Berkshire Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale

(draft) Clear straw body with white head. Aroma is medium sweet, apple, faint herb/grassy. Taste is medium sweet, apple, light grassy. Watery light body with light crispness.

Lots of resin and some sweeter citrus, orange oil, maple syrup, candied nuts, very nice malt complexity, smooth, mild mouthfeel, clean sharp finish.

For rating #100, I pulled out an old favorite from my college days while visiting my brother back on campus. Bottle. Pours a light pale golden color, fluffy white head, good lacing. Body is completely transparent, some light bubbles. Nose is fruity and malty, strength on the light side. Gently sweet in the mouth, a slight bitterness from the hops in the finish, but good balance with some apricoty overtones. Mouthfeel is crisp, light, nicely carbonated. My buddies and I used to drink this by the pitcher at our local college pub, and I always had a bomber in the fridge back home. It’s one of the beers that really got me into drinking great beer, so a good deal of nostalgia in this one (and a fitting beer to celebrate joining the 100 club). Here’s to the next step!

Acquired via trade. Light amber color with a medium off-white head and stringy lacing. Malt and some floral hops in the nose. Medium body with mild bitterness, sweet malt and hops along with a bit of fruit flavoring. None of the flavors is very assertive but it is a refreshing concoction. The finish is dry and hoppy. Pretty simple overall and it would make a very good lawnmower beer.

On tap in Western Massachusetts. Yellow in color with little head. Looks unfiltered. While much too bland to be one of my favorites, it did have a reasonable taste and lots of nice citrus flavors. Mild hops and good malts. This is not as good as most of the lighter craft brews we have out my way, but it is quite drinkable.

Aroma:good mixe of light citrus and pineapple hops,light caramel... Appearance:light hazy gold small head... Flavor:light citrus hops flavor,watery....

Hazed goldenrod coloration, thinnest of heads, diminishes instantaneously. Lemony aroma, soft and citrusy, but largely quiet. Big lemony bite on first sip, crisp citrusy texture, middling mouthfeel...yeasty tasting... simpering finish. It’s a pretty pale extra pale ale, and lacking in real character. easy to drink, for sure, but needs a bit of umph in the flavor department, maybe an extra helping of hops, or something...but, alas, it’s an unimpressive offering, solidly on the side of blase’.

Poured an insane head with a pale golden body. This looks like a Budweiser, which isn’t good. Not a lot in the aroma, maybe a little fruity and hoppy, but overall very weak. Finishes dry, almost feels like I’m drinking a mass produced lager with a hint of a little more. It goes down like soda, but there isn’t much more here. Don’t bother.