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Reaper Ale - Deathly Pale AleDec 09 '01 (Updated Mar 19 '02) Write an essay on this topic.
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The Bottom Line This beer won't kill you, and it is not as deathly pale as the name suggests. Dry-hopped, woody tasting, and bitter. I loved it.
Do You Dare? That is the question that Reaper Ale poses on its new beer: Deathly Pale Ale. The label art on this new beer's bottle is quite amusing: a silhouette of the grim reaper, with scythe blade in hand, sitting astride a huge horse with a background picture of the full moon framing the whole. The scene looks very much like the fantasy paintings of Frank Frazetta. (See: frankfrazetta.com) Deathly Pale Ale: This 5.4% alcohol by volume pale ale pours with a hazy, orange-caramel color and produces a peach-colored and very stiff foam head. In the nose, this ale is flowery, with a hint of apricot fruit and light diacyl butteriness. In flavor, this dry-hopped beer does present some stone fruit flavor, a great deal of woodiness, and it ends very dry with a lingering bitter finish. Price and Availability: I purchased this ale at the new Beverages and More in Orange, California (opened December 1). Price: $2.99 for a 22 oz. bottle. This retailer also has a website at bevmo.com -- where purchases of some beer and wine products can be made online. As far as I know, Reaper Ales are only available in select Orange County, California, markets and taverns. This ale is also available from Hi-Time Wine Cellars of Costa Mesa -- and order can be made online. Recommendations: This ale is a great treat to drink on its own, with no food accompaniment. It would, however, perfectly compliment roasted poultry, and I think I would even pair this ale with something like a Cobb Salad served with honey-mustard dressing. On a 5-star rating scale, I give this beer a solid 4-star rating. I really enjoyed its dry-hopped, woody and bitter flavor. More information about Reaper Ale's can be found at the brewer's website: http://www.reaperale.com The brewer lists an address in Foothill Ranch, California, but this ale is -- in fact -- brewed by Bayhawk Ales, Inc., of Irvine, California. Bayhawk bills itself as "The Greatest Beer You Never Knew You Drank." That's because Bayhawk specializes in brewing house beers for a variety of fine restaurants and taverns throughout California, Nevada and Arizona. (Example: The Claim Jumper and Outback Steakhouse restaurants.) Only recently have they begun to bottle their beers for retail sales. Bayhawk is Orange County's oldest microbrewery, beginning operations late in 1994. The brewery is small, and its 15.5 barrel-capacity brewhouse is kept busy year-round in the production of six permanent beer styles and some seasonal brews. Bayhawk produces about 8,000+ barrels of beer annually (one barrel equals 31 gallons).  |
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