We are getting to the end of my year of pale ales. I may not have made it explicit, but I was trying to engineer a pale ale that I liked and could make regularly-or on request-because it’s a pretty common style. I’d like to improve on some basics and so a lot of practice was done in 2016. In this case, I went after a repeat of a successful recipe.
The hop nose is faint but I can tell the Columbus hops are there. The is a definite spike in the bitterness on the finish but before I get there it’s got a pleasant sweetness, very much like an orange with a tiny bit of caramel drizzle over it. It’s also pleasantly dense: got enough body to it to justify itself, along with encouraging having another beer.
I have to say, I’m fairly pleased with this and think that some version of it should work its way into my regular rotation.
Brew date: 10/14/16
Steeping grains
1.5 lb Munich
1.5 lb Vienna
Fermentables: 7 lb extra light malt extract
Hops
1 oz Columbus @60
.5 oz Simco @60
Yeast: Imperial Barbarian
OG: 1.064
FG: 1.014
Secondary 10/28, added .5 oz Simcoe hops
ABV: 6.8
Bottled 10/30