Sidekick

Reviewed from notes.
The appearance has a very clear and a very bright yellow colored body with fast rising carbonation seen, one finger white head quickly dies and leaves some clingy lacing.
The smell has some straight up piney, citrus, hops with some subdued malts.
The taste has some sweet yet bitter and almost peppery at different times, dry sweet aftertaste and a quick bitter finish.
The palate is light, somewhat sessionable, adequately carbonated and also is good for me.
Overall, this is a good session APA that is flavorful.

The Sampler, Brooklyn tap: Pours golden with a white head. Aroma is tropical fruit, hints of pine, and a small malt backbone. Taste is a little bit on the hoppy side with a really light malty profile. I don’t see what everyone else here is seeing in this beer. It is a good light ale that isn’t watery, but really it is not that impressive.

12oz can. Somehow slacked out on rating this one, sneaking it in with the last can of the 6pack. Has a nice citra thing going on, but it has faded into some harsh unpleasant garlic, hairspray. Better fresh, obviously. Pretty standard clean new school tropical APA.

Slightly hazy golden coloured body with a thick, three centimetre tall soapy white head. Aroma of grassy and herbal hops with a very light yeast note, some unfinished wort and a bit of light fruit sweetness noticeable. Light-bodied; Bright herbal and grassy hop note with a light malt backbone, some sugars, a touch of pine and a very smooth, easy drinking finish. Aftertaste is mild with only some light hops coming through, not much malt at all and hardly any complexity - no bitterness, either. Overall, a good APA, but not a great one - nor one that can be compared with some of the best, like Tuppers Hop Pocket Ale. Nice to try, but with these high ratings, I was expecting better - still nice in a can and easy to pack to bring with you. I sampled this twelve ounce can purchased from Binny’s in Chicago, Illinois (South Loop) on 21-August-2013 for US$1.67 sampled at home in Washington on 16-December-2013.

From can. Pours clear golden with a bubbly white head. Aroma of citrus, tropical fruits and malt. Flavour is light moderate sweet and moderate bitter. Medium bodied with soft carbonation.

Decent aroma from a can, something like fresh pine cones, but mild. dRANK FIRST FROM THE CANTHEN POURED INTO A GLASS. after IT GOES INTO THE GLASS IT LOOKS LIKE ANY ANOTHER PALE ALE, PERHAPS A LITTLE DARKER, not much. Taste continues trying to be IPA thing but of course it lacks the punch of an ipa, just a shade of that going on here. Typical medium apa this is. Yes, not offensive and it does seem to have manners, like its afraid to insult you with those somewhat annoying ale attributes. Mild pine sap finish.

On tap at the brewpub. Pours a a clear pale lemon yellow with a white head that dissipates to the edges and laces. Aroma has earthy grapefruit and grass with a light grain note. Flavor has grapefruit and sweet grass with a bit of earthy grains underlying.

On tap at the brewery, meaning it may a bit different than from the can, what? Light color, thin head. A fruity hop smell with notes of pine, the usual. Taste has that strong ’catbox’ smell I always equate with my first Amarillo hopped beer (Gumballhead). But I’m told it’s from a dry hop with Citra. Otherwise, has a bit of a stone fruit note and more resin. And, somehow, pine wood. Yeah, I’m describing hops instead of malt here.

Can. Pours clear yellow-gold with a large white head and nice lacing. Aroma is citrus, pine, grapefruit. Quite pleasant. Flavor is the same, minimally sweet, lightly bitter, a touch metallic on the finish. Light body.