Berkshire Ale Traditional Pale Ale

Brewed by Berkshire Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
South Deerfield, Massachusetts USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tulip

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Bought this beer in a growler, never had a growler before. And it did not last long at all! Poured a brilliant amber with a nice off-white head. Sweet, but not overly saccarine. A nicely done ale.

[Cask at GBBF 2004] An amber beer with no head. Both the aroma and flavor are sweet with the totally dominating note being hops.

2004 bottle at Julio’s Spring Beer Fest, 04/02/05. Dark, muted mahogany, with some lighter yellow-ambers and a tinge of red. Foamy white head is well-retained. Aroma of sweet, nutty malt and light yeast, with soft leafy, juicy hops, a bit of dirtiness, but I dont mind. Doughy and substantial nose continues as you drink. Flavor is sweet and malty, with a caramel and light berry sweetness, soft floral hops and a rich, creamy butter-toffee-meats-fresh-hops finish. As opposed to the usual effect of Berkshire’s beers, which is to start out flavorful and then quickly water down and die out on the finish, this one starts out light but builds up a creamy, doughy body, finishing rich and flavorful, with a wonderful balance of hops and malt. Nothing mind-boggling as far as complexity goes, but just a superb balance and mouthfeel. Medium-full body. Surprised that it is 6.3 abv, I couldnt tell. One of the better beers I had all day. Will certainly buy more of this.

Pours brown with a small head. The first scent present is of hops, followed by some sweet malt. Taste is of caramel with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Aroma:Malt sugar hops Appearance:red amber cool white head Flavor:sugar and hops

Bottle: Amber with mahogany hues, pours with a small white head. Aroma has mild caramel, sweet malts, earth, and mild grapefruit/floral hops. Tastes somewhat sweet, with the caramel up front, follows with some mild hops bite, grapefruit, grass, citrus, finishes with grass, pine, tea. Not bad, but not noteworthy.

Cask, GBBF 2004. Bronze, poor head and gentle condition. Low hop and trace malt aromas, gentle hop and caramel in the mouth. Sweet malt, low hop and slight spiciness in the finish.

Orange/copper colour. The aroma is typical US pungent resinous sweet hops. Flavour is sweet caramel malt and hops, with a hint of citrus but, in general, the flavours were rather restrained (not necessarily a bad thing). Quite acidic, but not bitter, finish. A bit short of grip and not perfectly balanced. Not bad, but not great. Cask (gravity) at GBBF 2004.

Cask@GBBF04’. Caramelly stickyness to start, with some tea like hops in the finish, some citrusy, grassy notes in the finish, not bad, but unexciting

[Cask conditioned] Amber coloured. Fruity aroma. The flavour is rather sweet, fruity and malty with grassy notes. Slightly thin.