Style: Hazy pale ale
ABV: 6%
Joe’s Take
It’s Monday and that means another NC beer of the week post. This week, we’re getting a taste of a beer produced by a brewery not too far from us in Durham, NC. The beer up for review is “Humidity” by Full Steam Brewing. We enjoyed this hazy pale ale from a few cans that I picked up from one of our local grocery stores. I always like to keep an eye out for different brews when I visit any grocery stores (especially Harris Teeter as they usually have a great local and regional selection in addition to the usual macros).
Poured into a tulip glass, “Humidity” was hazy with a pale golden amber color. A vigorous pour produced a foamy white head that left a clinging lace on the edges of the glass. The nose revealed a malty sweetness and hop notes reminiscent of fresh flowers and faint pine notes. Swirling and agitating the glass released deeper malt aromas and opened up the floral hop character, bringing to mind thoughts of scented hand soap or a bouquet of flowers. On sipping, the beer was smooth and soft allowing me to let the ale linger and warm on my tongue. After taking a few sips and fully coating my mouth, I tasted a malt forward beer that still provided good hop profile and bitterness. The flavor was simple and enjoyable, a good character for a pale ale. The beer finished on a nice floral hop note. “Humidity” would pair nicely with a variety foods, and I’m imagining viewing a menu of an American eatery with a variety of burgers, sandwiches, as well as your standard meat and potatoes fare.
Fullsteam did not disappoint with their aptly named “Humidity” pale ale and I can see myself cracking open a few cans on a hazy humid North Carolina summer day.
On a side note, I encourage you to check out Fullsteam’s website when drinking their beer as they provide information on their malt origins (highlighting the local) as well as their hop and yeast selections.
Appearance: Slight haze, pale golden to amber color, thick white head on pouring that persists through drinking. (4/5)
Aroma: Sweet malt, floral and light pine hop character, after swirling detect more depth of sweet malt and a floral, almost lavender like scent (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Smooth, soft, able to let it linger in the mouth, after swallowing leaves a somewhat dry feeling (4.5/5)
Taste: Malt forward, decent balance – skewed toward malt flavors, mild hop bitterness, floral characteristics, not a ton of complexity or depth of flavor but still palate pleasing. (4/5)
Drinkability: Could drink a few on a humid summer day, not entirely crushable. (4/5)
Total: 20.5/25
Nick’s Take
One thing I’ve noticed since Joe and I started East Carolina Beer and Brewing (and truthfully, probably a bit before that) is that we almost always have an assortment of new beers in our pantries and refrigerators. Our passion for beer leaves less space for other food/groceries, but it also gives us plenty of options for new blog content. For the featured NC beer this week, we grabbed a couple pale ales from Joe’s cooler – “Humidity” by Fullsteam Brewery, to be exact.
Off the pour, this ale shows as a slightly hazy gold, and produces a very generous collar of smooth foam. As the beer settled in my IPA glass, a bit of lace clung to the sides. I didn’t give too much of a wait before I inspected the aromas coming from the head. Immediate hops on the nose that I would describe as floral and fragrant, followed by some light malt tones. This was shaping up to be a flavorful pale ale, I thought. Sure enough, on the first sip I tasted the hop character, but it was nicely subtle. I would not characterize this as a hoppy, bitter pale ale – on the contrary, it was pretty smooth to drink. It might be a bit flat and light bodied, but I don’t think the mouthfeel was unpleasant; however, I was a little surprised since the head from the pour led me to believe it would have a more carbonated feel. After several more sips, I really found myself enjoying the flavorful hops (which I learned from Fullsteam’s website were a mix of tropical hops) and smooth drinking of this pale ale. It’s certainly a beer that I could define as sessionable and would enjoy pairing with some buttery or cheesy foods. Overall, “Humidity” is a great representation of a pale ale that can be enjoyed by many.
Appearance: Slightly hazy, dark gold, prominent collar with some lace. (4.5/5)
Aroma: Floral hops, mild malt notes. (4/5)
Mouthfeel: Light body, a bit flat. (3.5/5)
Taste: Subtly hoppy, not bitter, smooth finish. (4/5)
Drinkability: Definitely sesh this beer. (4.5/5)
Total: 20.5/25
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