Beer # 88 The Griz Pale Ale

The Griz Pale Ale

Fernie Brewing Company
Fernie, British Columbia, Canada
Independent
American Pale Ale 5.0 % ABV Aluminum Can 355 ml.
$1.85 (Canadian) At BC Liquor Stores (12 pack for $22.25)

Twitter: @ferniebrewingco


Back to BC after a small hiatus for technical issues, and second in our series on The Fernie Brewing Company. I won't rehash a long introduction for this beer as I have a number of beers to get through this week. But if your memory fades as mine often does please re-acquaint yourself with the small city of Fernie B.C. in my previous post here.

Go Ghostriders!

Onto the Beer...

Light gold to barely amber, off white head with a hint of grey. Aroma is piney and resinous with a slight earthiness to it. Lighter on hops that what is the norm for a American Pale Ale. The combination of hops competes in the mouth from light and flowery to harder and piney. They is an air of smoky ashen flavours in the finish, not unlike a campfire made with green wood. The body of the beer is quite light and airy with soft hints of citrus which sadly only poke out breifly to get mashed down by the harder hoppy elements. Aeration gives a softer herbaceous feel to the beer, almost like mountain underbrush and wild wintergreen.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional   

Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 3/6 So-So
Re-Order:  3/6 So-So
Experience:  3/6 So-So

Final Thoughts:

I love Pale ales, be them APA, IPA or English, a good hoppy Pale Ale usually gets my vote every time. Sadly this beer did not know what it wanted to be. The competing flavours of the hop destroyed any chance of the body of the beer shining through. I did however "feel" the mountains in this beer. I could smell the pines and the cedars, and the distant campfire. I think if they tinkered with this beer, and maybe gave it a little more hoppy backbone this could be a pure winner. 

Cheers
CJT

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