A couple weeks ago, a very good friend of the family came over with her two boys for a casual Sunday dinner (I made homemade pizza!). Since our friend is a huge Craft Beer fan (she definitely qualifies as one of Barley’s Angels), I took her visit as an opportunity to expose her to a couple of beers that I really enjoy, i.e. Maine Beer Company’s Collaboration Time 1 and Firestone Walker’s Wookey Jack.

While we were enjoying our meal, she asked how I find out about all of these obscure beers. I then proceeded to tell her that if you want to find out about all of the latest and greatest beers on the market, you must look to the Social Media outlets to find out what’s hot, i.e. the Craft Beer blogs, Twitter, and of course Instagram. Half Acre Beer Company’s Daisy Cutter Pale Ale is one of those beers that kept creeping up on the Social Media outlets, so when I saw it in the beer fridge at The Foodery during a recent beer run, I just had to pick up a can to see what all the fuss was about.

Here is a very brief description of this beer from the Half Acre Beer Company website:

A west coast Pale Ale chock-full of dank, aromatic hops. This one’s a screamer, horde it.

I told you it was brief. Anyway, here are my tasting notes…

Appearance: Pale orange color. Crystal clear with lots of big, fast rising bubbles. Thick creamy white foam that tops out at about an inch, then dissipates slowly. Moderate lacing.

Pale orange color. Crystal clear with lots of big, fast rising bubbles. Thick creamy white foam that tops out at about an inch, then dissipates slowly. Moderate lacing. Aroma: Tangerines. Honey. Tea biscuits. Bright, citrusy hops.

Tangerines. Honey. Tea biscuits. Bright, citrusy hops. Taste: Medium carbonation and creamy mouthfeel. Starts off with sweet and citrusy flavors aplenty (honey tangerine perhaps?). At mid-palate, the hop bitterness kicks in, but the sweet malts linger in the background to lend some balance. As you approach the finish, the bitterness becomes more pronounced (but never overwhelming). Dry and somewhat astringent with a slightly bitter lemon zest aftertaste.

Medium carbonation and creamy mouthfeel. Starts off with sweet and citrusy flavors aplenty (honey tangerine perhaps?). At mid-palate, the hop bitterness kicks in, but the sweet malts linger in the background to lend some balance. As you approach the finish, the bitterness becomes more pronounced (but never overwhelming). Dry and somewhat astringent with a slightly bitter lemon zest aftertaste. ABV: 5.2%

This is my second experience with Half Acre Beer Company’s Daisy Cutter Pale Ale. I first had this on draught at Tria during an afternoon mini pub crawl with The Alemonger. I am happy to report that this beer is just as good in the can as it was on draught. Daisy Cutter Pale Ale is very crisp and refreshing with a lovely balance of bitter and sweet flavors that makes each and every sip very enjoyable. Although this is a beer that I can enjoy year round, I really hope that I can track this down again next summer. You just have to love a beer that you can drink by the pool without worrying about broken glass. Well done Half Acre Beer Company!