Widmer’s Drifter

The 2009 BJCP style guide  lists ten (by my possibly flawed count) variations on Pale Ales. This includes the venerable India Pale Ale (and a separate entry for it’s hoppilicious American counterpart). IPAs, in my estimation, tend to be like their British and International Pale Ae counterparts: dry with a crisp and floral hop character. Of course, IPAs tend to have the malt-backbone necessary for their extra hoppiness, but it is all proportional. I don’t think of the style as malty, citrusy, or full-bodied.

However, Widmer’s Drifter surprised me enough to make me take a look at the style guidelines. For an advertised Pale Ale, it’s got an awesome malt back bone and absolutely perfect citrus notes. The citrus notes don’t surprise from a brewery known for it’s hefeweizen, but the malt profile surprised–and delighted–me: lovely, full-bodied, caramel-ey, biscuity malt goodness.

Reviewing the BJCP taught me that the American Pale Ale styles deviate from the British precedent in their malt and hop characters:

American pale ales range from deep golden to copper in color. The style is characterized by fruity, floral and citrus-like American-variety hop character producing medium to medium-high hop bitterness, flavor, and aroma. … Low caramel character is allowable (10).

Drifter is all of this, perfectly executed. It’s on the dark side for a Pale, but the color is indicative of it’s light caramel notes and malt flavor. Perhaps a BJCP judge would find that the beer deviates from the style too much, but I think this is a really beautiful example.

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