Family Pale Ale Style English Pale Ale
Country USA (CA) ABV 5.5%
Price $$$$ Packaging 22oz/650ml bottle
Characteristics Bitter, hoppy, unusual, refreshing

Overview San Diego’s AleSmith prides itself in hiring exclusively from the ranks of homebrewers, and founder Peter Zien is a grandmaster-level homebrew competition judge. This may explain, in part, why AleSmith’s beers have little text on the bottles—competition beers are always submitted in unlabeled bottles.

Flavors and aromas This beer polarized our tasters. The nose has complex citrusy aromas that reminded one taster of Campari. The palate, with traditionally English carbonation, balances malt with potent bitter elements that suggest both hops and the massive mineral content of the brewing water. You will likely find this adorable or intolerable; we think it’s worth a shot.