Napa Smith Brewery
Napa, CA
Available: CA
The winemaking regions of California, such as the Napa Valley, also support a healthy community of microbreweries, including the new Napa Smith Brewery.
Alcohol (vol.): 5.3
Alcohol (wt): 4.2
Color: 16
Bitterness: 21
Original gravity: 1051
Layers of caramel, butterscotch, bread dough, apricot, golden raisin and a kiss of honey. Dry, citrus rind finish helps to balance the sweet notes. Plenty of character and thirst-quenching. This would be delicious drawn from a hand pump.
Those who drink pale ale for that familiar, citrusy American hop character had best look elsewhere, since the nose and body of this new California brew are more about lush tropical fruits like papaya and mango than they are grapefruit and lemon zest. That said, I’m attracted by its rich perfume and rounded body, with the full and malty flavor kept restrained by just enough hop to dry it out and bring it to a mildly bitter finish. Not at all an aggressive beer, I’d serve this with grilled and unsauced chicken or pork.
John Hansell is an equal-opportunity drinker. He writes about beer, wine and spirits. He is the creator, publisher & editor of Malt Advocate, a magazine for the whisky enthusiast.
Stephen Beaumont boarded his first plane at the age of 15 and hasn’t looked back since, obsessing about travel to the point that he gets nervous if he doesn’t have a ticket or two stacked on the corner of his desk. When he’s not running around in search of new taste experiences, he makes his home in Toronto, where a new cultural experience is only as far away as the next neighborhood.
