Coopers Pale Ale

This beer signifies several firsts on the Creole Hops Beer Journal. This is the first bottle fermented beer I am discussing. Its the first Australian beer mentioned here. Its also the first beer that features the Pride of Ringwood hops, which is an Aussie specialty. And last but not least, this appears to be the first beer that is primed with beet sugar (don't quote me on that).

Pride of Ringwood hops are most famous for Fosters however it currently holds the title of having the highest AAUs which tends to be between 8.5 and 10%.

This beer tends to focus on light flavors. Absolutely nothing is overpowering. The head was also non existent after 30 seconds. The Pride of Ringwood hops are most evident when you swallow as it does pack quite a bite. There is also a nice, suttle fruit undertone that sticks with you after you swallow. The aroma is very sweet and almost citrus-like. The color is very milky and hazy. dispite being a Pale Ale, and being a light golden color, I was unable to see my hand behing the glass. This was ofcourse due to it being unfiltered and bottle fermented.
ABV 4.5%

Moon River SLO-vannah Pale Ale

So during my wife and I's yearly visit to Savannah Ga. we made a stop in their local brew pub/brewery Moon River. Due to time constraints, I would only be able to enjoy 1 beer so I asked the waiter for his recommendation. Of course he interrogated me about my drinking preferences, which change with the wind, and plugged my answers into his mental Beer-O-Rama. I was in the mood for a Pale Ale that was very hoppy but not quite an IPA so the recommendation was the SLO-vannah Pale Ale.



As the picture indicates, this is an extremely light colored beer that had a surprising caramel taste. There was almost no bitterness, to my chagrin, but there appeared to be a a fair amount of dry hopping that contributed to its earthy smell. The finish was crisp with a generous Allspice-like taste.

Perfect on a hot day. Not so perfect for a hop head.