Beer of the Weekend #715: Power & Light Pale Ale
The beer of the weekend is the last of my Texas bounty: Power & Light Pale Ale, brewed by the Independence Brewing Company of Austin, Texas.
The color is light, clear gold. A finger and a half of buttery, eggshell-colored, bubble-spotted head leaves a bubbly lacing and thick ring around the edge. The smell is light and zesty with scents of pale malt and lemon/lime zest. I can smell the hops and they offer a lemon-scented dishwasher soap sharpness. It could also be described as a vodka–lemonade/limeade–ginger ale mix. Actually, it quite a bit like a margarita. The mouthfeel is full by very light; it is almost like drinking air. The mixed drink character from the aroma dominates the flavor, though there is no alcohol sting. Pale malt is noticeable on the front and a zesty astringency hangs out on the back of the tongue and tonsils. The zest fades in intensity as the beer warms. Overall, it is quite an odd beer. It may be better suited for summertime.
Fun facts about P&L:
• Style: American pale ale.
• Price: $8.84 per six-pack of 12-ounce cans at the Spec’s Wine, Spirits & Finer Foods store on Texas State Highway 121 in The Colony, Texas.
• Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.
• IBU: 42.
• Info about the name from the beer’s webpage:
The Quiet Man’s grade: C.
The color is light, clear gold. A finger and a half of buttery, eggshell-colored, bubble-spotted head leaves a bubbly lacing and thick ring around the edge. The smell is light and zesty with scents of pale malt and lemon/lime zest. I can smell the hops and they offer a lemon-scented dishwasher soap sharpness. It could also be described as a vodka–lemonade/limeade–ginger ale mix. Actually, it quite a bit like a margarita. The mouthfeel is full by very light; it is almost like drinking air. The mixed drink character from the aroma dominates the flavor, though there is no alcohol sting. Pale malt is noticeable on the front and a zesty astringency hangs out on the back of the tongue and tonsils. The zest fades in intensity as the beer warms. Overall, it is quite an odd beer. It may be better suited for summertime.
Fun facts about P&L:
• Style: American pale ale.
• Price: $8.84 per six-pack of 12-ounce cans at the Spec’s Wine, Spirits & Finer Foods store on Texas State Highway 121 in The Colony, Texas.
• Alcohol content: 5.5 percent ABV.
• IBU: 42.
• Info about the name from the beer’s webpage:
The name and design was inspired by the iconic Seaholm plant. “As a longtime Austinite, I have always loved the Seaholm plant,” says co-founder Amy Cartwright. “When it was functional it was one of the most important places in Austin, almost acting as the ‘heart of the city’. I believe that we should always find ways to embrace history without forgetting the past and make it our own, which is why we were so inspired by this iconic building.”
The Quiet Man’s grade: C.
