The Imperative
Enlightened Brewing Company

 

12oz can
no apparent freshness date
L: thin beige head caps a clear caramel colored ale
S: grainy & bready caramel malt, floral citrus, pine
T: bold malt backbone of bread crust, caramel, and brown sugar meets bitter pine, floral grapefruit, mango, apple, and orange
F: medium body, lower carbonation, initially sweet but ends up pungently bitter
O: pretty good flavors, but needed more carbonation

 

 

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours orange yellow with a fluffy white head. Smells of grassy and citrus hops, very inviting. Tastes of citrus and grassy hop notes, nice bite yet not over the top. Beer is light bodied and easy drinking, good carbonation. Overall, a very good beer.

Had from a can bought on a beer run to Woodman's Kenosha.
A nice pale, that I hate to bring down its average.

In particular, its Looks are very good. A clear bronze with balanced effervescence that allows for reducing itself to a thin foam. I also give points for packaging The Imperative seems to be consistent with Englightened's dignified style (which itself is a refreshing change from all the shelf-screamers we get subjected to.) I've had these Smells before, but the pine and malt wanting to become fruit are always welcome. Tastes do not improve, in fact bitter becomes too prominent for me in the end palate. Good in the mouth, but, again, I've had this before.

My first from Enlightened, I went on their website and it is minimal... but good. Enlightened's logo using Leonardo's drawing of "Man at the Center" is a superb elevation of brewing to where it should be. (While their website is being built, they offer a Facebook page... but, "I don't do Facebook." It is not healthy for the fast-aging like me.) Anyhow, Enlightened is still young and has just moved into their own production and taproom facility and would be worth a visit the next time I get as far north as Milwaukee.