Afternoon, beervolk. Just a simple, straightforward review of a simple, straightforward beer today. None of my usual odd, byzantine ramblings about obscure, wacked-out beers. You may notice that I recently passed ONE HUNDRED POSTS in the venerable Hall of Beers. I’m not going to make a big deal out of it* or anything. I’m a humble, beer-loving servant, beer reader. So I’ll just carry on. But props, yo. Props.

OK… Pete’s Wicked Ale. When Pete’s first came out… seems like about a decade hence (but likely that’s just when their distribution reached where I then hung my hat) it seemed like a quality micro-brew. Now, after the—most welcome—deluge of fine, hand-crafted beers, I still respect the beer as a good craft effort (their distribution reach alone makes the term “micro” inaccurate) that comes across more like, well… a good effort. It’s a good beer! It is. But it’s nothing wild. Nothing crazy. A good session beer; a great alternative to Bud Light or Becks or some ubiquitous brau from a B-List bottle shop… but… it’s just not very unique.

But damn, is it drinkable. The lightly roasted hops lend the brew a nice ruby-brownish color with a good head on top. The malt flavor is light and a bit toasty, with low sweetness. The hops are there in the body and finish, but very light. What this beer really is all about is right in the name… ALE. It’s not a style-bender or crazy sub-category or anything nuts… it’s ale. Not a copper ale, not a Scotch Ale, not an India Pale nor malty Wassail! It’s just got subtle but pleasant flavors of roasted barley and Brewer’s Gold hops married in water and brought to life by an unassertive yeast strain.

They can call it “Wicked.” I’ll stick with Ale. Captain OUT!

* but you’d better, man.