Impala Ale
Iron Hill Brewery & Restaurant

Transcribed from notes dated Sa, 21 August 2010.

The 12-ounce serving size did not allow for much head to begin with and my diddling around allowed it to become wisps in the interim between arrival and note-taking. Nose was tropical fruity - coconut, mango, banana. Tropical Fruit Life Savers, anyone? Color was sunshine yellow with NE-quality clarity. Mouthfeel was medium-to-full with an odd admixture of flavors - banana with black pepper and a pine-hoppy bite. I am NOT making that up simply because I am just not that creative. The finish had a really bizarre horseradish-like taste initially, fading to a more saison-like black pepper taste at the extreme finish. It sounds worse than it actually was, however, color me not a fan. Described as "our Belgian golden summer ale brewed with wheat and rye malts and hopped generously with AmeriCAN and Japanese hops."

My first time seeing the combined Iron Hill listing and I'm not a fan. I thinks it disrespects the individual brewers lumping all of their work together like this.

a: This was a slightly hazy golden color. It was served to me with a medium sized frothy cap.

s: Lots of herbal, lemony hops backed by lightly fruity yeast notes. Very minimal sweetness lurking in the backround.

t: Mirrors the smell for the most part. Up front I tasted a very nice combination of lemon zest, and spicy, dried fruits. The finish is very dry with some pine flavored bitterness.

m: Light bodied but sticky, with active prickly carbonation.

d: Really nice hybrid, glad I got to try it.

I enjoyed this on tap at Iron Hill Lancaster for my Anniversary w/ my wife. Served chilled in a goblet

A - A beautiful dark golden like apple juice w/ great clarity and visible carbonation moving moderately fast heavenward. The cap is thick snowflake delicately laced w/ a tiny tiny bead

S - The spicy belgian yeast ester seems to be the dominant aroma w/ light citrus tinge from the hops and mild herbal compliment w/ sorachi lemon zest aroma present. The phenolic is equally strong in the aroma

M- The feel is smooth body w/ med full feel and moderately spicy w/ bitter finish and light sweetness, the overall feel is dry w/ moderate carbonation

T - The flavor has a crisp bitter and slightly herbal blend with lemony hop and peppery yeast flavor w/ light banana aspect. The hops give a mild pine accent to the lemon zest from the hops and mild malt notes. The finish is spicy and earthy with a moderately bitter dry finish from the rye

D - This is another quality belgian from Paul & Co., the malt is nicely balanced with good hop cohesion -could be classed as a rye saison or belgian pale depending how you view it

On tap @ Iron Hill Lancaster on 9/9/10. Served in an oversized mug.

Pours a clear copper, with finger of bright-white head. Retains with a thin fizzy creaminess which leaves a cascade of lace back that quickly slides down the sides of the mug. The aroma is floral and bright with some citric lemon zest and a dose of spiciness. The Belgian yeast adds some softer fruit accents and touch of musty sharpness to the nose. Malts have an almost candied bready sweetness to them.

The taste is lightly herbal and spicy, with a smack of lemony citrus. Bitterness is earthy feeling but is tempered a bit by the soft fruity flavors of the yeast. The malts appear as a splash of grainy sweetness across the back of the palate. This finishes VERY dry with some lingering earthy mustiness. The mouthfeel is light-medium bodied, with a mellow creaminess to it that is punctuated with some light crispness throughout the feel.

This was good. Kind of like a mix of a Belgian Pale and a toned down American IPA and I liked how the use of the Amarillo and Sorachi Ace hops matched up well with the spice, earth, and fruit notes of the Belgian yeast. This is pretty easy drinking and accessible at only a little over 5% as well. Tasty and refreshing, I liked what they pulled off here.

On tap at Iron Hill Lancaster on 9/12/10.

A - Appeared in the goblet as a clear golden, amber-hued liquid with modest carbonation and a finger's worth of white foam that receded into a patchy film but produced a swatch of sticky, bubbly lacing around the glass.

S - The complex nose first reveals a toasted malt character, followed by a hefty dose of American hops that impart citrus notes. Deeper into the depths of this brew, a spicy yeast character emerges, which emits a hint of earthy funk, giving the aroma a Belgian flair. A subtle fume of alcohol is also released as the liquid reached room temperature.

T - Flavor combines elements of an American IPA with a citrusy hop profile, a Belgian ale with the tingle of spicy, earthy yeast, and a Witbier with a grainy, almost cereal-like malt character. Finishes with a spicy, earthy hop bite and mild alcohol notes.

M - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Quite dry and spicy on the palate overall with a lingering dry bitterness.

D - Impala Ale seems to be a hybrid beer that has its roots steeped in the Belgian tradition but also a heavy American influence due to the assertive hops. This reminded me of a spicy, hoppy Witbier with an underlying musty, funky character.

I was out with the family and a guest from Germany so we decided try try IH Lancaster's flight of beers. I was intrigued by this new item and also by the opportunity to try it on tap and in cask. The Impala was described as a Belgian golden summer ale brewed with wheat and rye malts but hopped (generously!) with American and Japanese varieties. Like a lot of "hybrid " beers I've tried, the result seemed muddled and less than satisfactory. Although this beer smelled pretty good with nice malts and some faint stone fruit, plus spice; the flavor was not balanced and seemed somewhat confused. I thought the tap version was a bit gassy (as were other beers that evening) and the cask version was more tamed. The hops, somewaht assertive in the tap version, were better blended in on the cask. While an interesting attempt, I don't think this ale should stay on LIH's hit parade.