Beer of the Weekend #887: Arms Race Pale Ale
I realized something about the 2018 edition of the Summer of the Growler: I need to go farther afield to find tap-only beers I have not reviewed.
I filled my growler with a lot of very local brew back in 2016 and that leaves me with slim pickings for beer brewed in Johnson County. To review new tap-only offerings, I need to either hit the road every Friday after work or drink stuff I try to avoid like double IPA and barrel-aged whatnot. I’m not keen on high-ABV or dark beer in the summer, but I’ll have to make due.
With that in mind, I was ready to hit the road to Muscatine. (Yes, there’s a brewery in Muscatine. Two breweries, actually.) However, I realized I had not reviewed a local flagship IPA: Arms Race Pale Ale, brewed by the Big Grove Brewery of Iowa City, Iowa.
The color is cloudy amber. A finger of bubbly, amber-tinted, buttery head settles slowly, leaving foam stuck to the side of the glass.
The beer’s dankness and citrus aroma is evident when I unscrew the growler’s cap. The aroma is very juicy and citrusy with a healthy dose of pine. Grapefruit and orange are most prominent, but it smells fruity, too. Apricot? Maybe. Pineapple is noticeable as well. It’s citrusy but also sweet.
The flavor mostly mirrors the aroma but features a big bite. The citrus is not as prominent in the flavor, allowing the sweeting and caramel to come through. There is not much pine, but it is earthy, and the bitterness lingers on the taste buds. It has that fruit element from the aroma and is sweet, too. Pineapple is noticeable, too. It is balanced and has something for everyone.
Fun facts about Arms Race Pale Ale:
• Style: Pale ale.
• Price: $18 for a 64-ounce growler fill at the Big Grove Brewery & Taproom in Iowa City.
• Alcohol content: 6.2 percent ABV.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
I filled my growler with a lot of very local brew back in 2016 and that leaves me with slim pickings for beer brewed in Johnson County. To review new tap-only offerings, I need to either hit the road every Friday after work or drink stuff I try to avoid like double IPA and barrel-aged whatnot. I’m not keen on high-ABV or dark beer in the summer, but I’ll have to make due.
With that in mind, I was ready to hit the road to Muscatine. (Yes, there’s a brewery in Muscatine. Two breweries, actually.) However, I realized I had not reviewed a local flagship IPA: Arms Race Pale Ale, brewed by the Big Grove Brewery of Iowa City, Iowa.
The color is cloudy amber. A finger of bubbly, amber-tinted, buttery head settles slowly, leaving foam stuck to the side of the glass.
The beer’s dankness and citrus aroma is evident when I unscrew the growler’s cap. The aroma is very juicy and citrusy with a healthy dose of pine. Grapefruit and orange are most prominent, but it smells fruity, too. Apricot? Maybe. Pineapple is noticeable as well. It’s citrusy but also sweet.
The flavor mostly mirrors the aroma but features a big bite. The citrus is not as prominent in the flavor, allowing the sweeting and caramel to come through. There is not much pine, but it is earthy, and the bitterness lingers on the taste buds. It has that fruit element from the aroma and is sweet, too. Pineapple is noticeable, too. It is balanced and has something for everyone.
Fun facts about Arms Race Pale Ale:
• Style: Pale ale.
• Price: $18 for a 64-ounce growler fill at the Big Grove Brewery & Taproom in Iowa City.
• Alcohol content: 6.2 percent ABV.
The Quiet Man’s grade: A-.
