Ballantine XXX Ale
Pours very light, almost yellow, and clear with no head to speak of. Immediate funky hop aromas tickle my nose, along with some acrid sweetness and corn grains. On the palate, pretty sweet up front with corn flavors, with just a touch of carbonation and bitterness for bracing. The finish is only off-dry, and this beer sticks to your mouth with that macro aftertaste that I can't describe any better than that. Light in mouthfeel, average for a macro. Overall, this is certainly a macro style beer, but I find it strangely compelling. I would actually drink this if no better options were available. It's pretty smooth, has a bit of sweetness and, in spite of the obvious presence of grain adjuncts, isn't a corn bomb like a certain popular Mexican beer. Not too bad.