Try?
I’m always
encouraged when I see one of the big boys of the brewing world introducing
an attempt at a craft beer. That really means something to those of us who
enjoy craft brewed beers, and see them as an art form just as fine wine or
gourmet cooking can be. It means that the tiny segment of the market made up
by microbrews and imports is having an impact, and that the big guys see at
least some potential profit in entering that segment.
After all, beer sales have been relatively flat in recent years, and the only growth segment is in craft beer. And the figures there aren’t exciting either, but we’ll take what we can get. Still, the big brewers see the success of Sam Adams and Saranac and want a piece of the action. The latest attempt to cash in on that market is JW Dundee’s American Pale Ale. The beer is brewed by the Highfalls Brewing Company of Rochester, New York, best known for the JW Dundee Honey Brown Lager and Genesee brands.
Highfalls isn’t the first to take a stab at craft brewing, and they certainly won’t be the last. Those of us with a sense of beer history may fondly recall Miller’s surprisingly good Reserve Velvet Stout and Reserve Amber Ale. Anheuser-Busch countered with Elk Mountain Amber and Anheuser-Busch Special Christmas Brew.. Some years later, Latrobe Brewing of Rolling Rock fame outdid them all with a hoppy American pale ale, a spicy Bohemian Pilsner, and a smooth and creamy and well made all around Black Bavarian. A bock under the Rolling Rock name was less exciting, though still worth mentioning.
And now it is the turn of Highfalls. Their American Pale Ale is packaged attractively enough, in a shiny brown glass bottle with a smart-looking plastic decal label. The beer itself is brewed with an impressive hop bill: Tomahawks, Amarillos, and the ubiquitous Cascade. A surprisingly high 35 IBUs of bitterness are a result. For malt, pale and caramel are used. Alcohol is 5.3% by volume, about average.
When I popped the cap off my first bottle of JW Dundee’s American Pale Ale, my nose was greeted with a nice little whiff of piney Cascade hops. The beer poured to a deep orange amber color, and a thick creamy head quickly formed atop the liquid. A fine layer of Brussels lace followed the brew all the way down the glass.
The body of the beer has a good solid, slightly chewy malt character. When I say chewy regarding a liquid, of course, I’m referring to the slightly thick mouthfeel of the beer. There are notes of caramel in the body and some spicy hop notes, too. In the finish, a generous amount of grassy bitterness emerges and lingers on the tongue.
Overall, this is a pretty good effort, though I would like to see a bit more hop aroma and flavor. Still, this is a step on the right path.
Will we be seeing more beers like this from Highfalls? Possibly. In addition to the American Pale Ale, there’s an American Amber already on the shelves, and a survey on their website asks visitors to suggest other classic styles they’d like to see from the brewer in the future.
After all, beer sales have been relatively flat in recent years, and the only growth segment is in craft beer. And the figures there aren’t exciting either, but we’ll take what we can get. Still, the big brewers see the success of Sam Adams and Saranac and want a piece of the action. The latest attempt to cash in on that market is JW Dundee’s American Pale Ale. The beer is brewed by the Highfalls Brewing Company of Rochester, New York, best known for the JW Dundee Honey Brown Lager and Genesee brands.
Highfalls isn’t the first to take a stab at craft brewing, and they certainly won’t be the last. Those of us with a sense of beer history may fondly recall Miller’s surprisingly good Reserve Velvet Stout and Reserve Amber Ale. Anheuser-Busch countered with Elk Mountain Amber and Anheuser-Busch Special Christmas Brew.. Some years later, Latrobe Brewing of Rolling Rock fame outdid them all with a hoppy American pale ale, a spicy Bohemian Pilsner, and a smooth and creamy and well made all around Black Bavarian. A bock under the Rolling Rock name was less exciting, though still worth mentioning.
And now it is the turn of Highfalls. Their American Pale Ale is packaged attractively enough, in a shiny brown glass bottle with a smart-looking plastic decal label. The beer itself is brewed with an impressive hop bill: Tomahawks, Amarillos, and the ubiquitous Cascade. A surprisingly high 35 IBUs of bitterness are a result. For malt, pale and caramel are used. Alcohol is 5.3% by volume, about average.
When I popped the cap off my first bottle of JW Dundee’s American Pale Ale, my nose was greeted with a nice little whiff of piney Cascade hops. The beer poured to a deep orange amber color, and a thick creamy head quickly formed atop the liquid. A fine layer of Brussels lace followed the brew all the way down the glass.
The body of the beer has a good solid, slightly chewy malt character. When I say chewy regarding a liquid, of course, I’m referring to the slightly thick mouthfeel of the beer. There are notes of caramel in the body and some spicy hop notes, too. In the finish, a generous amount of grassy bitterness emerges and lingers on the tongue.
Overall, this is a pretty good effort, though I would like to see a bit more hop aroma and flavor. Still, this is a step on the right path.
Will we be seeing more beers like this from Highfalls? Possibly. In addition to the American Pale Ale, there’s an American Amber already on the shelves, and a survey on their website asks visitors to suggest other classic styles they’d like to see from the brewer in the future.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
