[Local] First review post! Bent Paddle Daypack.

Alright, I've decided to go local with my very first review post, in the format I hope to be doing most of these.

The first beer I will be reviewing is Daypack Pale Ale from Bent Paddle Brewing Co. in Duluth, MN.  They call this a "Single Pale Ale" and clocking in at 4.6% alcohol by volume, this is a great session beer for the summer and fall.  Session beers are generally considered to be 5% ABV or lower, something you can drink multiples of without getting too inebriated.  They're also usually quite easy to drink and not too heavy on the palate.  This one will be available in cans and on draught from now until October, so be sure to snag a sixer.

[Appearance] Daypack pours a light, pale golden color, almost with a pastel-like orange tint to it and is capped with a wonderfully fluffy off-white head.  This is a really gorgeous session pale ale.

[Aroma] The aroma is really wonderful and fresh, dominated by a really nice fresh hop aroma.  They use a blend of 6 hops in this beer, and a few of the varietals are among my very favorites.  The aroma isn't weak, more just light and delicate, it doesn't slap your sense of smell around.  It's mostly sweet citrus like a light mandarin orange juice with some peach and mango. All of the flavors are quite light and sweet without being overly sugary.  There's also a wonderful floral aroma to it, like some light hibiscus or orange blossom, a really nice light, sweet, citrusy/floral hop profile.  There's a light crackery malt that underlies this flavor, helping to hold up the hop character, making this beer a beer and not hop-flavored water.  This beer smells real good.

[Taste] The flavor is just a touch maltier and less hoppy than the aroma suggested.  There's a fair amount of pale malt character, almost like a pilsner malt, just a little light and crackery flavor, carrying a small amount of light caramel sweetness.  There's a little bit of floral honey, like a light clover honey.  It's pretty delicate and not overly sugary.  Then the hops come in, bringing the wonderful mandarin and mango and peach juice notes, with a little bit of light citrusy floral character, that hibiscus and orange blossom that was in the aroma.  The hops resolve into something a little more bitter, just a slight grassy and piney bitterness, leading into a dry and refreshing finish that lasts surprisingly long.  That touch of bitterness isn't too strong, so anyone with an aversion to bitter, hoppy beers shouldn't be afraid.  It's just the right amount to balance out the sweet and fruity character of the rest of the beer, begging you to have another sip. 

[Mouthfeel] The body of this beer is medium light with moderate carbonation, floating across your mouth in a perfectly refreshing way.  It goes down really easily.

[Overall] The draw of cheap light lagers is that they are usually easy to drink, quite refreshing, and have little flavor.  This beer takes on those first two qualities and spits in the face of the third, loading up a light-bodied beer with a wonderful and delicious hoppy flavor.  Clocking in at 4.6% ABV, this hoppy pale ale will wash your mouth with delicious tropical and floral flavors, keeping you refreshed from this summer into fall.

And there you have it, the first real review of this blog!  Feel free to let me know what you think about the reviews, the format, or even suggest beers that I should check out.  And if you happen to pick up some Bent Paddle Daypack, be sure to let me know what you think of it.  I hope you dig it as much as I did.

I like beer.

Hi, I'm Michael, and I like beer.  Do you like beer?  

Yes?  Cool, we'll probably get along, and you'll hopefully dig this blog.  No?  Cool, we'll probably still get along, and maybe I can buy you a pint that'll change your mind. 

You'll be this sad when it's gone, too.

I really got into beer while traveling in Europe in the fall of 2013, and I began to realize just how wi(l)de the world of beer is.  Before that trip, beer was a fizzy yellow drink that dads and college kids drank while yelling at football players or trying to forget that paper they should probably write.  During the trip, I decided to document and review all the beers I tried. The more beer I tried, the more I realized that beer is sometimes neither fizzy nor yellow!  Beer can taste like chocolate, like raspberries, like wine, like magic and happiness and and angel tears and frolicking in a meadow of wildflowers.  Beer is a pretty wonderful thing, especially if you get a little adventurous.  Once I returned from Europe, lots of people said I should put those reviews into a blog.

This blog will mostly be reviews of beer, stuff from all over the place.  From just down the street to across the pond, I'll review any beer I can get my hands on, hopefully passing along any knowledge and excitement I can.  I hope at least one person will say, "Wow, that beer sounds amazing!" and then go buy it and drink it and say, "Damn, that beer tastes amazing!"

I might also include some random musings on beer and the beer world in general.  Maybe review a taproom or brewery or two, a bar here or there. Perhaps a little something on glassware, cellaring, or beer styles, whatever sort of beer-related stuff pops into my head.

Here's a toast to good beer and cool people who read cool blogs and share them with cool friends!