Digging for Gold? You'll Find it, at Anderson Valley Brewing Company
Written: Jun 04 '02
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good hop taste, doesn't go overboard; Good foam level and head retention
Cons: Might not be full- bodied enough for the hop fanatics among us
The Bottom Line: This is a very good, easy- drinking pale ale with lots of character
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| Bryan_Carey's Full Review: Poleeko Gold Pale Ale |
Anderson Valley Brewing Company is a craft- brewing operation located in Boonville, California. In my quest to try new malt- beverages, I happen to come across some products from this brewery in the past few months, and I have enjoyed everything I have tasted so far. This beer product, Poleeko Gold Pale Ale, is another impressive Anderson Valley beer.
Basic Characteristics of This Beer:
Poleeko Gold pours to a honey- gold color with a slightly cloudy body and a nice, firm head of foam. The aroma of this beer is a mixture of floral, citrus, and spice.
Anderson Valley uses a substantial amount of hops in the brewing of this beer, and these hops are the dominant flavor in the beer. They provide a fruity, citrus- like taste, similar to a mixture of grapefruit and orange, with a spicy flavor profile that’s not overdone or overbearing. The malt taste is also present, and so is the yeast, although they are not as noticeable as the hops. The malt provides a good, biscuit- like graininess to the beer and helps to keep the flavor a little more balanced. This ale finishes dry and crisp.
This product is brewed using an assortment of ingredients that include pale, two- row barley malt, crystal malt, Pacific Northwest hops, and ale yeast. They all combine to create a great tasting, medium- bodied pale ale.
Food Compatibility:
This beer would match up nicely with beef dishes, and most any spicy dish. The lively taste of the hops would make a great accompaniment to Indian food, Thai, and other oriental dishes. I think it would match up nicely with freshly baked biscuits also. And, of course, it’s an excellent beer to enjoy solo, without any interference from food.
Final Thoughts:
Anderson Valley Brewing has produced a very tasty beer with this pale ale. It’s a nicely balanced beer. When I say that, I don’t mean that it’s balanced between sweet and dry, I mean that it’s balanced when compared to most other pale ale. It’s still on the bitter side, but not by much. It manages to satisfy my craving for hops without going overboard, like some other pale ale.
This beer produces a solid head of foam that lasts and lasts. That’s one of the sure signs of a quality product. The color of the beer (golden) is a little different from other pale ale, which tend to be more reddish in hue. But the overall appearance is still better than average.
Anderson Valley products have received much recognition for their brewing superiority over the years. Poleeko Gold received a Gold Medal in the 2001 World Beer Championships, adding another award to the Anderson Valley trophy case.
Overall, this is a very good example of how pale ale should taste. It provides a lively dose of hops, along with a small dose of malt and yeast, and it all adds up to a very drinkable pale ale. The level of hops might seem too low to the hopheads of the world, but I felt it was just right for this style. Besides, if I wanted more hops, I would reach for India Pale Ale. Ordinary pale ale should be hop- fortified, but it doesn’t need to go to extremes. This product delivers on all counts.
Poleeko Gold Pale Ale is a beer that I recommend to all lovers of the pale ale style. It’s crisp, clean, and a treat to the taste buds!
Recommended:
Yes
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