Palmetto Pale Ale

Brewed by Palmetto Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Charleston, South Carolina USA

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker

Light copper pour with and touch of orange and a small white head. Lots of citrus aroma with sweet bready malts and some various other sweet fruit. Flavor is that of a typical west coast IPA, lots of grapefruit and caramel malt to balance. The malt has a earthy bread quality to it. There also a surprising number of fruit notes to the flavor too. Apple, peach and pear notes stand out. Body is medium with a slight aqueous finish.

Florence, South Carolina, Red Bone Alley Restaurant, 12 oz bottle. Medium copper pour, little to no head - slight white lacing though. Odd, artificial aroma - that is not unpleasant - reminds me of some kind of jelly-like candy you get around Christmas for a fund raiser. Flavor is muddled and artificial and has hints of apricots and peaches and a touch of citrus - sticky - in an artificial way. Thick enough. Only thing the bartender could find that was "local" when I asked - took him a while to find it and was not sure what to charge me for it - he guessed at $1.50. Worth that - this one has suffered a bit from shelf life me thinks - rating gives it the benefit of the doubt. Will rerate upon encountering again.

Brown bottle, 12 ounces, gift from Jean Hamilton, received on March 31 2008; eye: copper with an orangey hue, lightly hazy, tiny ring of beige head, some lacing; nose: malt, light caramel, light hops, light grain, yeast; mouth: watery, malt, followed by a surprising grainy hops appearance, layer of caramel, finale in malt that initially hides all of that surprising grainy hops, mild astringency, lightly sweet, mildly bitter, medium body, thin, average carbonation; overall: nice surprise FRANÇAIS Bouteille brune, 12 onces, cadeau de Jean Hamilton, reçue le 31 mars 2008, savourée le 7 avril 2008; œil : cuivrée avec une teinte orangée, très légèrement voilée, petit anneau de mousse beige, dentelle; nez : malt, léger caramel, léger houblon, léger grain, léger levure; bouche : aqueuse, malt, suivi d’une surprenante apparition de houblon granuleux, filet de caramel, finale en malt qui initialement cache pas mal de houblon granuleux, astringence moyenne, légèrement sucrée, moyennement amère, corps moyen, texture mince, carbonatation moyenne; en résumé : belle surprise

Bottle. Pours an orange-amber color with a frothyheap. Aroma of hops, pine and grapefruit. The flavor is slightly more aggressive, but not much. Citricly hoppy but tight, with a nice melodic balance. Nice tarty edge defines this beer.

The aroma is hoppy but in a metallic way. There is also some lightly roasted caramel malt. The appearance is deep amber with a smaller head. The flavor is like the aroma and astringently bitter so it’s not great. The palate is smooth. Overall I think it’s drinkable but thats all.

on tap in the low country. A golden amber pour with moderate head and good lacing. Mild citrus hop aroma with a surprising amount of brassy bitter flavor. Very respectable APA - I’d equate it to flying dog classic PA. Pleasantly surprised.

Hazy and amber with a fairly thick off-white head. Aroma of pine and caramel malt, same kind of taste, hops present but not overwhelming. It tastes much better than that description, actually. Very drinkable, very flavorful, if a bit undramatic (nothing punchy like Alpha King, in other words). Good to excellent American pale ale.

Bottle courtesy of Unclemattie: Poured a hazy amber color ale with a small head with minimal retention and no lacing. Aroma of light caramel malt is somewhat weak. Taste is dominated by some light caramel malt with no discernable hops presence. Full body with some medium to low carbonation. I guess this one is OK but nothing truly extraordinary.