Back From Beyond the Pale 2: More Pale

After an extended jag of sampling more “extreme” beer styles, it's great to get back to the basics. As a member of the ale family — pale ale has a more robust flavor than a lager, but only just. Viewed on a continuum, pale ales are just beyond lagers in terms of flavor impact, and below hoppier styles like IPA, and maltier styles like porter. The moderate body and level of hoppiness makes pale ale a versatile beer. It doesn't have enough hops to scare off those with sensitive palates, but it has enough flavor to keep beer nerds like me entertained. The moderate level of alcohol typical of this style means that this is a beer with endurance-drinking potential. Last week, we sampled three pale ales from Maine. This week, we're going back to the well for more. Cheers!