Sea Level Planters Pale Ale


This brew from the Port Pub is clearer than clear. It really is pale, as well, making me think a little more of a white wine than a beer. It does have a nice golden tint to it, though, with a bit of a peach hue. A finger's worth of white head drops slowly to leave a creamy skim on top.

There's a bit of a burnt rubber smell to it - it's almost borderline. Almost like a roasted aroma - a mix of some slight fruit notes and some malt, but a bit more like old, cracked tubing.

The flavour is something similar, unfortunately... so don't take this as an honest taste test of this beer. I've heard that Sea Level's bottled stuff can be hit or miss - I think I unfortunately got my first miss. I was looking forward to a lightly hoppy brew. This is so unfair. What can I pick out? Some malt, with a bit of a rubber band finish.

Mouth-wise, it's medium and a bit slick. The carb is/would have been fine.

Overall, a dud bottle. Very disappointing. The cap seemed to be hardly on at all... wonder if that wasn't helping things. I'm thinking diacetyl could be the culprit here - slick and a bit buttery. Maybe a bit of chlorophenolic to cause the plastic/rubber? Maybe autolysis? Whatever it is (I'm thinking most likely diacetyl), something went wrong, and I'm not happy. I hate pouring beer down the drain. I'll have to try it again someday, I guess...