Hoppers Cattail Pale Ale

Formerly brewed at Hoppers Grille & Brewery
Style: American Pale Ale
Palm Harbor, Florida USA

I always start with this when I am at Hoppers, but I can’t say i am a huge fan of it. Very unbalanced to me with the hops being out of balance. Pale Ales even American ones should have more of a malt taste and this one is lacking in that department.

I’ve got to get around to rating all their beers...I have them every time I’m in the area. This last time the Cattail was better than usual. Nice thick whitish head on top of a translucent, yet hazy, yellow orange ale. Nice hoppy, citrus, weak malt nose. Decent malt backbone...good bitter hop balancing act. Adequate carbonation does well with the medium-full mouthfeel...almost chewy, but not quite. Dry bitterness finishes this up. Good enought to order another.

Ok, no way this is 110 IBU - and I consider that a good thing. Anywho, this was a opaque orange in colour with the usual citrusy hops. Very malty for style - honey and mango notes - and of course citrusy hops to balance. A good APA but I prefer drier versions.

Draft - Swampy burnt orange color (appropriate here in Florida), thick creamy white head. Complex nose of white grapefruit, band-aid, fuzzy fruit, toffee, caramel, and a slight hint of pepper. Bitter citrus hop flavors jump up and take a stand, yet receive a nice balance by the sweet rich malt. Medium bodied, lively carbonation, smooth, bitter dry finish. Franz.....are you sure you’re not from Cali? ;-)

Draft at the Linebaugh location...This beer rocks!... Murky, amber ale with a mid-sized, creamy, white head. Great retention. Sparse lacework. Apricot, toffee and black pepper dominate the nose, allowing only a hint of grapefruit through. The flavor is rich and malty, but extremely well-hopped creating heavy bitterness. Notes of caramel and citrus fuit. Medium to full-bodied and oily with fizzy carbonation. Lengthy, bitter, dry finish. Left me feeling like I was chewing on a blade of freshly cut grass. World class APA!

(Brooker Creek) Lightly hazed amber body with creamy off-white head, nice lacing. Aroma is medium sweet, earthy/herbal, mango, some toffee, light caramel. Taste is medium sweet, earthy, herbal, pine, mango, some toffee. Medium body, slightly chalky.

Pours a glowing golden body and a fluffy whit cap of head rests atop until it is the only thing left in the glass. The lacing is a fine sheet of micro bubbles… it takes the term Brussels Lacing to an entirely new realm…. It really is amazing!
110 IBU’s… man, it really shows! It is one hell of a citric dose of hops! Caramel and grapefruit… yep, even some pine chips… It’s all here. Nice Oily mouthfeel…. This was quite an Impressive APA to say the least!

Draft at Hoppers in Tampa, FL. A small sized creamy and smooth head with fine sized bubbles that were mostly lasting. The body was carbonated and slightly cloudy with a yellow-gold hue. The nose was moderately hoppy as was the flavor. The mouthfeel was tingly and this was a light bodied beer with good lacing.