Dark Star American Pale Ale

Brewed by Dark Star
Style: American Pale Ale
Horsham, England

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker

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Cask. Yeah. Had wanted to try this brew after hearing lots of good things about it and also having tried a good few Dark Star beers myself and never being disappointed. Looks pleasing in the glass, nice pale golden with an apricot hue. Aroma is classic, nice bit of tropical fruit, ripe grapefruit a touch of resin and also some lighter grassy notes. There also seems to be a slight whiff of sweetness, almost like a smell of alcohol, but it’s only 4.7? Flavour is great, pretty close to the end of the barrel so the conditioning is not perfect but I’m sure it was excellent a couple of days ago. Lots more grapefruit and a good injection of ginger, leaves a warmth in the throat. Palate feels good, nice weight in the mouth even at this abv. All in all a good beer, I can see why it has come recommended, however, I feel it would have been amazing had I tried it at tit’s peak freshness. Another gooden from the Grateful Dead loving Darks Star brewery.

From the barrel, pale gold. Nose has that lovely cutting astringency, yet still retains its delicacy. Wafts of classic grassy notes, prickly citrus & that slightly oily hop character. Lovely rounded palate, there’s enough lush body with a crunch of toffee biscuit in there to balance that citrus, grass, astringent blast. The oily astringency minds me of a green hopped beer. The finish is long & bitter, but again not too bitter that it starts to annoy. It has power but also subtlety, an ask questions before shooting pale ale.

Mid gold with very little off-white head. Dry hoppy flavour. Well balanced body and palate.

Gravity cask at the Pembury Tavern on 15th July 2009 during the festival. Pale amber with white head. Very bitter and hoppy, with a sharp grapefruit astringency, culminating in a long, dry, hoppy finish.

Cask at the Rake, 5th June 09. Clear gold, very hoppy and drinkable (I didn’t write many notes as I thought I’d already rated it!)

Cask @ 3 Judges. Clear golden colour, white head. Aroma has lots of flowery hops and sweet lemonade. Flavour has sweet hops, lemonade. Sweet finish. Well drinkable.

Cask at Edgar Wallace, London. Golden pour with a decent head. Citrus, floral aroma. Really easy to drink, I drank half a pint within a couple of minutes. Nicely balanced, nice amount of hops, citrus, grapefruit. A damn fine beer which I will always choose when I see it.

cask @ The Bricklayers Putney:Oh man a good ass American style pale ale. So aromatic and floral. Its like drinking a reallly nice air freshner. Marmalade..grapefruit and resinsy hops .Bit malty. So eazy to sink and flavoursome.

Cask @ London Drinker 25: I genuinely didn’t like this beer. I didn’t find it pleasing or interesting. From the raw potato flavours and the ugly metallic notes to its over dry finish and high acidity top-notes.

Cask at the Wigan Beer Festival. This was superb, my favourite light coloured beer of the day. Dark, crystal clear amber colour with a good white head. Floral/citrus/hop aroma, more flowery, grapefruit hoppiness in the taste with a good mality balance. Long dry/bitter finish and a beautifully balanced palate. A very good example of the excellent American Pale Ale style. More like this, please.