Style: Pale Ale
ABV: 5.1%
Joe’s Take
(Monster truck announcer voice) Monday Monday Monday, that means it’s time for another NC beer of the week review!
This week we didn’t stray too far from home as we’re tasting “(919) Extra Pale Ale” brewed by Raleigh Brewing Company in, you guessed it, Raleigh, NC. With all the stouts we have had lately we wanted to mix things up and try out a refreshing hoppy pale ale. With those criteria in mind, we definitely chose the right beer for this week’s review.
“(919) Extra Pale Ale” poured a very pale yellow (hmm I wonder why) into my tulip glass. It foamed up with a thin white head that quickly dissipated to a ring of white foam around the edge of the glass. The beer itself was quite hazy and you could only see the shadow of your fingers moving behind it.
I really enjoyed the aroma of this beer as tons of volatile hop compounds burst from the glass directly into my olfactory receptors. The aroma was strong and gave off notes of pine, resin, dankness, citrus, and a hint of tropical fruit. The combination of hops used in this brew (Citra, Galaxy, Simcoe) gave it this complex and almost all encompassing hop aroma that instantly made me want to take a sip. There was not a lot of malt character that pulled through on the aroma and I was fine with that. The delicious hop smells were enough to satisfy.
Mouthfeel was pleasant and refreshing. The beer itself was light-bodied and relatively thin. I think it is best described as “one crispy boi.” There was a nice level of carbonation and the beer did not linger on the palate for too long. There were no overly astringent drying characteristics and after a few sips I knew this was a beer I could drink on a hot summer’s day.
The flavor of the beer was enjoyable and mimicked what was detected on the aromatic evaluation of the brew. The flavor profile gave notes of dank hops, pine, tropical fruits, citrus, and a hint of stone fruit (nectarines in particular for me). “(919) Extra Pale Ale” blended hop bitterness with light malt character nicely and in my opinion was very well balanced. After drinking a bunch of hazy NEIPAs lately it was nice to get back to some bitterness.
To me, this pale ale gets me in the mood for summer as I could see myself drinking several of these on a patio at a backyard BBQ, maybe even while tossing some discs in a game of Kan Jam. Either way, this beer is highly crushable and strikes a great balance between flavor and refreshment.
I recommend you pick up a 6-pack of these (maybe from Jarvis St. Bottle Shop like we did) and give it a try for yourself. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below. Cheers!
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Very pale yellow, hazy, thin white head that dissipates quickly. (4/5)
Aroma: Hop forward, citrus, dank, resinous, tropical. Great aroma. (4.5/5)
Mouthfeel: Crisp, refreshing, not too drying on the palate. Light-bodied, good level of carbonation. (4/5)
Taste: Good balance between malt flavor and hop bitterness. Flavor and aroma mesh to give bitter, dank, piney, and citrus hop notes. Smooth light malt to round it out. (4/5)
Drinkability: Very crushable. Refreshing, light, and crisp. Still packs great flavor. (4.5/5)
Total: 21/25
Nick’s Take
The trend in the weather lately – gray, chilly, and rainy – has really made these Mondays dull and dreary. However, when you find a bright beer to lift your spirits, it makes the start of the week more tolerable. That’s why I’m glad we got to try “(919) Extra Pale Ale” from Raleigh Brewing this week.
Right away, I noticed the fleeting white head was disappearing quickly, so I wasted no time snagging a couple pictures. Luckily, I managed to get them taken before the foam vanished with almost no trace besides a few stray bubbles around the edge. The color of the beer itself was a dull yellow-orange with lots of haze to be seen. It appeared to be a flavorful beer and I was intrigued.
I had no issue finding tons of aromas emanating from this pale ale. Prominent hop character was in the driver seat – piney and dank – and that played well with the citrusy and tropical fruit aromas. Pineapple, grapefruit, and some kind of melon were finding their way through the bitterness and dankness from the hops and the diversity of smells was making me thirsty for a sip.
I enjoyed the crispness of “(919) Extra Pale Ale” and the light body. It made for a really pleasant mouthfeel and encouraged sip after sip. This pale ale could’ve been quite drying from the amount of hops but was surprisingly…wet. Yes, I know, all beer is wet.
The flavors in “(919) Extra Pale Ale” were excellent and stood out from each other. Between sips, I could really taste distinct dank hop flavors followed by some tropical juice flavor, finished by some grapefruit. This occurred all while remaining a pretty light beer that didn’t produce an overly bitter characteristic. I thoroughly enjoyed the complexity of this pale ale.
For a pale ale that promises lots of hops, “(919) Extra Pale Ale” from Raleigh Brewing drinks very easily. I’d for sure buy this again and take it with me to the pool or the beach in the summer (it would be a great day-drinker). I wish I had bought another can so that I could’ve tried pairing with dinner, as I believe this would go well with almost anything. Check out this pale ale for yourself and let us know what you’d pair it with. Cheers!
Abbreviated tasting notes
Appearance: Hazy yellow-orange color, with a fast-fleeting head. (4/5)
Aroma: Lots of hops; dank and piney. Also lots of juicy/citrusy/tropical notes. (4.5/5)
Mouthfeel: Great crispness and a light-bodied beer. Doesn’t leave mouth very dry and drinks smoothly. (4.5/5)
Taste: Dank and resinous hop flavor, with some pineapple and grapefruit on the backend. (4/5)
Drinkability: Very easy drinker that would suit almost any occasion and pair well with most food options. (4.5/5)
Total: 21.5/25
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