Overlander Pale Ale
Folding Mountain Brewing

 

 

 

 

1L howler from the taproom at the brewpub earlier this week. So named, I gather, after the owner of the adjacent Jasper East Cabins, whose paved pathway system my pre-schooler duly enjoyed on his scooter after lunch.

This beer pours a clear, bright medium copper amber colour, with two skinny fingers of puffy, loosely foamy, and bubbly ecru head, which leaves some splattered snow rime lace around the glass as it quickly recedes.

It smells of semi-sweet, bready and doughy caramel malt, muddled domestic citrus peel, a touch of simple syrup, and some plain leafy, weedy, and certainly musky floral green hop bitters. The taste is grainy and bready caramel malt, a hint of biscuity toffee, sugary citrus-flavoured candies, and more leafy, herbal, and gently perfumed floral verdant hoppiness.

The carbonation is adequate in its palate-placating frothiness, the body a decent middleweight, and generally smooth, with a minor aerosol creaminess evolving as things take a turn for the warm here. It finishes on the sweet side, the robust malt and estery floral character predominating.

Overall - well I'm certainly glad that they didn't go and try and pass this one off as a West Coast American pale ale, but rather called their spade a spade. Very English in its disposition, not particularly bitter, and with that aforementioned floral essence, which apparently came from Yankee-bred hops - I'm curious as to which ones, now that I think about it.