As much as I love to drink very hoppy, very stouty beers, I do crave something lighter on the rare occasion. So tonight I checked out Granville Island's English Bay Pale Ale.
Appearance: The more pale ales I drink, the less pale they get. This is no exception. I expected a golden lager (but slightly darker) appearance with white carbonation. What I got was a reddish honey colour with a butter-yellow like foam. As carbonated as most beers will get.
Aroma: The aroma reminds me of something, but I don't remember what. A bit of a bitterness, followed by a sweet caramel hint backing it up. Bit of a maltiness. Not overpowering, I'd say this smells like something a Rickard's Red fan would enjoy.
Taste: Nice amount of malts is the very first thing that comes to my attention, followed by caramel sweetness, somewhat nutty. Not bad, certainly a Rickards Red category of beer.
Overall Thoughts: At $12 for a 6 pack, it's a bit much. If I had to choose between this or Sleeman Porter (which is 60¢ less), I'll go for the porter. This is actually a decent "clichéd pub" beer if you are looking for something different from the Canadians, Keiths, Kokanees and the like. The kind of beer you could drink down while eating a bacon cheeseburger at a pub. Not a beer I would buy for myself. For a Pale Ale, it's not bad, but if you are at a pub with 80 other beers to choose from, you'd likely stay away from this.. unless if what you want is a beer for a burger. This is certainly better than any product by Alexander Keith's at the moment, but not better than x local micro's IPA, bock, etc. Well.. that's about it.. I'm done rambling!
From the label: Our English Bay Pale Ale has a smooth, mild flavour brimming with West Coast character and a caramel malt aroma. A true pale ale, it gets its perfect balance from natural carbonation and careful maturing under the watchful eye of our brewmaster.
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