Judge's Review: 91 Rating - Upslope Citra Pale Ale by Upslope Brewing Co.

Upslope Citra Pale Ale by Upslope Brewing Co. is an extremely dank rendition of the BJCP 18B American Pale Ale style. Interestingly, while it is advertised as being Citra hopped, the hop character comes out more as a Simcoe-dominant offering.

Hop aromas leap from the glass upon the pour, literally filling the room with these dank hop characters, with Simcoe notes more evident than Citra. A very light malty sweet aroma is in the background. The beer is a golden color with exceptional clarity and a white, small bubble head with lacing that lingers well through the finish.

The flavor is dank, pure and simple from start through finish. Again, Simcoe seems to dominate over the Citra character. There is a very subtle malt backbone that cannot withstand the onslaught of the hops. The middle and finish retain the same character. The body is a solid medium, in large part due to the mouthfeel being delivered by all of the hop flavor, and the carbonation is moderate.

This is definitely one for the hop heads out there. A quibble could be that the hop character is a bit excessive for an American Pale Ale, but at the very least it is pushing the envelope in that respect. Cheers and enjoy!