The king of pale ales

Sierra Nevada Pale Ale was on sale today at my Publix, so I bought two six-packs. Drinking one got me to thinking about American pale ales, which are usually hoppier versions of British pale ales. They combine a nice malt flavor with a good amount of hop flavors and bitterness.

Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale is the standard by which all other pale ales are judged. They essentially created the style years ago with their flagship beer.

Some of my notes -- from 2004!

Pours a nice amber/copper color with a beautiful head that reduces to just a layer of foam. There's a bit of hop aroma, along with some malt smells and some weird things I can't identify.

The taste is good and well-balanced between sweet and bitter. Not being an IPA, it isn't bitter.

The body is good, too. Not too heavy but far from light.

This beer is available just about everywhere and you can't go wrong with it. It's a good beer for both beer geeks and newbies, and can be a great gateway to hoppier brews.