Black Oak Pale Ale

Brewed by Black Oak Brewing
Style: American Pale Ale
Etobicoke, Canada

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker

UPDATED: APR 10, 2007 341ml bottle - pours crystal clear gold, with a foamy, generous bone white head. Leaves beautiful thick and layered lacing in the glass. Excellent carbonation. The aroma is hoppy with some malty sweetness, and indicates that the flavour is going to be pretty well balanced - it is. The hops are there at the top, with the malt showing up in the middle to balance it out. Hops are citrusy and earthy, with a piney, sticky bitterness going down and into the finish. Hoppier than I remember it being, it’s a wonderfully refreshing brew. Leaves a nice, lingering hop bitterness. Great aftertaste! Probably my favourite Ontario summer session beer, from probably the best and most consistent brewery in the province.

Draft - a good pale ale is a well balanced pale ale and Black Oak has found the balance. Not for west coast hop heads (not that there’s anything wrong with that). I get pine needles in the aftertaste but my friends say I’m wrong.

Very bitter in aroma, but somewhat sweet in taste. Good faom and golden coloured. It does not tire.

Bottle thanks to HogTownHarry! Poured a clear medium golden with a short cap of creamy white head. Nose picked up floral hops, hay, toffee, grain, and light veggies... really did not appeal to me. The primary flavor characteristic was sharp bitter veggies.... corn husk, lemon zest, and cardboard were also in there. Lighter-bodied and sharper on the palate. I didn’t much care for this one.

341ml bottle, singles bin at LCBO. Pours light amber with average size head, diminishes quickly with little lacing left behind. Aroma is bready/yeasty with citrusy/fruitiness to it. Flavour is alright; nice malty start, hops a little faint in the finish but liked it nonetheless Nothing stand-out but a pretty good pale ale.

UPDATED: JUN 26, 2007 A very nice pale ale...Nicely hopped and very refreshing. Will purchase again

At home, crisp golden yellow, with a bit of citrus. A nice refreshing easy drinking pale ale.

(341 ml bottle: Obtained 24-Mar-06 in trade with blankboy, thanks Paul!) One of the more husky beers I’ve tasted in some time, this tastes intensely of cooked corn. It’s sweet and very grainy with only a mild hop bitterness to get in the way of the unadultered corn. The aroma is, and I think it should be obvious, entirely husky and grainy. There’s a slight oily texture to the beer in the finish. Average carbonation, medium bodied, it’s easy to drink, but the corn-flavored aftertaste is starting to get annoying on the palate now. Dark straw in color and crystal clear body is capped by a white head that rose to over half an inch on the pour, as is still maintaining a thin but complete layer, so retention is pretty nice, as is the plentiful webwork of lace on the glass. Can’t say this is an enjoyable pale ale, but of all the well-known flaws in beer, this is one I can find somewhat tolerable.