Bevog: Tak Pale Ale (Austria: American Pale Ale: 5.5% ABV)
Visual: Hazy orange. Large bubbled off white head.
Nose: Musky. Earth. Sour tang. Ryvita crisp bread. Rye. Shortbread. Wet trees. Toffee.
Body: Bitterness. Yeast feel. Acrid hops. Vanilla. Malt. Greenery. Quiet dry, yet slightly creamy feel.
Finish: Wet wood. Bitterness. Greenery. Moss. Funky yeast feel. Resin.
Conclusion: A beer where the imagery of the label matches the beer pretty well. Do I mean that it tastes like a troll looking thing pushing a wheel? No. I was in fact referring to the background. Yes this has a lot of greenery in the flavor.
Seriously. Wet wood, moss, earthy notes. Lots of forest imagery going on here. For a pale ale the yeast effect feels quite funky as well. There’s a sour thick tang to the aroma and a thick cheesy yeasty feel to the body. Overall it gives a dry feel for the daily bitterness delivery system.
There is some sweetness in the malt character, and vanilla notes below, but they seem background behind an earthy, mossy character. Combined with the dryness is means that the hop bitterness comes through pretty much unchallenged and makes for a very rough edged beer.
I can like beers like this, but here it really isn’t grabbing me. It delivers the bitterness, and it does have an odd quirk to the style, but that quirk doesn’t seem to enhance the beer. It seems to make it too earthy and grounded, too full of that forest imagery.
Not bad, but doesn’t catch my imagination.
Background: Before we go any further, this was drunk while listening to Dan Le Sac Vs Scroobius Pip. Again. It is good drinking music. Anyway, picked up from Independent Spirit in Bath, this was recommended as they were out of the IPAs from the brewery. I will admit I mainly picked this up as I don’t think I’ve tried craft ale from Austria before. I am easily amused.