Universale Pale Ale

This Pale Ale has a very interesting hop nose of sagebrush and wintergreen with subtle notes of straw and husk underneath. It pours a hazy, deep, golden hue and a rich white head with lots of bubbles, which leave nice lacing behind on the glass. In the mouth, it has cornhusk and pale malts up front, bitter pine needle flavor on the sides of the tongue, and a slight green apple tang in the finish. I can’t pin down the flavor profile: It’s not quite malty enough to be an English bitter, nor hoppy enough to be an American Pale Ale. I might consider this a blonde ale if I were to get technical. It’s creamy, light, and not as effervescent in the mouth as it looks.

In all, an easy-drinking pale, maybe closer to a blonde in style, but with more hoppiness. It’s more of a “session” beer than anything else, which is to say: It’s easy to drink. Nothing stands out, but nothing really detracts either.