This brew is one from one of Nova Scotia's new breweries, Boxing Rock. This pale ale is supposed to have floral and fruity hops, and is brewed with green tea and citrus zest. Sounds intriguing... let's dive in.It's a very clear beer, with a fairly deep honey colour. There isn't much head, but what is there leaves some solid lacing on the way down.
I was expecting floral and fruity hops in a significant amount, but I don't get that in the aroma. There's some light floral / perfume-
y hop action, but not much in terms of fruit. The aroma has a strong dry grains / cereal component.
It is a bit pithy - perhaps from the hops, perhaps from the zest, but not very citrusy (esp. at first). If I drank this without knowing there was tea in it, I probably wouldn't have pegged it, but it's in there, playing around with those cereal / grain flavours hinted at in the aroma. As it warms up a bit / the more you drink of it, the citrus notes start to build a bit, making it a bit more bright and refreshing.
The finish is pretty clean, & ever so slightly bitter. The body on this one is fairly light.
I couldn't say I'm disappointed. It's not a bad beer at all. I'm not wowed in any way, though, either. I'd definitely try this again some time, to see if there are any differences / changes. Love the packaging.