Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale
February 5, 2007
Things happen when you have two kids under two, and I was unable to do any beer tasting until last night just after the Colts beat the Bears. I had been wanting to try one of Sweetwater’s brews for a while, and since I was wanting to add a pale ale or something like it to my reviews here. Plus the label has a rainbow trout on it, so I was hooked. (Pun intended)
I wasn’t sure I was in the mood for a pale ale. With all this cold weather, a porter or stout may have been more appropriate. But I sacrifice for you, so I went with Sweetwater’s 420 Extra Pale Ale. Sweetwater Brewing Co. operates out of Atlanta. Their beer is both brewed and bottled there. According to the label, this is “a crisp refreshing pale ale accentuated by a stimulating hop character.”
I went looking for a pint glass to pour this into and once again they were dirty. My wife insists on using them for ice tea! I washed one out, dried it well and went for the pour. It poured with a medium head that lasted an average length of time. The head was thick and cushiony, with very minimal lacing. Looking at the beer in the glass, it was a nice copper color, and you could see the carbonation was not overpowering by far.
On the nose, the hops were definitely front and center. Hints of citrus appeared, but flowery hops were the star of this show. The first taste confirmed what the label said: it was a crisp refreshing ale, and the hops did accentuate the flavor. In some beers the brewer takes the hops as far as they can and you’re left with a bitter, hoppy brew that comes across very dry. This is not a bad thing, when that’s what you’re in the mood for.
This brew, however, comes across well hopped but without the lingering bitterness or dryness. The flavor is mild and smooth….nice hoppiness without the bite. There are hints of other flavors as well, such as the citrus I barely noticed in the nose, but it is a subtle brew.
All in all, I would say this is a fine brew, very smooth and drinkable. This would be great on a summer Saturday standing at the grill as the sun sets, the steak sizzles, and the smell of fresh cut grass lingers in the air from your day spent behind the mower.
Recommended: Yes, a good solid pale ale that goes down smooth
Price: I paid $7.99 for a six-pack
ABV: 5.4%
Cool site. You write well about beer, lol.
Thank you sir….hope to add more reviews soon!
As you’re growing up as a teenager, there are a number of things that you look forward to; getting your drivers license,
graduating from high school, going to your senior prom, having your first date and having your first beer. The problem
with this last one is that the drinking age and the thing you want make it something that you just can’t have yet. And
still, you want it and will go to any lengths to get it.
Underage beer drinking is certainly no secret and to try to sweep it under the carpet isn’t going to make it go away. But
the most odd thing about underage drinking when it comes to beer is that even after kids sneak their first beer, they
still want to have another one. If you’re wondering why that sounds so strange then you need to think back to when YOU
had your first beer. It was pretty nasty tasting. Let’s be honest, beer is bitter and is an acquired taste. Very few
people, if any at all, enjoyed their first beer. Many even get sick after it because of the taste or the fact that
they’re not used to the alcohol yet.