Review: Stone Angel Blue Note Session Ale


Slide out the album, carefully remove the vinyl, place it reverentially on the turntable. Sit back, pour this beer, and relax. Let the music and beer bring you to another place. A lower alcohol ale with a distinct presence of Amarillo and Hallertau Blanc hops. 3.5% ABV

The first time I tried this beer was at Stone Angel back in April. I met up with a friend who I hadn't seen in almost 15 years so we had lots of catching up to do. Unfortunately I had to drive that day so thankfully the brewery had a wide variety of low alcohol/sessionable beers where I enjoy a beer or two but not over consume.

Appearance: The first thing I get is that the head is insanely thick on this beer to the point I had to wait a good few minutes for it to die down. Bright, cloudy orange body with a beige head on top. Lots of carbonation in the body and a lot of lacing on the glass.

Aroma: Leafy, floral hops, notes of grass, hint of dill, lemon, alfalfa and a bit of caramel sweetness from the malt.

Taste: Very leafy and floral-forward with notes of alfalfa, pine, a hint of woodiness, dill. The pine presence is quite bitter and leaves a lingering aftertaste. Moderate sweetness of caramel and a tea-like presence to it.

Overall Thoughts: Quite hop-forward for 3.5%, nice sessionable IPA that's decently sweet, tad tropical and hint of tea. Definitely much more aggressive than most sessional IPAs I've had in recent memory.

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