The Smoothest Pale Ale to Date...

I never wondered why I became unusually interested in beer when I was living in Springfield. I mean, Missouri State was filled with beer drinking constituents. Sure, I had my fill of corn brewed beer, overly sudsy keg beer, and anything that was on clearance...but, I discovered, tonight, what it was that sparked my curiosity with hop water: Mueller Pale Ale brewed at Springfield Brewing Company. The first time I stepped foot in Springfield Brewing Company, I had been a beer drinker for only a couple of months. This was my first experience with craft brewed beer. I ordered a Pale Ale, drank it down like a good college boy, and asked for another. I didn't realize that many other Pale Ales were not so tasty and smooth...I had never tried any other Pale Ales.

So, today, I was in Springtown, and I stopped by the brewery. I usually do any chance I get, and I sample as much as I can while still being able to walk out the door. I always buy a glass, because they have these great pilsner glasses

with tiny mouths, that make you smell the aroma of the beer even more than usual...but they are made from thin glass and break often...so, I have to buy one or two every time. Anyway...I also purchased a 6 pack of Pale Ale, drove back to St. Louis, put one in the freezer, poured the liquid copper into a glass, and expected to simply reminisce...however, after sampling numerous IPA's, Pale Ales, and all sorts of other tasty micro-brews in the past few years, this Pale Ale from Springtown found itself parked in the front row (maybe even in the handicap spot) of my favorite brews. Yeah, it might be the history that we share, but I feel this was an unbiased sipping experience...in the familiarity of my living room, on a random Tuesday, I rekindled the old flame. It is "uncommonly smooth" (as the bottle says) and is "in the Pale Ale tradition of the Pacific Northwest, using a generous amount of Cascade hops." I would not typically steal quotes from the bottle, but they are truth! A tinge of caramel is there, but the citrusy Cascade hops win out in flavor...this beer reminds me of Bridgeport IPA...but better. Maybe it is the answer to Hamster's quandary of what happened to the Bridgeport IPA over the past couple of years...Springfield Brewing Company stole the recipe, and the Bridgeport folks were left to try and recreate the goodness. That's just a theory of how the smoothest pale ale I've ever ingested came to pass.

I have 5 more...slim chance I'll share...the closest replacements are 3 hours away...I will let you smell the empty bottles...