With so many great American craft beer options, sometimes it’s easy to forget where many of our styles come from. Especially in the case of our super hopped-up American pale ales and India pale ales.
Every now and then, it’s good to be reminded where we come from. 16 Mile’s Old Court Ale, while described as an “American ale,” drinks more like a malt-forward English pale ale with an American ABV influence – it registers at 6.1 percent. It’s also got an 81 on Beer Advocate.
Weakened, spent hops and buttered biscuits lead the charge on your senses with this one. The caramel and grainy aromas of malts like Biscuit, Munich or Vienna linger, combining to enhance a bread-like flavor. Concentrating hard enough, my nose wanted to tell me somehow there were touches of strawberries and bananas hiding behind it all.
The taste of Old Court Ale is very clean and balanced but with noticeable malt aftertaste. Holding a swig on my tongue the flavor nearly turns into caramel candy. A good match for the amber color of this brew.
Old Court Ale stats:
ABV: 6.1 percent
Brewery: 16 Mile Brewing of Georgetown, Delaware
