Free State Thunderhead Pale Ale

Brewed by Free State Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Lawrence, Kansas USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker

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Fresh, citric hop aroma, some orange zest, pine and grapefruit, very fresh, floral and sweet with a backdrop of pale, toasty, honeyish malt sweetness. Clear light-medium amber color with a slight head. Predominantly hoppy flavor profile, fruity and dry right from the start with a very healthy amount of bitterness throughout, long, lingering, resinous and spicy. Some very light maltiness makes itself known here and there but over all is completely American hop-oriented. Palate is fairly smooth and oily, effervescene is rather smooth. Very much an APA/IPA hybrid after the fashion of, for instance, Anchor Liberty, and quite refreshing. Great for the current season (mid-spring).

Clear golden with a fizzy white head. Floral citrus caramel and grain aroma and taste with a lightly bitter finish.

Draught @ Brewpub: This one pours a hazy coppery color. It had a small off-white head that left some lacing. Slightly lighter aroma. It is mainly citrus hops with some malts in the background. A somewhat bitter taste, mainly from citrus hops with a decent malt body. A fine pale ale.

Draft at Free State. Pours an amber body with an off white head. Pine, light citrus and some herbal grass y notes. Bitter and floral with some light spices. Nice beer.

Growler from the brewpub. Pours a clear, pale iced-tea brown with two fingers of creamy, off-white head that leaves behind sheeting lace. The nose is of lightly resinous citric hops and sweet, toasty, biscuity malt. On the light side of medium-bodied, it is soft and slick with a tight bitter finish. Sweet, toasty, biscuity malt with a solid balance of floral and citric hops. Again, another solid session beer from a brewer that seldom disappoints in that arena.

Dark amber, copper color. Its a hop beer with a lightly bitter, floral and sweet hop aroma that has a bit of a sweet malt backbone. The hops are also a bit musky. Flavor has a bit more bitterness to fight the musk. But it isn’t dry and crisp like the description explains (those are relative terms but its not as dry and crisp as I would want). Loss the musky and we got a winner.
Growler, Duvel tasting glass.

Growler filled at the brewpub by beastiefan2k, shared about 3 hours later. Pour is almost entirely clear copper brown with a one inch white head. Aroma of resin citrus, some maltiness. Aroma initally quite fresh, then fades quick. Taste is soft biscuit maltiness, with the resin citrus (orange) behind that. Palate is pretty flat, thin to medium, almost watery at the finish. Decent enough, thanks for sharing Eugene.

Growler power. Bright copper with some white head. Big citric hop nose. Fresh hop flavor but mild bitterness. Medium body. Really pretty good stuff.

On tap at the brewery. Lots of citrus and pine in the aroma, very strong hop aroma. Not too much malt apparent in the nose. Flavor is nicely bitter with piney and citrusy hops, a little caramel way in the background. This is a hop forward pale ale and a very nice one at that.

Tap @ FS, pours a clear amber with a creamy tan head, good lacing. Aroma is citrus, pine and grass, with a slight caramel. Flavor is more pine and citrus with some light breadiness and caramel, and a brief lingering bitterness. Fairly well balanced. Another solid, enjoyable beer from Free State.

Growler from Mreusch 5/26/07: Light orangy amber w/ a lasting but thin off white head. Light floral & grassy hops, also slightly sharp & resiny. Light bready malt and hints of caramel. Well balanced overall flavor wise between toasty malt, caramel and grassy/herbal hops. Light bitterness lingers in the dry finish, clean & crisp w/ very little fruity esters. Lighter medium body; low CO2, smooth m/f. Very drinkable and refreshing on a muggy Cleveland evening.