Pale Ale

Thank you Joshua Schipp for getting a 12 pack of this the other day from the Rock Island Hy-vee. I First tasted the Hop3 IPA last year from which I got a six pack from the Hy-vee on John Deere Road. I've noticed most of their beer's tend to be more malt forward, but that certainly isn't a bad thing!

Appearance: Glowing copper colored with an underlying haze about it. Carbonation is consistent and prominently supporting a thick cream white head with dense accumulations in parts while leaving behind an entire lacing.

Aroma: Rich caramel works as a backbone for other estery dark fruity characters along with somewhat of a musty earth-like grain bill.

Taste: Caramel malt and peat barley are immensely presented in the foretaste of the beer. Just as the front half maintains a lot of the grainy, yet delicate malt complexities, the back 9 reveals again that estery character. Dark fruit, plums and other present flavors help mould a very malt heavy pale ale. The hops aren't really a dominant flavor here either. As it warms, some more of the hops become apparent, with undertones of light earthy citrus, but even still comparatively, it's negligible. Alcohol creates a warmth about the beer.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. The carbonation is a bit on the higher side, but it really makes for an incredibly smooth and creamy texture going down the throat. Here, more of the hops are present in the form of drying bitterness.
Overall Impression: Interestingly the hops seem to be missing more or less from the beer. I know that English Styles tend more towards their malt bill, but I still think it was a little off balance.


83/100