Candlepin
Castle Island Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

A perfectly drinkable, tasty and well-balanced beer. Nothing special, but it won't disappoint either, unless you are expecting a hoppy IPA, 'coz this one is simply PA.

Mainstay session ale. always hits the right spot

 

 

 

 

 

Pint can - dated 3/19/19 - poured into a Scottish tulip at 42F. Thank you to my friend and coworker Bill for surprising me with some caned gifts from a trip to his hometown of Norwood. Cheers Bill!

Pours a deep golden straw hue, on the edge of clear and hazy (clear for a new age IPA, but I'd be terrified if my water looked like this. A weak, half-finger of snow white head firms, before quickly receding to a film and collar. Sparse, random spotting.

Nose: Lots of dry-hopped Citra notes. Grapefruit, orange, mango, papaya, and pineapple. Citrusy and juicy, but not pungent or leaping out in any way. Some light toasted grain notes, along with a malt roundness. Ultra-clean ale yeast. Smells like a good modern hoppy ale, with identifiable Citra, and some influence from Columbus. Some drier, greener, Frasier notes.

Palate: A delightful wave of dry ale washes over, and the lack of sweetness is incredibly refreshing, snd let's the hops sort of sing above everything, rather than become embedded into the whole thing. The hopping is adequate, with lots of bright, shiny, citrus notes, and just this phenomenal West Coast pine influence, which works beautifully with the subtle caramel malt that peeks through. It's clearly a session ale, and it's just so incredibly light and airy. I despise the term "crushable", but I have to say, this is certainly the definitely. The hops fill in the small malt base gaps, and the malt base fills in any small hop gaps. It's heart and soul, a hoppy session ale. Beautiful integration of new and classic brewing methods. A proper ''session ale".

Mouthfeel/Body: The only real drawback to session beers is you take a huge risk in sacrificing body. Sometimes there are ways around it, but many times, it drinks a lite watery, like a Bud Light. This had a Bud Light body. It is a bit watery. There's enough flavour to provide some compensation, but a little more heft and weight wouldn't have hurt. But on the flipside, if you're going primarily for quick, easy drinkability, then you have it here, with top notch flavour to boot. Lots of mid-sized bubbles add to the real thirst quenching feel. Effervescent.

Overall: This really embodies what it means to be a hoppy session ale. It possesses every signature characteristic. It's expertly fermented, expertly hopped, and in all honesty, one of the most enjoyable sessions I can recall having. Sure, its a bit thin. It's meant to be, I guess. But when it tastes this good, feel matters less and less. Especially after you've downed four of these. Just an all around great session ale.

 

A: Pours a very lightly pale golden yellow in color with moderate amounts of active visible carbonation rising quickly from the bottom of the glass and moderate straw yellow + bright yellow + apricot colored highlights. The beer has a two finger tall sudsy foamy white head that quickly reduces to a large patch of slightly mottled very thin film covering the entire surface of the beer and a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Just shy of moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Slightly stronger than moderate aromas of citrus/grapefruit, citrus/lemon, citrus/orange zest, citrus/grapefruit pith, and herbal hops over the top of light aromas of bready + grainy malts with a hint of grainy sweetness.

T: Upfront there are slightly heavier than light flavors of bready + grainy malts with a hint of grainy sweetness. That is followed by slightly stronger than moderate flavors of citrus/grapefruit, citrus/lemon, citrus/orange zest, citrus/grapefruit pith, and herbal hops which impart a light to moderate amount of lingering bitterness.

M: Slightly heavier than light bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly crisp upfront with a hint of dryness in the finish. Slightly thin/watery.

O: Easy to drink with well hidden alcohol and light refreshing mouthfeel. Enjoyable with a pleasant hop profile. Could definitely have a couple of these.

 

 

 

A: The beer is relatively clear yellow in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high white head that settled down, leaving a patch of bubbles on the surface, a collar around the edge, and a thin film covering the remainder of the surface.
S: Moderate aromas of citrusy hops—lemons seem to stand out in particular— are present in the nose along with hints of herbal hops.
T: The taste follows the smell, having a tad bit stronger flavors of herbal hops towards the finish. There is a light amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light to medium-bodied and a little crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This APA is definitely very sessionable given its lighter body and low alcohol content. It is extremely easy to drink.

Serving type: can

Appearance: Arrives hazy and goldenstraw colored with a one finger head that leaves wisps of lacing

Smell: Tangerine and orange, with pithy tones

Taste: Some grainy malt at the outset, but the tangerine and orange tones arrive quickly, bringing a citrus element along with some pith in the middle; the finish is relatively dry with a return of some of the malt tones

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A very nice hoppy and sessionable pale ale that sails close to the IPA winds