River Horse Hop Hazard Pale Ale
Aroma is a rich, lingering, malt, with a powerful hop overtone. Pours a deep, dark, orange-copper. Head is frothy-thick but weak in depth. Lace lingers in head's withdrawal, but rapidly dissipates a short distance above rim thereafter. Strong hop flavor with citrus and piney undertones. Malt flavor retreats rapidly to background while bitter taste persistently lingers. The strong hop and malt flavor -- while initially desirable -- rapidly takes over, eventually masking any hint of distant citrus and pine. This is a rich and sweet APA -- however, the flavor is a bit too sweet for its own good. Its heavy nature overwhelms other desireable tones. Mouthfeel is rich and heavy. The combination of rich hops and heavy feel tips the scale too far. If drinkability were crisp and refreshing this would be a top APA. The heavy nature is not effectively balanced and the beer is slightly over-carbonated. Still, this is an above average APA. This beer makes a great Saturday night night-cap.