Port City Essential Pale Ale
I’m not so sure that I would agree with the name of this brew. Sure, Port City Brewing’s Pale Ale is darn tasty and would serve as an excellent every day beer, but I think “essential” may be pushing it at bit. Besides, I’d recommend their Monumental IPA as their flagship product.
Still, for a brewery that was only just formed last year, their products have a quality about them and this pale ale is certainly no different. It’s brewed with a combination of German and English malts along with a blend of Columbus, Chinook and Amarillo hops, resulting in a full flavored and balanced drinking experience that any fan of craft beer would enjoy.
Appearance
Essential Pale Ale pours a golden amber with a quickly fading, white head.
Aroma
There’s a great blend of fruity, citrus hops and a bready malt backbone on the nose. The hops also carry a touch of a piny, herbal note.
Taste
Cereal and bready malts fill the palate while a light hop presence builds as the beer transitions to a lightly bitter finish. The hops have an excellent earthy character as the malts bring in the slightest sweetness to balance everything out. This is an easy drinking brew with plenty of flavor and a refreshing character.
Overall
This is one of those brews that I could sit down with at any time of day or year. It’s a well balanced beer with a flavor that could be enjoyed universally among beer drinkers. It doesn’t lean too heavily in any one direction which makes it quite accessible in terms of its drinkable nature. Again, it’s not essential so to speak, but still a damn tasty beer.
Rating: 3.75/5