Pike Brewing Co: Pike Pale

Did you think I would only buy one bottle of beer from a brewery that is an old favorite of mine?

Well the obvious answer to that rhetorical questions is a resounding 'no'. I now present another Pike Brewing Co review. The Pike Pale ale:

As just stated this is a pale ale. Let me first try to help you from being confused at the liquor store and the pub from mistaking this beer with another style. The label proclaims "Pike Pale" and "Pale Ale" but also has the phrase "heirloom amber ale" prominently posted on the lower portion of the label as well. To further confuse your mind and senses this brew has a very strong German brew aroma. Immediately after cracking the bottle, a powerful smell brought me right back to my days and nights at German beer gardens. Specially, the scent evoked the familiar fragrance of German pilsners and lagers. Even on first taste this pale ale tastes like a traditional German lager. Only after a full gulp do the after tastes of hops and bitterness overtake the soft malts and German flavored yeasts. As the beer warms even more malt flavors emerge. This effect combined with the larger flavors makes the beer taste like a solid amber lager. Potentially explaining the 'amber ale' langugage. While my taste buds could be off tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if this beer would confuse fellow beer enthusiasts.

All of that being said, you've probably gotten the sense that this beer is pretty easy drinking pale ale. The brew is definitely light on the hops and very low on the bitterness scale. There are also some nice bready flavors but nothing very intense and has a medium mouthfeel. So while this pale ale seems to borrow aspects for other beer styles it all works pretty well together. If you give it a shot, I think you'll find the interesting combination enjoyable. Cheers.

Pike Brewing Co: Naughty Nellie Golden Artisan Ale

Sometimes a stroll down memory lane can be by accident. As I was roaming down the aisles of a local liquor store over the weekend I ran into a display of 220z bottles of Pike Brewing Company beer. I was surprised to see bombers from this brewery staring me in the face in the Golden State. I use to drink Pike brew back when I lived in the Seattle area, and even then it was difficult to find in bottles. Mostly I would stumble into a pint or two at a local restaurant close to Pike's Place Market. Excitedly, I snatched up a couple bottles.

I started with Naughty Nellie's Golden Artisan ale. This is an american style golden ale which at times is dubbed an american style blonde ale. Whatever you want to call it, this beer is tasty. Pike is able to make a great session beer that is easy drinking but full of flavor. Not very bitter the malts comes through very nicely. The beer has a very light malt flavor which exhibits a touch of a honey taste. The soft malt flavor works so well it made me question for a second my satisfaction from caramel, dark, and roasted malt flavors. Overall the malted barley creates a smooth taste when slugged down. A slight grapefruit citrus aftertaste along with a grassy hop flavor round out a full sip. There's great balance all around a makes for a easy to drink ale.

While I never visited Pike Brewing Co in my six years in Washington, I'm glad the brewery found me again in California. I forgot how much I enjoy their beers. Cheers.