Beer of the Weekend #685: Hopvale Organic Ale
One of the beers available at the Arts Fest beverage garden last week was Hopvale Organic Ale, brewed by the Summit Brewing Company of Saint Paul, Minnesota. I thought I would give it a spin as the beer of the weekend.
Hopvale Organic Ale pours a lightly hazy, golden amber into a pint glass. Two fingers of fluffy, buttery, eggshell-colored head settles slowly, leaving high and low spots of foam. The aroma is somewhat faint but it’s there. Bitter, gritty zest is most prominent. There are also scents of kiwi, grapefruit, lemon, and a touch of pine or something arboreal. The flavor somewhat mirrors the aroma. It is lemony like a Lemon Drop, though it is not bitter or tart. There are also flavors of pale malt, toasted malt, caramel, kiwi, and grapefruit. It is not as bitter as the name suggests, but it does leave a zesty astringency clinging to the taste buds.
Fun facts about HOA:
-Style: It is classified on BA as an American Pale Ale.
-Price: I don’t remember. It came in a four-pack of 16-ounce cans and I bought it at the “Drug Town” on the corner of First Avenue and Rochester in Iowa City. I think it was around $9.
-Alcohol content: 4.7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: Recommended on the beer’s webpage are South Indian curry, Thai stir-fry, fish tacos, carrot cake, and lemon tart.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
Hopvale Organic Ale pours a lightly hazy, golden amber into a pint glass. Two fingers of fluffy, buttery, eggshell-colored head settles slowly, leaving high and low spots of foam. The aroma is somewhat faint but it’s there. Bitter, gritty zest is most prominent. There are also scents of kiwi, grapefruit, lemon, and a touch of pine or something arboreal. The flavor somewhat mirrors the aroma. It is lemony like a Lemon Drop, though it is not bitter or tart. There are also flavors of pale malt, toasted malt, caramel, kiwi, and grapefruit. It is not as bitter as the name suggests, but it does leave a zesty astringency clinging to the taste buds.
Fun facts about HOA:
-Style: It is classified on BA as an American Pale Ale.
-Price: I don’t remember. It came in a four-pack of 16-ounce cans and I bought it at the “Drug Town” on the corner of First Avenue and Rochester in Iowa City. I think it was around $9.
-Alcohol content: 4.7 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: Recommended on the beer’s webpage are South Indian curry, Thai stir-fry, fish tacos, carrot cake, and lemon tart.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
