Wig & Pen Pale Ale

Brewed by Wig & Pen Brewery
Style: American Pale Ale
Canberra, ACT, Australia

Serve in Lager glass, Shaker, Tulip

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Strong floral hop aroma. Clear red amber colour with great head and lacing. Bitter malt sweet flavour. Smooth palate.

Cask at the brewpub. Amber colour. Sweaty, fruity, orangey hop aroma. A solidly malty beer, yet the citric hops dominates. It is fairly sweet, but the hops can balance that out. A tasty brew!

Big thumbs up to the brewpub for not only making a cask conditioned pale ale but serving it at the right temperature. Thought this looked absolutely superb: bright bronze with a terrific lather that lasted all the way down the glass, lacing as it sank. The aroma showed some grapefruit rind, lychee and toffee but seemed a little restrained for an APA. It had that watery texture that seems to be typical of cask-conditioned ales. Felt it could use a little more muscle. Nice caramel maltiness in the mouth and a fair Cascade kick. Only complaint is that it seemed a bit cautious. Judging by the earlier ratings, it seems like they might have toned this down a notch. Pity. Felt like it needed a bit more hop wallop in the finish to be a really satisfying APA. (Draught at the brewpub with omhper)

On tap at the Wig and Pen. good coppery colour, lots of hop flavour and as usual, the signature Wig and Pen vaguely quesy-sulphurous aftertaste. The hop flavour either needs some balancing with more malt, or the hops need to be fresher or zingier or something; it’s just a bit musty on the palate. Overally reasonable, though I think their Autumn Pale is a better job.

An nice APA. Dark copper colour and, like all the cask beers at the W&P, big white head that really lasts. Tropical fruits on the nose. Very big beer - long bitterness. Infact, probably not enough malt taste here to balance (although I apperciate that is the style). I think little creatures is better than this but it’s close.

UPDATED: MAY 12, 2004 This was my favourite beer at the W&P. I think I described it at the time as a funky Mt Macedon ale. Slightly hazy copper colour (dark for an APA), big foamy head and awesome lacing. Loads of fruits in the aroma, not heaps of Cascade and a fair bit of caramel malt. Really good mix of malt and hops in the mouth. Quite a bit of grapefruit, strong maltiness, full body but really drinkable. Almost as much bitterness as the IPA. Yum.

like a slightly darker little creatures. plenty of lychee and pineapploe in the aroma. tastes initially of orange mango cordial with some white grapes. some late and long bitterness in the finish. very tasty

UPDATED: SEP 28, 2004 great, strong fruit/hop/sulfur smell, bit of pineapple along with the grapefruit. lots of malt guts, round and fresh tasting. Long malt/bitterness aftertaste. excellent. rer8: this is better than the IPA, the same beer basically but weaker and not as sweet, still very bitter. if little creatures was on cask it might taste like this. the leafy cascade taste stuck in my teeth for the rest of the night.

UPDATED: OCT 28, 2004 This beer has changed over the years, it is much bitter now but it’s pleasant, nice cascade, chinook flavours, served at 8c - interesting beer.