Trillium Polaris

The Stats
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 6.50%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 3.62/5
- RateBeer: 3.9/5

Polaris is a relatively new experimental hop from Germany. This is the first Trillium beer to utilize this obscure hop variety and it's my first time tasting it. Going in I have nothing to compare it to, but sometimes that's the best way to do things.

Pours a hazy, dark yellow/light orange with a finger of frothy, bright white head.

Not too much fruity notes on the aroma. Instead I get some breadiness, hints of herbal hops, green tea, and mint.

Yeah, the taste is definitely minty. It was kind of a turn-off at first since it caught me off guard, but as I continue to drink, I am finding an appreciation for it. It has a lot of the aforementioned breadiness, almost like a fresh biscuit. The finish is where grapefruit takes over and makes for a nice refreshing end to this beer.

The mouthfeel doesn't have too much carbonation, but this is full-bodied for the style. While this beer uses a brand new hop variety with some unexpected flavors, this is still a smooth and drinkable brew with no unpleasant lingering aftertaste.

This is not your typical pale ale. Using the Polaris hop has brought new flavor to a tried-and-true style that has by-and-large been a breeding ground for Citra and other tropical fruit aromas/tastes. However, this is a nice change of pace for those who want something different.

Rating
7.6/10

Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale

The Stats
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 6.10%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.08/5
- RateBeer: 3.70/5

A funny anecdote if I may (cue the chorus of boos). I've had this beer once (yes, great story so far), but when I picked it up, it had been on the shelf for months, which is not exactly the ideal situation you want from a fresh-hopped ale. So I finally get to try this one when it is actually, you know, fresh.

What is a fresh-hopped ale? When hops are picked, they either have to be used for brewing that very same day, or the hops have to be dried and processed to preserve for later use. Using them for immediate brewing is called wet-hopping (or fresh-hopping). Typically this is done for IPA's and Pale Ales. Supposedly it gives the beer just an extra tinge of freshness, but some have debated on whether or not it really makes a difference and have called wet-hop ales a gimmick. Whatever, I just want some great beer.

Pours a dark, rust orange, bordering on copper or amber. It's transparent and gave a finger of white head.

I know Colorado isn't exactly the West Coast, but man this is dank as all hell. Smells like a lot of typical West Coast IPA's, but the garlic/onion is cranked up in this one. Very earthy and mossy, but also fresh and clean.

The taste is like a mouthful of freshly cut grass. Just huge floral and grassy hops with a residual onion flavor. Most IPA's/APA's are bitter up front, but a pop of bitter hops actually hits you on the finish on this one. Above all else, I'm surprised at how damn malty this beer is. Granted, it's not off-putting, but it's not the what I would want as a dominant taste.

For a 6.10% APA, this seems thicker than most examples of the style. Some good carbonation and no unpleasant lingering flavors.

Overall, Great Divide Fresh Hop Pale Ale does taste fresh, but an overabundance of malts takes away from fresh hoppy goodness. Still, those herbal hops are still prominent enough to make this an enjoyable experience. Just be ready for a malt bomb.

Rating
7.8/10

New Glarus Moon Man

The Stats
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.13/5
- RateBeer: 3.7/5

New Glarus has become a big name out of the midwest in recent years. My first taste came last year at a tasting, but the beer today was not one of them. Moon Man is a session ale brewed with five different hops.

Pours a slightly hazy, but mostly transparent light orange. Pretty good carbonation and it produced one finger of white, fizzy head.

There's a huge grapefruit aroma that fills the room. Interestingly I'm getting a tart, lemon sourness too. Hops and bitterness are very subdued.

It's certainly more bitter on the taste. There's a little bit of lemon, but the grapefruit isn't as powerful as it was on the aroma. To be honest, there isn't too much to say as it comes off as rather bland.

The mouthfeel is relatively thin with very little carbonation. I know it's a session ale, but that doesn't mean it can't be flavorful and smooth.

Moon Man isn't a bad session ale, it's just underwhelming. There was a strong, fruity aroma that didn't carry through on the taste and it was just too thin and flat on the mouthfeel. Again, it's not repulsive, but you can find better examples of the style elsewhere.

Rating
7.0/10

Three Floyds Zombie Dust

The Stats
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 6.20%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.62/5 (#10 on the Top 250)
- RateBeer: 4.13/5

Reviewing such a highly-acclaimed beer with loads of hype is never an easy task. Current ranked as the 10th best beer in the world on Beer Advocate, this APA is brewed exclusively with citra hops.  With expectations set so high from the start, it makes it hard to not assume greatness. I try not to let that effect what I think in my reviews, so let's give the infamous Zombie Dust a fair shot.

Pours a beautiful, glowing orange with two fingers of white head. It's slightly hazy with some decent carbonation.

It smells like fresh-squeezed citrus. Just huge tropical goodness with oranges, pineapple, and mango. Behind that is fresh hop bitterness. It's a well-balanced aroma that smells great.

If blindfolded, I would think that was more towards an American IPA than an APA. There's a big hop presence at the start which gives way to those tropical fruits on the back end. The juiciness of the hops and the fruitiness of the orange and mango flavors don't battle for your attention as they are living in harmony on your tongue.

There is no bitter, lingering flavor as I mostly get a clean finish with only some leftover citrus which is very pleasant. As I mentioned before, it taste more like a standard IPA with it's big hops flavors, but it is very clean, smooth and goes down easily. you could easily kill half your six-pack if you're not careful.

