beer_name: Apple Ale
text: Thanks to ThomasHardy for the bottle. This was a very nice treat, Brady. Apple Ale pours a crystal clear copper color. For some reason I was expecting some haze. Perhaps apple cider has clouded my vision. A foamy white head rises and falls quickly. It reached a finger or so deep, but active carbonation consumed it quickly. Lacing was sparse. One whiff is all it takes to be immersed in an apple wonderland. If you're a fan of apples at all, you'll be into this beer in a big way. It smells sweet and is very reminiscent of apple cider. It has a nice sweet aroma. There's a hint of light caramel malt sweetness, but that's about the only other scent I'm picking up. Apple dominates the nose. It smells delicious, but is a little limited in its range. The flavor doesn't differ materially from the nose. This is tasty stuff. An avalanche of apple sweetness takes over the palate and doesn't give much way. It's not an overly sweet apple flavor. It is very reminiscent of a nice cider. But, not in the alcohol infused cider beverage sense. I mean real apple cider. This is good stuff. There's a little bit of caramel malt that's noted. But, not much else. Once again, it's range is limited in terms of depth. But, I really like the flavor quite a bit. Easily one of the best fruit/vegetable beers I've encountered. It has a nice body that's on the lighter side of medium. Carbonation is active, but is smooth and easy drinking. Impressive in terms of feel. Drinkability is okay, but a little limited. I like the flavor and it certainly goes down fast and easy, but I can easily see it growing a little tiresome if more than a single bottle were ahead of me. Not bad all the same. Apple Ale's a hell of a nice surprise. I tend to be hard on fruit/vegetable beer, but this is a rare exception that's a good, solid beer. Yeah, it's not exactly deep or complicated and it doesn't have a wealth of beer-like qualities. But, Apple Ale is a very nice change of pace beer that has a hell of a unique, enjoyable flavor. Take it for what it is and enjoy it. Oh, and if you like apples, you simply must find a few bottles.