Elias Wicked Ales & Spirits continues to expand its line-up of relatively light beers with its latest pale ale offerings. For this outturn, head brewer Raoul Masangcay releases simultaneously both American and English Pale Ale variants. It is through these interpretations that we revisit two of the most popular beer styles in the world.
The first of the two is Mixtape, an American Pale Ale with 5.2% ABV. While this is the second release of the said beer which made its debut a month ago, it is the first big-batch release from Raoul. We will also include the pilot batch in the mix to compare it with the latest version. Moreover, released alongside Mixtape is Bitter Ocampo a small-batch Extra Special/ Strong Bitter/ English Pale Ale brewed with an English yeast strain and features among others the “ultimate English” hop variety, East Kent Golding.
Mixtape American Pale Ale ver. 1 (Small batch) (5.2% ABV)
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as an American Pale Ale (18B) 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
Slightly hazy pale gold color with a white head. Moderate aromas of ripe red apples, honey, and lychees come forward with a backdrop of dalandan citrus. This American Pale Ale is light-medium in body with a silky mouthfeel and moderate level of carbonation.
The overall flavor balance favors the hops over the malts by a thin margin. The hops seemed to contribute flavors of ripe apples, tangerines, and lychees. Meanwhile, the malt presence seems slightly sweet backed by toasted bread and some raisins. Bitterness is perceived to be moderate, while fermentation character is noted to be neutral and clean. Somewhat dry. The beer leaves the palate slightly puckery like eating lychees. A notable hoppy and toasty bitterness lingers.
Mixtape American Pale Ale ver. 2 (Big batch) (5.2% ABV)
TASTING NOTES
Hazy deep gold with a white head. Mixtape ver. 2 is evidently hazier than its predecessor. The aroma is moderately-low featuring guava, passion fruit, and some tangerine aromas. This APA is light-medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation similar to the first one. There is also a very light astringency noted on the palate. Quite dry.
The balance between hops and malts are almost equal. The hops may have contributed flavors of tangerine and lime citrus, lime peel, and hints of pine. Meanwhile, the malts may have provided a pronounced bready character, although this might have also been intensified by the yeast used. The perceived bitterness is moderate and manifests as lime peel and tea-like. The aftertaste lingers with the assertive bready character and lime peel bitterness.
Bitter Ocampo English Pale Ale (Small batch) (5.5% ABV)
STYLE GUIDELINES
This beer is being evaluated as a Strong Bitter (11C) in the context of the 2015 Beer Style Guidelines of the Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP).
TASTING NOTES
Medium-amber with a thick foamy white head. The first can we had on the day of the release poured slightly hazy, which is unusual for beers of this style. The second can, which was left in the fridge for a few days, improved on its clarity. The nose is composed of moderate aromas of passion fruit and lime with hints of caramel and toffee in the background. Very light impressions of alcohol are also noted. The beer is medium-light bodied with a moderately-low level of carbonation.
For the perceived flavor profile, hops and malts appear to be balanced but assertive. Possible flavors from the hops include fruity pears, light grape tartness, and a slight earthiness. Meanwhile, the malts may have contributed flavors akin to lightly-toasted bread, nuts, and crackers. The bitterness is a notch above moderate and surfaces as toasty, while the light fruity tartness is persistent. A bready character is also noted but does not seem to clash with the other flavors. Some herbal tones and very faint hints of alcohol add to the overall flavor complexity. Lastly, the aftertaste lingers with the familiar bready flavor with hints of lightly-toasted and herbal bitterness.
THE VERDICT
Between the two versions of Mixtape, we personally prefer the first version. Comparing apples to apples, we feel the first outturn had a cleaner character that allowed for the salient hop and malt characters to maintain a harmonious balance. The pilot batch also appeared to showcase more diverse hop characteristics relative to the second one and still remained very drinkable. The latest Mixtape tasted noticeably more bready than the first and this might be something related to the malts and/or the yeast used. According to the guidelines, bready, toasty, and biscuity notes in the aroma and flavor of American Pale Ales are allowed but are recommended only in small amounts. Although this character does not come off as distracting, lessening it could let more of the diverse hop characters shine through as in the first version.
Meanwhile, the Bitter Ocampo English Pale Ale gives an overall impression of an easy-drinking beer with lightly toasted malty characters and complementing bitterness, hop flavors, and fruity esters. Interestingly, both Mixtape ver. 2 and Bitter Ocampo have bready backbones but it appears the said character suits the latter better than the former.
There we have it– a tale of two (pale) ale (styles). These interpretations from Raoul are far from perfect, but they are definitely worth discussing. If you were able to try the two new pale ales, which variant did you prefer more, the American or the English one? Between the two American Pale Ales, which did you like better?
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