Brau Brothers Brewing Company- Pale Ale: Never look a gift beer in the mouth.

I must tip my hat to Jason for this beer, as it is a gift from his friends’ ample Great Northern road trip this summer. Brau Brothers is from Lucan, Minnesota a town with a population of roughly 220 people.  Let’s hope that small town charm and hospitality made its way into this bottle.

During the initial pour this is a pretty standard pale ale, hence the lackluster and unoriginal name I guess. It is a light orange/ rusty color with almost no head. The carbonation was active but had oddly small bubbles and a plethora of sediment floating around in the glass. Check out the Brau self write up, “This is an excellent session beer that requires little attention.”

I could not possibly agree more. This beer is like pale ale 101. You know that class you only took to meet stupid and easy Freshmen Chicks. Brau Brothers Pale Ale is one of the most “cookie-cutter,” by the books brews on this planet. Some pale malt, a splash of cirusy hops and voila, you have a beer that tastes like any hack could home brew. But The Brau Brothers said it best themselves, this beer requires little attention.

ABV: 5.0%

Consumed: Pint Glass

Verdict: Bum one from a friend

Brau Brothers Brewing Company- Pale Ale: One Bland Brew

Thursday September 2nd - Ah yes, another brew from my friends Tracy and Adam.  This time it’s a Craft Beer from a stop they made while in Minnesota.  They picked up 5 different brews while at 1st Grand Avenue Liquors in St. Paul.  I decided to go with the one brew of the 5 that was actually from Minnesota.  My choice for the evening is Brau Brothers Brewing Company’s Pale Ale.  Brau Brothers is located in Lucan, MN which boasts a population of 220.  Brau Bros’ Pale Ale is poured and ready.

Brau Brothers Brewing Company classifies this brew as a Pale Ale and their describes Pale Ale as, “Brau Pale Ale is your everyday drinking ale.  Pale malt gives way to generous amounts of Centennial and Cascade hops.  These American hops are noticeably citrus and floral.  Dry Hopping carries the flavor from beginning to end.”  The website goes on to state, “Brau Pale Ale pours a light gold in color with a tight and sustained head.  Pint glasses have a great surface area to disperse the citrus aroma with grassy floral notes.  This is an excellent session beer that requires little attention.”

Pale Ale pours an unfiltered golden color with a minimal ¼” off white head.  The aroma is rather bland and dominated with heavy pale malt and bready scents and a very faint citrus hint in the background.

 I am a huge fan of Pale Ales.  However, this Pale Ale’s flavor is as bland as its aroma and seems very basic.  If you like basic and simple then Brau Bros’ Pale Ale is for you.  I on the other hand, like my Craft Beers to have a personality and some character.  There has to be something that stands out and makes it unique, the only thing that stands out about Brau’s Pale Ale is that it doesn’t.  I was really hoping for something spectacular based on the description on the Brau Brothers website but was left rather disappointed.  You can give this one a try if you want but I would recommend grabbing a Three Floyds Alpha King or a Sun King Osiris Pale Ale if you want a pale ale that truly kicks ass.

ABV: 5.0%

Consumed: New Belgium Globe Glass

Verdict: Bum One From A Friend