St. Alphonzo - Cambridge Brewing Company

Damian

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Drank on-tap at Lord Hobo, Cambridge, MA
Served in a pint glass

The beer poured a bright, clear, golden yellow color with a small, flimsy, white head. Streaky lacing trickled down the glass.

The aroma was incredibly mild initially. Slightly sweet and grainy. As the beer warmed, the nose really came forth. Citrusy (orange peel was most apparent), snappy and clean. A Belgian yeast quality was noticeable. Semi-sweet with notes of pale candi sugar.

The taste definitely was more interesting than the aroma. Snappy, clean and bright. Pale malts and citrus notes (orange zest and lemon) came came through up front along with some Belgian yeastiness. Spicy in the center. The finish was crisp, clean, dry and quite hoppy for the style. The hops were earthy, herbal and slightly citrusy.

The mouthfeel was spot-on for the style. Frothy and creamy yet lighter bodied. A fine, lively carbonation coated my tongue like a blanket.

St. Alphonzo is a crisp, clean and refreshing Belgian pale ale. With the hop profile such that it is, this is unquestionably an American take on the style.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2009 22:23:29 | More by Damian

GratefulBeerGuy

New Hampshire

4.33/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This is a Belgo-American hoppy single ale!

A beautiful dark gold color, easy 1" head, fluffy, crystal white, great retention.

Big whiff of fresh hops, earthy, piney, no bitter edge. The aroma has a nice hoppy complexity with some gentle red fruits later on.

This one is crispy, very hearty flavor and very light malt allows the combo of hops to really shine. major earthy dryness and in-balance piney bitterness that is never too much. The Belgian yeast is mild but stays true to the balance of the beer which is hop-heavy. I'm always amazed at the solid balance of CBC's brews. Just Masterful. The hops become spicey as it warms slightly which is a really nice effect with the crispy and light feeling pale malt.

I must admit, the lower abv% really allows the hops to flourish without the intense bitterness a higher abv can provide. Session all-day!

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2009 16:49:02 | More by GratefulBeerGuy