All About Beer Magazine

Beer Talk

New River’s Pale Ale

Available: NC, WA, WV

• Charles Finkel

  A little pale for pale ale; the color is medium-deep golden. A creamy head dissipated quickly. Hyper hop-forward nose is herbaceous, unusual but not unpleasant. Hops also dominate on the palate, which is quite light, alas, lacking depth and balance. A very long- lasting aftertaste demands food, spicy food—like eggplant bharta, spring green enchiladas and Schezwan potatoes.

• Michael Jackson

  Smooth, white head. Both the color and the aroma are orange. Tangeriney? (Or am I being suggestive?) Firm, crisp, dry and appetizing. Light orange or apricot marmalade on toasts. Gently resiny, piney, cedary, sandalwood-like hop character in the finish.

• Stan Hieronymus

  If you’ve ever seen the picture of Kenny Lefkowitz with that goofy look on his face after the first batch of his beer was brewed under contract at Old Dominion, you want to like this pale ale. It delivers in hops, flat-out fresh with a fruity, citrusy, bright aroma that has my nose twitching. Delightfully American, but balanced with surprising British malt character. There’s a tear in my beer because Lefkowitz died of a massive coronary only months after New River medaled at the Great American Beer Festival, but his beer puts a smile on my face.