Matilda Bay Brewing Company Alpha Pale Ale

I finally got my hands on some of this much-hallowed brew, and I must say its been worth the wait.

The beer poured a bright-copper tone into a stemmed Pilsner glass (new glass, yay). The tight white head has settled slightly but is still lacing my glass as I drink. Very attractive.

The aroma is a blend of tropical fruits and old-fashioned biscuits my grandma used to bake when I was little. Very slight hints of honey and even almond, maybe.

The taste is sublime. Clean, sweet fruits. Deep, warm malt. Well balanced bitterness that reminds me of a fresh grapefruit on a hot summer morning. The honey I thought I picked up earlier has made itself known now. Mmmmmmmmm....

This is by far one of the best Aussie craft beers I have had.

Stopped in to the Grand Central Platform and ordered a schmiddy of this ale as I'd heard mostly all good things about it. Being familiar with many of the northwest USA craft brews, I had to compare.

The glass came with a thich centimetre of near-white head, and the colour was a golded bronze. My only complaint was it was served way too cold, so I let it sit a bit to sweat the glass and warm some. It had a strong, citrus hop aroma that got stronger after the head settled some. The flavour carried it through, and was hoppy enough to compete with Redhook's Longhammer  IPA and Pyramid's Thunderhead IPA, both decent larger craft brewery beers made in the northwest. It didn't seem as malt-balanced as a Georgetown Brewing's Manny's or Deschutes Morror Pond Pale ale, but it was an exceptional beer.

I knocked a point off due to its priceand availability. I can't hold the beer responsible for that, but it does make it a bit harder for me to drink. Unfortunately, I was waiting for my wife to finish with a job interview and she called when I was only halfway done with it, so I had to down the second part and hit the pavement as we were to meet at the Brewhouse (R.I.P.)

Well I'm no expert but after reading Nathan's review I had to get my hands on some of this fine beer. After opening the bottle I noticed a fruity smell and the aroma lasted right until the end of the bottle.

It tasted both fruity and bitter but was a nice mix of the two with a great aftertaste. It took me a few mouthfuls to really grasp the taste but now I'm hooked. However given the price I found it at ($25 for a 6 pack ) and it being the last in the town I'll just save these for special occasions.

Full marks to this beer much nicer than the Beez Neez i sampled last week.

Sweet, fruit and hoppy is a perfect way to describe a Pale Ale in my books and the subtle hints of Orange or Mandarin top off a perfect aroma for the Alpha Pale Ale. It pours with a rich creamy head which sits proudly above a well carbonated Beer. My only comments here are that it appeared darker than what I expected from a Pale Ale, but it is still inviting to the eye.

The first taste provides a complex and difficult to summarise taste that requires a second sip to get your 'mouth' around all the flavours present. A high bitterness that is partially balanced by malty undertones and cirtus flavours leaves a perfect fruity bitterness as an aftertaste. Possibly the perfect Pale Ale?

If not this is an excellent complex Beer that demands a high price tag, but delivers high quality and meets the requirements (in my opinion) for a Brewers Reserve.