Name: American Sunrise
Brewer: Mitchell’s Backyard Brewery (Philippines)
Style: Alternative Grain Beer (Base Style: American Pale Ale)
ABV: 5.5%
Review Year: 2020
The American Sunrise is the flagship pale ale of Mitchell’s Backyard Brewery (Manila) featuring American hops and wheat. A batch of this beer won the silver medal in the Pale Ale category of the Asia Beer Championship in 2019.
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as an Alternative Grain Beer (31A) with the American Pale Ale (18B) as the base style in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP). The most current version of the guidelines can be found on the BJCP website.
TASTING NOTES
Broadly clear with slight cloudiness; pale gold with a well-retained white creamy head. Fragrant pine, ripe tangerine, and peach on the nose. Medium-bodied; carbonation above medium. The ripe tangerine returns as flavor, supported by zesty lemon peel and a complementing wheaty-doughy character. The perceived bitterness is moderate with piney and grassy qualities. These also linger into the aftertaste; slightly dry. No “fluffy” and creamy qualities noted.
THE VERDICT
The American Sunrise is a crisp and very drinkable beer that highlights the very familiar American hop hallmarks with complementing wheat qualities. The first thing we noticed was the well-retained creamy head, which is something enhanced likely by the wheat addition. While the wheaty-doughy character is an attribute of most American Wheat Beers, the absence of a “fluffy” and creamy mouthfeel, together with the presence of a hop-driven bitterness and a dry finish, reminded us that this is an American Pale Ale at its core. This one is also less bitter and more drinkable compared to the standard American IPAs. Enjoy this with a greasy burger or pizza. Excellent.
View this post on Instagram
