelly malt and fruity, resinous, slightly earty and spicy hops, with citrus and lighter tropical notes of grapefruit, tangerine and papaya, as well as some pine. Finishes with a medium bitterness and some grapefruit and pine lingering in the aftertaste. Smooth mouthfeel with a medium body and carbonation.

I think this is a really tasty Old School Pale Ale that has a certain West Coast touch to it with it's dry, bitter and resinous character and strong citrus and lighter tropical notes, which are all balanced very nicely by some assertive malts that lend just a hint of sweetness to this. The Chinook hops are coming through especially nicely here, with those bitter, resinous notes and somewhat spicy and earthy accents, which I love personally. I'm a big fan of Chinook hops and really wish they were used more often nowadays. Overall, this makes for a very enjoyable, Pale Ale with a great balance of fruity and bitter, resinous notes.