Berkshire Brewing
South Deerfield, MA
Available: CT, MA, NH, RI, VT
Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale is the flagship brew of Berkshire Brewing Company. Founded in 1994 by Chris Lalli and Gary Bogoff, Berkshire Brewing now produces 9 year round and 7 seasonal beers. Located in South Deerfield, Massachusetts, the brewery produced over 18,000 barrels of beer in 2010.
ABV: 5.3
ABW: n/a
Color: n/a
Bitterness: 20
Original gravity: 1052
A superb label that would appeal to British “steam buffs” who travel on restored rail lines. The beer has a light bronze color. It has an intriguing aroma: Why does such a pale beer have a touch of chocolate on the nose? There’s a fine herbal and grassy hop note, too, and rich cracker wheat grain. The palate is beautifully balanced between rich, slightly sweet, and juicy malt and good, solid peppery hops with a touch of peach-like fruit. The finish is bittersweet with a well-honed hop bitterness vying for attention with ripe malt and fruit.
Well, it says “extra pale” and it certainly is; a hazy full gold color. The white foam drops back quickly to a ring. The aroma is a mélange of musty fruit, hops, apple skins and a little spice. The bitterness is very low and the sweet malts leapfrog over it into a simple finish. This is a beer to have ready on ice in your fishing boat―if you catch anything, make tacos.
Roger Protz is the author of Complete Guide to World Beer and 300 Beers to Try Before You Die. He is a respected beer authority and editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide.
Internationally recognized brewer and expert on traditional beer, Garrett Oliver is the brewmaster of the Brooklyn Brewery and the author of The Brewmaster's Table.
