Na Zdravi !: Brewers' Pale Ale (Citra Hop Blend)

Thursday, May 09, 2019

Brewers' Pale Ale (Citra Hop Blend)

Anchor Brewing (San Francisco, CA)

"Brewers’ Pale Ale is an evolving hop series.
Brewers’ Pale Ale is a tasty, aromatic beer packed with complex hop flavor. The Citra Hop Blend pours a bright golden straw color with a creamy white head and nice lacing. Not filtered to intense clarity, it has an intentional slight haziness. It finishes fairly dry with a nice balanced drinkability, making it a beer to enjoy any time of the day."

Subdued citrus. Lots of maltiness,
It's okay ... just okay.

ABV 5.3%,
Hops: Citra and "a select blend of aromatic hops"
Malt: 2-Row Pale, Red Wheat, Pilsner, Acidulated

Na Zdravi!

A 10-second take.
Not really reviews, just my way to keep track of the beers I've tried.

My mother's family is Czech. They emigrated from Bohemia and settled in Nebraska in the mid-1800s.
They were from the region that included the town Pilzen (Pilsen) where a brewery called Měšťanský pivovar Plzeň, now Pilsner Urquell (Plzeňský Prazdroj in Czech), started brewing a uniquely Bohemian-style beer we now know as pilsner.
So, as I raise a glass in honor of my Bohemian roots ...

Na Zdravi! (to your health).

Hops?

A "hop" is the cone shaped resinous flower of the female hop plant. It is used in brewing to add bitterness, flavor, aroma, and stability depending on when it is added.

Hops are one of the 4 basic ingredients of beer although they are not esential in the brewing process. The are used simply to add flavor and complexity to the brew.
Double and even triple IPA's feature an extreme amount of hops, and an ABV to match.
Noble Hops - The traditional varieties of hops that were used to make early European beers. Medieval brewers used Hallertau, Saaz, Spalt, and/or Tettnang hops. All are from Germany except Saaz from the Czech Republic (Žatec in Czech). All are still used today.