Trail Beer
Tonewood Brewing - Barrington

 

Pours a hazy brownish amber golden color with a nice head and lacing
Aroma has biscuit and citrus hints
Taste has a pleasant citrus and citrus flavor
A medium bodied decently carbonated beer
A good Pale Ale

 

(12 oz can, 02/08/2024; purchased cold 6-pack from Barrington brewery 3 days ago... decanted into my 9 oz Genesee taster glass)

L: mostly-clear, pale straw yellow liquid; good bit of off-white foam for a nice color contrast... little head retention, little lace

S: pineapple rind, lemon-ginger, perfumed citrus tart... bit of a pepper and oil crouton edge underneath... smells like a spicy salad, with maybe lil mandarins and some candied almond shards sprinkled in... fair floral intensity, the rest fuzzy support

T: zesty, bitter-spicy blade of green up the middle, flanked by lemon-ginger artefats... candied ginger aftertaste (am I crazy?! - is there really this much ginger perceptions?)... fruit essences linger front of palate, while the back 2/3 is near bone dry and near phenolic in its humming spice... really rather dry - German pils territory, and I like it

F: attacks the top like an agitated Saison Dupont - sharp, stunning, restrained fragrant fire... delicate resin soak fluffing its body at the onset, then capsicum warmth swells and simmers... remarkably dry

O: it's not a unique set of flavors, and it's not a classic APA (needs more or some malt musculature), due to the hop varieties, but it has that distinct quality where it reminds me of a transitional hop showcaser - like Mama's Little Yella Pils (going from memory here; there are other points of reference) - where new and old-school hops tango tart and tastefully... a worthy share with friends who are friends of lagers (2282)

 

Pours a slightly opaque dark gold with a solid head. Not much aroma. Taste is pretty dry, some non-sweet citrus, fairly bitter. Good mouthfeel for the AbV.

 

Pours a nearly clear golden color with a sudsy off white head that is fleeting but leaves some lacing behind. The nose is dank citrus notes and a nice resiny pine note.

That dank citrus is forward on the taste, with some nice bitterness from the Chinook hops and the aforementioned resiny pine. What a flavorful, easy drinker this is.

The mouthfeel is medium and just a touch soft, but overall this is a solid candidate for the “hops in my beer fridge for the summer” beer that we all seek.

Clear, slightest chill haze, foamy ever so slight off whitehead, no lacing; nice thin layer of head persists for most of the glass. Crystal clear as the chill haze left.

Pungent and bright sappiness, some grapefruit, along with some less noticeable but nondescript fruitiness; nice little bit of very light toasted maltiness.

Taste is more nice pine cone sappiness, touch of something fruity and citrus rind quality; mild malt again as in the nose, it lends a nice canvas for the flavors of this beer.

Light to medium body; a pleasant tongue coating yet so smooth pleasant carbonation; resiny hop bite on the tongue paired with a noticeable drying finish; the bitterness is medium but the dryness amplifies the sensation for me.