AleSmith Brewing Company X Extra Pale Ale

Aroma: “Pleasant spicy noble hops aroma. Pilsner malt and light toast mingle. Not entirely German, but in that ballpark (or Fußballplatz).” Flavor: “Light spicy hops flavor with a touch of wood and bready malt. There’s a light bitterness, but a touch more would increase the crispness. Nice dry finish.” Overall: “Nice malt flavors. Clean, dry finish. Great balance of hops bitterness. Extremely drinkable. Light and refreshing but still full of flavor. It’s a winner.”

**Aroma:** “Notes of almonds, cake frosting, and vanilla coconut Halloween candy layer on top of crisp green apple with a touch of earthiness. A light honey floral with a touch of wax and pear, some bitter apple aroma, undercut with very mild papery oxidation. An even blend of raw and baked apple.” **Flavor:** “Very unique flavors—not straight apple—with a complex acid profile and savory herbal notes. Low sweetness is barely hanging in there balance the sour and tart. Aftertaste of moderate green apple acidity with a touch of sweetness. Slightly unripe Granny Smith notes with a fairly tart flavor (almost lemony) without being overly acidic.” **Overall:** “Fantastic. Apple profile is a bit monochromatic, but the balance of sweet, acid, carbonation, and tannin, hits a sweet spot. It’s dry and crisp with a bitterness through the midpalate and touches of honey on the nose.”

**Aroma:** “Light grapefruit, lemon, and floral notes with a slight grainy sweetness behind hops aroma. A little restrained for style, but still pleasant. Light sweet malt notes with a touch of biscuit malt. Mostly clean with low esters and just a hint of sulfur.” **Flavor:** “Nice up-front hops, balanced wonderfully with a soft malt character. Citrus rind dominates hops flavors with some floral notes. A slight juiciness may be related to the slight caramel note from the malt. Restrained yeast notes provide a subtle fruitiness that works well. Light and carbonic—very drinkable. Definitely hops forward but not out of balance, with a slight lingering bitterness.” **Overall:** “This is your dad’s pale ale—a pretty classic-style pale ale that’s rounded out with no intense sharp edges that hits straight down the middle. All ingredients play well together, but nothing really sticks out. A clean, quaffable pale ale with just a touch of sweetness in mid-palate and a bit mild on the hops for a modern APA.”