Shoals Pale Ale is an English-style Pale Ale brewed by Smuttynose Brewing Company, and for the purposes of this craft beer review, the ale was served in a tulip pint glass from a bottle.
Appearance
The ale pours a slightly cloudy reddish amber and topped by an inch-thick cap of dense cream-colored foam that shows excellent retention. A few droplets of residue cling to the glass during reduction.
Aroma
The aroma is quite pleasant with a scent of earth and grass that’s been sweetened slightly with brown sugar.
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Flavor
Palate starts with a taste of citrus and apple that crests towards a bite of herbal hops. The taste then mellows with earthy notes of black tea and tobacco before. Toast and biscuit malt with a nutty caramel sweetness round out the finish.
Mouthfeel
Its feel is relatively smooth with a medium body and moderate carbonation. Finishes dryly.
Overall
The Shoals Pale Ale’s balanced palate tastes every bit as wonderful as it is complex. And it’s just so easy to tilt back. Blink, it’s gone, and you’re scrambling to find another.
The reason a brew such as this has been around for two-plus decades is that its execution is flawless. Smuttynose has crafted a masterpiece. And the great beers of the world just never get old.
A Smuttynose First
The Shoals Pale Ale was the first beer brewed by Smuttynose. In fact, its very first pint was poured by Mayor Eileen Foley of Portsmouth, New Hampshire, at the Stockpot Restaurant on July 16, 1994.
Recommended Pairings
The brewery recommends the following food pairings with this pale: Thai cuisine, hamburgers, fish and chips.
