Abita Brewing Company- Restoration Pale Ale: Not the encore, but a great opening act!

I made a realization today. I would be a shitty grocery store employee. The first rule of selling perishable goods, rotate your stock! Well I suck at that. I have about 30 single beers chilling in the fridge right now. Each time I get some new ones, others get pushed to the back. It is easy to get excited about new beers while others age. So tonight I decided to rotate the stock. First out of the (long overdue) gate is Restoration Pale Ale by Abita Brewing Company.

Restoration Pale Ale has a really cool story, but don’t take my word for it, read this, “Restoration Pale Ale is made with Pale, Lager, Crystal and Cara Pils malted barley. It is liberally hopped and dry hopped with American Cascade and fermented with California Ale yeast. The end result is a brilliant gold ale with a rich body, mild bitterness and a snappy fresh citrus hop flavor and aroma.” What is interesting about that you may ask? While nothing really. But what is cool is that Restoration was originally brewed to help raise money for Hurricane Katrina. They raised $500,000 in the process. Pretty sweet huh? Maybe their next brew will be called Oil Slick?

Restoration Pale ale pours a sinfully pretty golden-orange shade with a creamy and abundant head. I could detect hints of hops and a sweet citrus in the bouquet. The flavor follows suit. Restoration Pale ale has a bitter citrus bite, in a good way. There is also the subtlest hint of alcohol at the end that effectively cleans your palette for the next sip. And just enough to sweet-caramel maltiness to keep you coming back for more sips.   

Restoration is unfortunately not the sum of its parts. The beautiful aesthetics and intoxicating aroma had me drooling for a potential new beer muse. Instead I found a decent beer with an amazing presentation. Don’t get me wrong it its still good, maybe even slightly above average. It’s just not going to send anyone screaming into the hills anytime soon.

ABV: 5%

Consumed: Globe Glass

Verdict: Buy a Twelve Pack

Abita Brewing Company- Restoration Pale Ale: Faith Restored

After a string of some great weather and some bright sunny days, I have had the urge to go sans clothing and run around and soak up as much sun as possible.  Aside from the fact that my fat ass would be arrested and thrown in jail, my pale white winter skin would probably blind any creature that dared to gaze in my general direction.  So I decided that what my pathetic pale being needed (other than sun) was a refreshing Pale Ale.  I went to the beer box in the garage and opted for an Abita Brewing Company’s Restoration Pale Ale.  I have not been overly impressed with the two other brews I have tried from Abita but I am hoping that this one will restore my faith in this Louisiana brewery.

The Abita Brewing Company classifies this beer as a Pale Ale and their website describes Restoration Pale Ale as, “Restoration Pale Ale is made with Pale, Lager, Crystal and Cara Pils malted barley. It is liberally hopped and dry hopped with American Cascade and fermented with California Ale yeast. The end result is a brilliant gold ale with a rich body, mild bitterness and a snappy fresh citrus hop flavor and aroma.”  In addition the label reads, “Abita Restoration Pale Ale was created after back-to-back hurricanes devastated Louisiana.  With your help, the Abita Brewing Company raised over $500,000 for hurricane relief.  This brilliant, golden pale ale has a rich body, mild bitterness and a snappy, fresh citrus hop flavor and aroma.  Cold filtered and brewed in small batches using no additives or preservatives, the Abita Brewing Company is proud to be Louisiana True.”

Restoration Pale Ale poured a crystal clear golden color with a 1” off white head, has a citrusy hop aroma and comes in at 5.0% ABV.

Well, Restoration Pale Ale has officially restored my faith in Abita.  This is a good pale ale with a lively citrus flavor and would easily be a good session beer.  It is easy drinking as it is light in taste but not in flavor.  The balance between the citrus & hop flavors, as they dance across your palette, give you a crisp refreshing feel.  An overall good beer if you’re in the mood for an easy drinking pale ale.

ABV: 5.0%

Consumed: New Belgium Globe Glass

Verdict: Buy A Twelve Pack