G.B. Pale Ale
Dutchess Ales

Pours a very transparent copper color with a fairly frothy head. The nose gives baked goods and bread with hints of barley & grassiness. Taste is refreshing & crispy with hints of caramel, malt, red apple, bread, slight zest. Nothing too remarkable but well-rounded & refreshing.

RB transfer

 

 

Poured a yellow-gold body with two-finger head that slowly died and left soapy lace. Aroma has some earthiness to it but is mostly mild citrus. Light body, slightly creamy, fluffy with a decent citric hop bitterness and dankness along with even a touch of grainy sweetness like bitter sweet pineapple. Finishes crisp, slightly piney, and easy to drink.

 

Bought from Beer Temple who has a good selection from St. Louis micros, one of which (Urban Chestnut) was where G.B. was brewed for Dutchess. Which is in New York, only several miles from where I spent my formative years>... So don't ask me the odds of finding G.B. But glad I did, an interesting hybrid of two ales from opposite ends of the pond and a wide continent.

Related, I started G.B. at lunch with two renditions of a veggie burger; one with a creamy sauce that I'd expect would be similar to an English pub and the other with a BBQ common to the U.S. G.B. helped make both renditions better.

G.B. Looks decent, keeping its foam to the end of the glass. Smells combine both beer cultures, sort of a citrus/pine/herbal. Tastes are well-balanced, resisting the temptation of the North American hop-prone palate. Medium-mouthed and cleanses my mouth for another bite of sustenance.

Now five years old, Dutchess appears largely a one-man shop who seems a creative brewmaster and, smartly, contracts out the brewing... since owning all the equipment can be expensive and distracting. So for those of you ambitious to brew high quality in a niche with fewer operations headaches, this may be a business model to consider. Cheers !

Undated can; drank 3/8/23 @ the Yarchives.

Semi-opaque orange appearance.

A rough pour yielded a nice white head; a thick curtain of tree-rung lace.

Palm sugar, soap & faint citrus notes in the nose.

Palm sugar, dry pine & faint orange peel flavors.

Dry & a bit punishing for a pale ale. Not one I'll seek out again.

 

16oz can from Half Time. Pale golden, hazy pour, thin, tight white head. Aroma is light fruity notes, soft maltiness, bread. Taste is more of the subdued citrus and malts, on the verge of being juicy. Silky, creamy feel. Light but full of flavor.

 

 

On draught at Mekelburgs, Brooklyn.

Pours a pale straw color. A moderate foam head dissipates into a layer of film that retains throughout. There is lacing.

The nose has a bit of an English feel to it. It emits spices that are fruity, floral and woodsy. There are also aromas of biscuity malt, honey, caramel, citrus and sweet grass.

A bready, doughy and biscuity malt base sets the tone with a touch of sweetness, very clean, and a dry palate overall. Well balanced with earthy, woodsy, floral and grassy spices. A clean yet mildly assertive resiny bitterness contributes to the balance. Additional notes of honey, caramel, orange, lemon and tea leaves.

Medium to light bodied. Their is some crispness in the mouthfeel, however, it finishes smooth and dry. The carbonation is moderate.

This was nice. Well balanced, simple and easy to drink. This one hits the spot when you’re thirsty.

 

20oz Draft Pour

No apparent faults, color around the ESB srm with a stable head

Aroma: Pumpernickel bread with bright floral hops. A little red apple pokes out but this is a modern Pub Ale through and through.

Palate: Has way more texture than one would think for the abv. It retains the "English Pub Balance" while also feeling contemporary, fruity yeast with noble hop white pepper and bitterness. Carbonation is great, much less prickly than the Czech pilsner I had previously.

Impressions: This is a conversation beer... GB feels like an American Taras Boulba, diverging in malt weight and carbonation. It is eminently quaffable, aromatic, never flabby. Its certainly better on draft, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy a four pack.

 

Very smooth and a bit foamy. I was surprised at the amount of fruit flavor this pale ale had. Not branded as an IPA, but certainly reminded me of one. After a few sips it became bland and didn’t do much for me after the initial taste. Ok but nothing to write home about (yet here I am writing about it).

 

Moderate head which leaves ring lace on the glass. The liquid is nearly clear with a deep gold to amber color.

The smell is lightly sweet with a bit of berry and fresh crushed barley malt grain. Mild hop background.

The base is like the smell but the hop bites more strongly with a lot of black pepper on the tongue. Neutral body with an elevated effervescence. The aftertaste lingers a long time with just enough yeast to bring complexity.