BlackDuck's Pale Ale

[Beer-lord]

Yep, I was sent a few beers so tonite, I started off with the Pale Ale. I had the last version and it was good but Chris' comments were that it lacked aroma and I think, if I remember correctly, it had a bite at the end.
Well, tweaking this one worked! This one has a nice nose on it. Not as strong as an IPA but I think more apparent than many pale ales I've had. The nose is somewhat sweet, maybe from some crystal malts if they were used.
It poured clear and had an almost 3 finger head. Last the Belgian I had, this one is perfectly carbed as well.
The taste starts with just a tiny bite but as the beer warms, that just about goes away. When ice cold, it resembles an IPA and when warmer, a pale ale. Personally, for my tastes, I love it after it's warmed up about 7-10 minutes. Only problem is, its hard not to drink it all before 10 minutes is up.

I wouldn't change anything on this one. You nailed this one! I may need to look for this recipe and get this done in the future.

IMG_1229 (Small).JPG (101.14 KiB) Viewed 275 times

[Inkleg]

Only problem is, its hard not to drink it all before 10 minutes is up.

Arrrgh...I hate it when they fall into the "damn this is good" must drink it category.

[Kealia]

Just got back into town after a 5-day trip to the Eastern Sierras and was checking posts.....this one jumped out at me since I had one in the fridge. I grabbed it, poured it, drank it and loved it. As much I like the IPAs and other beers I've been drinking lately, I'm still a pale ale guy at heart.

The last pale ale that I got from Chris (Four Point, I believe) was great and this one did not disappoint. Aroma was great, clarity was perfect and the taste was flavorful with a hint of bitterness. In my mind, another home run from Chris.

Thanks for sending this out to me. I hadn't had a beer in 5 days and this was a GREAT way to enjoy my return home.

[BlackDuck]

Thanks so much for the reviews guys. I really appreciate the feedback.

Paul...the recipe has .75 lb of crystal 40, but it also has 1 lb of Vienna in it. I think the sweetness in the nose and flavor you referred to is coming from both of these grains. I beleive I did post this recipe, but if you can't find it, just let me know and I'll send it to you.

Ron...this is the tweaked version of the Four Point you had last year. If you recall, I entered that one into the Ohio State Fair competition. It scored well, but one of the notes on the score sheet was that it lacked aroma. So with this one, I adjusted it to improve that. My intent is to improve the recipe based on the comments that I received and enter it again this year.

Glad you guys enjoyed it, and thanks again for the kind words!!

[FedoraDave]

Well, that picture makes me want one. It looks delicious! And I trust both Paul and Ron to give informed opinions on beer, so congratulations, Duck!

And good luck with the competition. It'll be interesting to compare scores and notes from last year.