Beer of the Weekend #335: Schlafly Dry Hopped American Pale Ale
After four LV tastings I am starting to rethink this two-step intro to hops. Unless tonight’s brew hits the nail on the head in terms of my quintessential pale ale I will need to do some serious searching at John’s.
The beer tonight is Schlafly Dry Hopped American Pale Ale, brewed by the Saint Louis Brewery of Saint Louis, Missouri.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “Bottled With Love on” date is “11 30 2011.”
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is hazy gold. Two fingers of eggshell-colored head dissipated to leave a thin lacing, spotted bubbles, and a ring of buttery foam around the edge.
Smell: Off the bat it smells of freshly sliced grapefruit. (Yowza!) There are also other citrus notes: orange, lemon, and maybe tangerine. It also has a hint of pine spice. Below the grapefruit and citrus is a foundation of sweet caramel, which keeps the astringency in check. Hints of honey also creep in after the beer has warmed.
Taste: The mouthfeel has a lot of body and is pretty dry. Judging from the smell I thought the bitterness would be through the roof for a pale ale, but it is very tame. Overall, the flavor is a well-balanced medley of grapefruit (less dominant than it was in the smell), orange and lemon citrus, sweet caramel, and honey. A bitter aftertaste lingers on the middle of the tongue and back of the mouth.
Drinkability: Solid and very drinkable. A very good brew.
Fun facts about SDHAPA:
-Style: Schlafly obviously considers it American Pale Ale and BA concurs.
-Price: $1.79/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.9 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends Pan Asian cuisine; earthy, nutty, and tangy cheeses; salad; and poultry.
-IBU: 50.
-Color: 10.6 SRM.
-Nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
The beer tonight is Schlafly Dry Hopped American Pale Ale, brewed by the Saint Louis Brewery of Saint Louis, Missouri.
Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. The “Bottled With Love on” date is “11 30 2011.”
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is hazy gold. Two fingers of eggshell-colored head dissipated to leave a thin lacing, spotted bubbles, and a ring of buttery foam around the edge.
Smell: Off the bat it smells of freshly sliced grapefruit. (Yowza!) There are also other citrus notes: orange, lemon, and maybe tangerine. It also has a hint of pine spice. Below the grapefruit and citrus is a foundation of sweet caramel, which keeps the astringency in check. Hints of honey also creep in after the beer has warmed.
Taste: The mouthfeel has a lot of body and is pretty dry. Judging from the smell I thought the bitterness would be through the roof for a pale ale, but it is very tame. Overall, the flavor is a well-balanced medley of grapefruit (less dominant than it was in the smell), orange and lemon citrus, sweet caramel, and honey. A bitter aftertaste lingers on the middle of the tongue and back of the mouth.
Drinkability: Solid and very drinkable. A very good brew.
Fun facts about SDHAPA:
-Style: Schlafly obviously considers it American Pale Ale and BA concurs.
-Price: $1.79/bottle at John’s Grocery in Iowa City.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 5.9 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends Pan Asian cuisine; earthy, nutty, and tangy cheeses; salad; and poultry.
-IBU: 50.
-Color: 10.6 SRM.
-Nerdiness from the beer’s webpage:
Our Dry Hopped American Pale Ale (APA) is charged with American hops to create a bold, aromatic ale. Assertive hop flavor joins the pine/citrus aroma characteristic of American hops to balance the full body provided by North American malts. After fermentation, the beer circulates through a bed of whole-cone Cascade and Chinook hops, boosting the distinctive hop aroma of this satisfying ale.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B+.
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