Aug 19, 2011

Cottrell Old Yankee Ale

Old Yankee Ale photoA decent American Pale Ale

Cottrell Brewing, formed in 1996, is a relative newcomer to the Virginia area in terms of its distribution. I’ve only just recently seen bottles of this Old Yankee Ale and Mystic IPA (to be reviewed later) on shelves at various shops. Always in the mood to try something new, I picked up a single of both.

Old Yankee Ale is an American Pale Ale brewed with Pale, Crystal and Wheat malts, as well as, Summit and Cascade hops. The beer weighs in at 5% ABV and turns out to be a decent little brew that is easy drinking and flavorful.

Appearance

Amber in color with a good sized, off-white head.

Aroma

Lightly toasted bread with a leafy, grassy hop character. There’s a touch of grapefruit in the mix.

Taste

For the most part, Old Yankee Ale is a well crafted, straight forward pale ale. It’s got a strong caramel and toasted malt backbone with an earthy, grassy hop profile. It’s not overly hoppy in terms of any citrus or bitterness notes, though it does well enough balancing out the malt side of things. The relatively dry finish helps accentuate what little hop bite there is.

Overall

Old Yankee Ale would make for a nice go-to or daily drinking sort of brew. It’s not going to kill the palate with over the top flavors, but instead is a well balanced and drinkable pale ale. I’m not sure I’d go out of my way for it as there are more full-flavored pale ales that are just as readily available.

Rating: 3.25/5

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