Hopleaf House Pale
Art History Brewing

 

Bought two cans at Hopleaf's bar. Their House Pale made my meal of leftovers far more interesting.

Hopleaf's Pale Looks appetizing; I can imagine this on draft as even more lively. And I give high marks for the graphic simplicity of the can's label and, really, most of Art History's cans. Smells are a full-on melange of fruits with hops holding the reins. Balanced. Dry finish; but this Pale's hops linger a bit too much to be my preferred choice at the table again.

For the next batch, perhaps a slight mix of the juicy hops used in saisons as this will open up the types of foods this Pale can make a better experience of. This Pale does cleanse my palate, but the hops stay too long and don't encourage my next bite.

Finally, I very much like how this young, talented brewer collaborates with a pioneering -- and now iconic-- gastro-pub specializing in the Belgian tradition. However with all the subtleties on Hopleaf's food menu, they should have a Pale whose hops juice the glands.

4/28/23 Drank the second can and wrote the above review and revised it and decided I should start calling in June to ask when Hopleaf gets their next batch of this from Art History. Intentionally, I drank this can side-by-side with Biere du Bouchon (a collab of a long-established French bistro in Chicago with the upstart Pilot Project.) We need more collabs between brewers and kitchens.

Had on tap. Somewhat clear yellow body with a white cap yet plenty of lacing. Aromas of citrus hops with floral and slight minerality. Taste again stars the citrus hops, but they are actually pale, a novelty in 2022 but I digress. There is also a kiss of pine and orange in the finish, following a perfumey floral tone as the bridge in the middle. Feel is all about the hops with pale and lightly bittering tones, yeast and malt are a nice backbone for their artwork with moderate crispness

Growler filled 6/13/22; drank 6/14/22 @ the Yarchives.

Mostly see-through copper appearance.

An even pour yielded a small khaki head; minimal lace.

Orange peel, mild banana & faint pine notes in the nose.

Medium thin mouthfeel.

Orange peel & mild banana flavors up front; dry pine notes on the finish.

A nice, easy drinking pale ale. I'd have another!