Freestyle #33: American Pale Ale

Cask gravity at Oxbow Blending & Bottling. It pours clear gold with a decent white head (more than I was expecting). The nose is fresh, bitter – sweet, honeydew melon, tropical fruits, citrus peel, earth, grass and some faint herbal notes. The taste is crisp, clean, bitter –sweet, melon, apple, citrus peel, earth, grass, light herbal and straw with a dry finish. Light - medium body and fine carbonation. Stone fruit character throughout. Errs towards being a touch sweet if anything. Overall not bad.

4 oz pour on draft at ChurchKey. Clear golden amber with off-white head. Aromas of floral, citrus, light caramel, some herb, stone fruit. Tastes of floral, herb, citrus, light toast. Medium body with a dry finish.

Tap at Max’s. Clear golden color, white head. Earthy aroma. Taste has sweet but balanced fruit. Nice.

8 oz draft at Oxbow. Crystal clear gold, full fluffly head sitting on the brew. Aroma is the hop variety all the way. It like a more earthy Mosic-like in its character. Maybe my second or third single hopped Equinox. Flavor is the herbal / earthy hop throughout the sip. Slick oily texture with a lighter then medium body. Quaffable.

On tap at Prohibition Pig, Waterbury, VT.
This was poured into a tulip.
The appearance was a semi-hazy burnt orange color with a bar pour’s kind of slim white semi-foamy head (quick dissipation leaves no lacing).
The smell starts off with dry citrusy hops leading into a subtle crisp dry bitter pine.
The taste pretty much replicated the aroma nicely with a long bitter dried piney aftertaste running into the finish.
On the palate, this one sat about a light on the body with a nice clean sessionable feel about it. Carbonation feels good as an APA and to me.
Overall, this was a pretty nice APA that I would have again.

Tap at rattle n hum. Gold orange pour. Nose is melons and some sugar. Tastes of honey dew mostly, also pine, leaves, medicinal. Clean palate. Light resin on finish. Pretty good.

Draught, Portland location, 10/11/15.
Gentle chill haze to the deep golden body and a moderately-sized white head with good retention.
Ah, so this is Equinox hops. My first single hopped beer with this hop. I don’t like Equinox hops. The nose isn’t as problematic for me as the flavor, but gives up a rather punchy-fruity aroma, with lots of woodiness, sweet, sugary peaches and an odd, out-of-place pine. But of course, no alcohol or flaws.
The flavor is just too sweet and full of punchy, citrusy, vaguely piney hops. Seems like equinox is some hybrid of cascade or simcoe/centennial with some galaxy or mosaic thrown in. Bitter, lightly acidic and rather sweet, but with good attenuation and ample carbonation, as always. Not my thing.

LSAT Freedom Trip #64. Keg at the Portland location. Clear copper, large foamy tan head, good retention. Aroma of tropical, piney hops and pale malt. The taste is tropical fruits, pine, pale malt. Medium bodied, lingering fruits.