Bldg. 20
Recluse Brew Works

nice pale here, funny they call it normal though because i didnt quite find it to be that, i thought i picked up a very subtle yeast element, even flirting with like a brett brux funk on the swallow, albeit way way back and very minimal and maybe even just a whisper, and also flattering to the beer, decidedly not a brett pale, but part of me wondered if there was some intentional fermentation character allowed to exist in it, which i dig both conceptually and in the glass, now im not sure what it is, but it doesnt detract from this at all, in fact quite the opposite, adding a touch of intrigue to an otherwise solid but relatively basic pale ale, a contemporary one though. pretty blonde, maybe just light honey colored, and clear, high white head of tightly packed bubbles, more than an inch of them, peaking over the rim of the glass and staying fizzy, a really refreshing and easy looking brew. the nose has some cool hop character, its dry hoppy and brightly aromatic but most of that is also there in the flavor, some spicy pep to it, early onset for this attribute to both senses for me, some key lime and grassiness too, verdant and new tasting, very fresh, subtle coconut and pineapple but its less of a tropical profile overall, dry as a bone with a pils type grain core, not much more than that and nothing more is needed. bitterness is higher mid, quick to drink with the rushing carbonation, refreshing and awesome, and i do get, right on the swallow, a little yeasty funkiness, i swear i can exhale just a faint note of rustic brett, but not in a way that suggests this is unclean or improper or anything, i actually really like it, intentional or not, and its so so subtle, i cant overstate that element, its a shadow. the hops are bold and distinctive, its on the edge of being ipa in terms of intensity i think, but the grain keeps it light and the alcohol is nice and low too which is cool, crackery and mineral forward in the middle, trace white wine fruitiness to the hops as this sits a minute, a little weedy too but not pushing far into the dank realm. this is tidy even with that yeast thing, flavorful and drinkable and nuanced. well done! curious to drink this one again and see about that little funky element, maybe it was a fluke.