I’m in McAllen, Texas for work, and sat down tonight to get some work done. However, I wanted it to feel a little bit more like home, so I went out to the local grocery store for a 6 pack. I was hoping to find something local, and after I missed being able to post a review about this beer at SXSW, I went for the Real Ale Brewing Company sampler pack. Unfortunately, the only thing I had in my hotel to drink it was this little plastic cup. The bottle days, “A classic style accented with Czech Saaz hops.”
Location: Bottle purchased at HEB grocery store, and enjoyed at the Fairfield Inn in McAllen, TX.
Numbers: 5.3% ABV, 26 IBUs, 12.5 Plato OG, 160 Calories
Appearance & Aroma: It’s hard to tell in a plastic cup, but appears to be light copper colored. There was a thin creamy head on the top, and there appeared to be a decent amount of carbonation in it. There was a primarily malty aroma with a bit of bitterness detectable.
Taste & Feel: Despite the thin head, it had a creamy mouthfeel, but hops give it bit of a crispness up front. The body is solidly medium to full. After the crisp hoppiness up front, there was a big pilsner and wheat-like maltiness in the middle (not sweet). It finished with a very smooth but solid hop bitterness.
Food Pairing: This beer would go with almost anything, as it was very smooth drinking. However, this solid bodied pale ale might be best to match up with some spicy tex-mex food from down here in Texas.
Overall Impression: I was surprised at how full a beer this was for being a pale ale. As I mentioned, it had a very solid body and was pretty flavorful, yet very drinkable. While I enjoyed the pilsner malt like flavors in the middle, I really enjoyed the smooth, solidly hoppy finish. I was expecting a bit of peppery flavors from the Saaz hops used, but it was very smooth. Overall, I thought this was a good, solid, beer.
My Rating: 
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