Short Days Golden Ale
Black Spruce Brewing Company

wanted to like this one more than i did, ive only had their most ambitious beers before this one, and while always solid, i wondered about their execution of the basics, sometimes these operations hide their technical shortcomings behind a lot of flavored ales, not saying thats true here, but this certainly didnt strike me as expert, although i suppose its more recipe decisions than actual execution that falls a bit short for me here. fine looking pour from the tap, lots of carbonation activity, an airy white head fizzing and popping, and a bright glow, nice and clear. nose is not offensive but also not real exciting, corny and kind of sweet with a biscuit thing a little richer than its color lets on and just a tad soapy to me, no real hops in the mix and the yeast is relatively neutral. the flavor is sweet, almost a candied thing to it, confectionary sugar in with a pils-esque base, long lasting on the palate but without much depth, slightly adjuncty and cheap tasting, but cleanly fermented for the most part. im not sure the quality is way off, but why leave a beer theoretically designed for all day drinking so sweet, seems almost incomplete to me, and its drinkability is really limited despite having nice carbonation and lower alcohol. i was excited for something a little more classic from these guys to size them up a bit better, but this really is nothing special. perhaps the recipe has changed over the years too, not sure i agree with much from the other review here, very slight hop profile is all, and the color sounds more pale now, no real belgian elements to me...

-Enjoyed at Pioneer Park, Fairbanks Alaska. 2020.

A: Darken orange peel coloring, with a good clarity with little to no head evolution. Good vibrant carbonation for a draft pour with a small, whispy streaky lacing on the cup walls.

S: Spicy hops grace the nose with a bright and golden sense. Apple-pear and apricot along with some faint oranges. Crisp malting was clean. Good strength overall.

T: For flavor there was some semi-dry pear and spicy, fruity hops. Some earthy fresh herbs. After reviewing I found that this brewed with a new blend of hops, Cyro. There was a sweet touch, malt toasted sugars, dried honey, wheat backbone? Flavor reminded me more of a spicy Belgium then American blonde with a peppery touch.

M: Mouthful was crisp with a spritzy and lively carbonation feel on the tongue. Fruity afterfeel. Medium body.

O: Overall loved the spicy hoppiness and lively feel this had. Spicy golden fruit, leans more Belgium style then American blonde and a crisp drinker for the hot summer months, especially in pioneer park with a salmon bake. This is a very clean, crisp, and fruity example that goes down extremely well. This needs more exposure for the brewery as i found it outstanding per style.