Cheer Up
Grain & Grit

Appearance: Poured with a single finger of head that produced decent lacing and retained quite well. The body is a thick cloudy gold the leans more towards yellow when put up to the light. Showcases good carbonation, but needs to be better on all fronts to get the perfect.

Smell: Lemon citrus dominates the nose, with pineapple hints and a touch of malt. It reminds me a lot of their other pale ale, Bright Side, only with lemon being the focus and not quite as much complexity. Warming wasn't needed and the potency was there from the get go.

Taste: Starts with a nice sweet lemon note that reminds me of lemon poppyseed bread, as then it takes on a more bready malt texture before the citrus returns with it's dry earth hop buddies. It does an exceptional job of cleaning the palate.

Mouthfeel: The plot of the transistioning is a smiley face, as it starts sweet and interesting, lulls you a bit in the middle with some plain bread notes and then builds back with just the right bitter hop kick. Carbonation is even keel and helps out the entire beer as well. The aftertaste is a light touch of lemon with some bare earth hops, which just needs to find a way to reign back the drier notes.

Drinkability: Light bodied, which is surprising with how much flavour it had. Settles down exceptionally well and leaves no gas complaints. The cleansing of the palate really makes this one easy to drink, although once again, a little less dryness would be welcome.

Final Thoughts: Grain and Grit seems to have mastered what I enjoy in a Pale ale. Crisp, bitter notes that never get out of control or cling. This one's citrus theme was certainly welcome, and I look forward to their next Pale Ale as a result. Once again though, in the age where IPA's are all the rave, I do worry some might find this too mild to their liking. That said, this is another great offering. Two Thumbs Up.