in the light of evening

Oh dear, more pale beers!  This Hoppy Pilsner is from a new discovery, thanks to the calendar, Hoppit.  Their last contribution was quite pleasing, although no stout.  Now that the rain has stopped it's starting to head towards more wintery temperatures around here, so a darker beer would be appreciated, but the extra light of La Llum might just be the thing to brighten my evening.

Pale, yellowy gold, pure white foam on top, it's definitely a pilsner.  It's a little bit sharper and citrusier in smell than what I expect from regular pilsners.  It is also very sharp in taste.  It reminds me of a lemon candy, sour and puckery and first, but smoothed over with a sweet tail-end.  It has a modern touch, not nearly the level of bitterness that more traditional pilsners have, a sting that pushes it towards IPA territory.  

the shining

Oh well, back to pale ales I guess.  It's not a familiar beer, Hoppit, but given the quality so far I don't think I have anything to worry about.  I feel like Ben Plantada American Pale Ale has some double meanings it might or might not want to share.

It is the very picture of it's style - clear golden color, almost whipped cream head, maybe slightly more citrus than necessary in the aroma, but it's fitting for an APA.  The flavor is surprisingly heavy, with a big load of mandarin.  It's not sugary sweet, but there is a good amount of fruit.  It's a pretty big feeling beer, a lot of sun and a lot of brightness emanating from it.  Despite the weight it isn't heavy-handed, just firm, a real pick-me-up kind of beer.  It's not demanding but good back-up.  On a rainy December night, it really lights up a room or conversation.  Well done, or should I say well planted?