Spoetzl Brewery (Gambrinus Company)
Shiner, TX
A classic American Pale Ale featuring two row barley malt with a blend of Munich and Caramel malt for rich malt flavor and golden color. High alpha Bravo and US Golding hops are used in the kettle and fermenter for crisp bitterness and assertive fresh hop fruit and floral aroma.
ABV: 5.5
ABW: 4.4
COLOR: 11
BITTERNESS: 32
ORIGINAL GRAVITY: 1098
AVAILABLE: TX
Shiner’s first attempt at an ale comes across as an easy drinker with broad appeal. It’s clear, bright orange color and slight off-white head suggest the beer might be a bit stronger in flavor than it winds up being. Aromas don’t offer many hints to what’s to come either. Instead, Shiner’s Wild Hare provides a caramel backdrop that allows an ample dose of earthy and floral hops to take top billing. Straightforward and simple, this is a pale ale that should pair well with equally simple fare, allowing the food to do the heavy lifting.
(K. Klemp) Poured into a tulip, it is golden-copper and heads nicely. A swirl offers up an aroma that leans towards the malt, with modest evidence of hops. The nose is reminiscent of märzen, clean with toasted grain and light caramel. The palate is on the light side, but here is where I find the most of the hops, flavorful herbal goodness in perfect symmetry with that toasty malt backbone. The finish is fairly crisp and features a mild bitterness and a bit of lingering chewy caramel candy. This is simply a very drinkable beer, though it is one of the more mildly-hopped pale ales I’ve had. It would be equally nice as an accompaniment for some bold Tex-Mex or hearty brisket.
Lisa Morrison, aka The Beer Goddess, writes about beer whenever and wherever she can and also gets to talk about it on a weekly radio show in her hometown of Portland, OR.
Author of the Good Bottled Beer Guide and The Book of Beer Knowledge, Jeff Evans is an eight-time editor of the CAMRA Good Beer Guide. More of his writing can be found at www.insidebeer.com.