I can't find any flaws with this beer. Does Zombie Dust live up to it's hype? For me, I would say yes. With a style like APA, it's easy for the taste and feel to be lacking in hops, but ZD has an incredible balance of juice and hops that is a delight to drink. If this was available in my part of the country, there is no doubt it would be in my fridge at all times. If you want it, you'll have to make a trade with someone in Indiana and the surrounding area, but it is well worth the effort.

Rating
9.6/10

Three Floyds Space Station Middle Finger

The Stats
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 6.00%
Current Ratings...
- Beer Advocate: 4.25/5
- RateBeer: 3.64/5

I received this bottle as an unexpected extra in a trade. I know a lot of Three Floyds beers, but this one is new to me. If the beer is as awesome as the label art, then I know it's going to be a winner.

Pours a murky, golden orange with about a finger's-worth of white head.

It has a sharp, resinous smell to it. A little bit of pine and some onion/garlic flavor too.

I must say, this has to be the most bitter APA I've ever had. It's just an onslaught of bitter, bitter hops at the front. Pine is also another major component as it's just battle between the hop bomb and the pine forest. Most the of APA's I like lean more towards the juicier side, but I'm not hating this bitter bomb of a beer. It actually reminds me a lot of Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale, and hey, that's not bad company to be in.

There's a lot of carbonation on the mouthfeel. It can be a bit sticky at times, but that carbonation moves it along. With all of it's bitterness, I am easily chugging away on my bomber.

When you hear the words "Three Floyds American Pale Ale", you may tend to think of Zombie Dust first, which can leave a solid beer like Space Station Middle Finger in the shadows. While it's more bitter and piny than typical APA's, it is bold for the style and drinks easy. Nothing wrong with that.

Rating
8.4/10

Toppling Goliath PseudoSue

The Stats
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.80%
Current Beer Advocate Rating: 4.6/5

Over the past year or so, Toppling Goliath Brewing out of Iowa has garnered HUGE buzz and popularity. Today we have PseudoSue: a year-round American Pale Ale brewed exclusively with Citra hops.

Pours a clear, orange with one-finger of white head. This is a very clean-looking pale ale.

Using Citra hops, I expected a blast of tropical juices to be the dominant smell, but instead it is a ton of bitterness. It's very earthy, herbal, and floral on the nose. There's a subtle grapefruit-esque astringency hidden deep in the back.

The taste is what I will call "bitter grapefruit". There's a significant hop presence combined with a citrusy flavor. I'm glad to see the Citra hops are more prominent on the taste than they were on the aroma. This is pretty bitter from front-to-back, but hints of orange and tangerine prevent this from being solely about bitter hops. It's quite nicely balanced.

The mouthfeel is light to medium with little carbonation. While there is a bitter presence, it finishes smooth and clean.

Overall is this is a pretty good pale ale. There is both tropical fruits and hops on the taste with a clean, bitter finish. Considering the style and that this is a single-hop ale (with Citra), I was hoping for a more dominant juicy aroma and taste to balance out the bitterness. In the end, the bitterness is not overwhelming, but is more prominent than any citrus notes that might be there.

Rating
8.5/10

Maine Beer A Tiny Beautiful Something

The Stats
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 5.50%
Current Beer Advocate Rating: 3.95/5

Brewed with El Dorado hops, ATBS in another offering from Maine Beer Co that while familiar, is still a welcome addition to the lineup.

The bottle conditioning on Maine Beers produces a lot of head, so it's wise to be a tad more careful in your pouring than you would with most beers. I noticed some significant carbonation coming off the bottom of the glass and the beer itself was a nice shade of orange. It leaves some very nice lacing.

A pleasant bouquet of floral, grassy, and herbal aromas comes first. Also getting an orange peel and citrus zest.

The taste is akin to acidic grapefruit and again, flowers. I will say that this is noticeably silky on the mouthfeel and finishes dry.

Not a bad offering. A Tiny Beautiful Something stands out from other Maine Beer offerings for it's silky smooth mouthfeel alone. At 5.50%, even the casual beer drinkers could have the bottle to themselves and ask for more. While it doesn't come to Massachusetts year-round, definitely grab a bottle when you see it.

Rating
8.1/10

Oskar Blues Dale's Pale Ale

The Stats
Style: American Pale Ale
ABV: 6.50%
Current Beer Advocate Rating: 3.9/5.0

I've had this beer many times straight from the can, but this is my first instance of formally pouring it into a glass. Was it a mistake?

The first thing that hit me was the pure, resinous aroma. Based on the dark orange/amber color, I didn't expect a fruit explosion, but nevertheless, the bitter hop smell was nice.

After a couple of swigs of heavy resin, I knew I wasn't going to get much else. That isn't to say this the beer leaves a bad taste...far from it. I don't come across a lot of beers with such an emphasis on heavy, bitter hops that remain drinkable, but Oskar Blues has something good here with Dale's Pale Ale. It drinks more like an IPA than an APA, but it's not for me to argue.

Drinking straight from the can yields a slightly different experience as I get more grapefruit on both the smell and taste. Perhaps the hop oils get left behind in the can if poured into a glass. In any case, I found both the can and glass to be enjoyable.

Overall this is a smooth-drinking APA which finds regular rotation in my fridge. Dale's Pale Ale is just another example of great craft beer from a can.

RATING
8.3/10