Beer Review: Widmer Brothers Drifter Pale Ale

We travel up to the Pacific Northwest for our next beer review. Widmer Bros Brewing Company started in 1984 and has enjoyed great success. I especially like that their beers are never overpriced and far outweigh the quality of some of the more expensive stuff on the shelves.

 

With its unique citrus character, smooth drinkability, and distinctive hop character, Drifter Pale Ale is truly an original. Brewed with generous amounts of Summit hops, a variety known for their intense citrus flavors and aromas, Drifter has a taste unique to the Pale Ale category. True to style, the bittering hops are perceptible enough to give the beer a crisp, clean, quenching finish, yet also soft enough to keep the beer smooth and balanced.
2006 GABF Silver Medal Winner 

Availability:	year-round
Bitterness:	32 IBU
Alcohol by volume:	5.7%
Original gravity:	14.0° PLATO
Malts:	PALE, CARAMEL 20L, CARAVIENNE 20L, CARAMEL 80L, CARAPILS
Hops:	BITTERING: ALCHEMY AROMA: SUMMIT, NELSON SAUVIN DRY HOPPED: SUMMIT, NELSON SAUVIN
Goes well with:	A variety of fresh seafood and shellfish, but also has the malt backing to stand up to hearty offerings like grilled steaks.

 

Appearance: Pours slightly hazy orange with a small off white head.

Aroma: Floral and citrus hops, light caramel notes.

Flavor: Slight hop bitterness up front. Quickly turns to caramel sweetness. Finishes with sweet citrus hops and pineapple. Moderately sweet, the hops balance the profile nicely and have a great unique fruitiness.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with low - medium carbonation.

Overall: Extremely refreshing pale ale. The malt bill plays perfectly with the hops. The combo of citrus and pineapple is something that is very unique and I have not tasted a pale with that type of hop flavor before. This is a very good example of the style and what I would assume a showcase of the summit hops.