Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale

Brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company
Style: English Pale Ale
Portsmouth, New Hampshire USA

Bottle pours deep rich amber, large frothy light tan colored head, attractive lacing, with very light carbonation.   Pale hop aroma, slight malts, a bit of grains as well.   Slight grain sourness immediately up front.   Minor hop flavor, buiscuity.   Decent body, medium mouthfeel.   Finishes very minor hop bitterness, with lightly roasted malts.   Not bad.   Thanks goes out to jah noth for the trade!

This one poured out a nice clear deep amber color with a small off white head. The head quickly dropped to a collar covering the beer and stuck around the rest of the time. The aroma was a bit weak with the smell of citrus hops rides a slightly sweet malt. The tastes of malt start this off before a citrus hoppiness follows. This is a bittersweet finish that comes in at the end that is quite pleasant. This one reminds me in part of an IPA in the same sense SNPA does. Good mouthfeel and carbonation. Overall a good beer that is a bit different for a Pale Ale and quite tasty.

On tap at the portsmouth brewing... Aroma:grapefruit hops.. Appearance:Clear orange,small head.. Flavor:Orange juice,grapefruit hops..

Pours an inviting tall head over a clear amber body that gives off a well balanced bouquet of caramel malt and hops. Dry without being overly bitter, this is a little different, an intangible complexity where no component pushes to the front, letting you explore the tastes and body at will. Very nice.

Very pleasing cloudy copper color with average head. Toffee and caramel malt aromas compemented by earthy hops. Medium bodied with a mild acidic astringency that isn’t so good. Bread tries to come through, but doesn’t fully develop. A decent pale ale that leans toward the malt, but nothing to go crazy about.

Bottle - thanks to slob! Pours rich copper color and slightly hazy with a moderate white head that mostly diminishes. Aroma is predominantly malty, with a floral hop nose and some hnts of spice. Flavor is spicy and hoppy up front, malty/hoppy in the middle with nice sweet maltiness coming on in the finish. Medium body and prickly carbonation. Nice pale ale.

This IPA head poured with a frothy head that slowly diappeared with lacing down the glass. The aroma was enticing and the color a dark copper. The taste was complex with hops and maltiness. The aftertaste was bitter and lingered.

Solid, well made pale with all that I want and a whole helluva lot more of the good and much less of the half ass than many if not most of the middle of the road pale ales out there. A job well done.