Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale: Plenty of Hops, Plenty of Malt
Jul 15 '08
The Bottom Line Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale is a nicely balanced version of the style.
Pale ales are common in England and there are many good examples of this style brewed in the British Isles. Here in the United States, pale ale is not as popular as lager and other styles, but most every craft brewer has taken a stab at brewing at least one example of pale ale and the American varieties often have a different flavor profile compared to their English cousins, usually with the pronounced taste of citrus hops. A good example of the American style is Third Eye Pale Ale, a product of the Steamworks Brewing Company of Durango, Colorado.
Basic Facts About This Beer:
Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale pours to a copper/orange color and a good pour will result in a sturdy head of foam that eventually collapses to a thin foam coat that remains all the way to the final sip. The nose of this ale is one of grapefruit/citrus hops, bread, and yeast.
Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale offers the flavors of caramel, citrus hops, floral hops, toasted malt notes, and a somewhat bitter, dry bite in the finish. The bitter finish lingers for about fifteen seconds before it switches back to a pleasant aftertaste of citrus hops.
Steamworks brews this ale using plenty of hops and a generous portion of malts. The alcohol content of Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale is 7.16 percent by volume and each serving contains a bitterness rating of 65 IBU.
Food Compatibility:
Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale offers a taste that makes it compatible with sharp cheeses and/or pungent cheeses like limburger and gorgonzola. It also matches nicely with most spicy fare as well as with shellfish.
Final Thoughts:
Pale ale as a style is a varied lot and many different pale ales taste completely different from each other. Basically, the English style pale ale tends to be a little softer and less hop- fortified while American versions tend to emphasize the flavor of hops. These are broad generalizations and there are, of course, exceptions to the rule. But this is the key difference between these two main classes of pale ale.
Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale is an American version of the pale ale style, and this is obvious from both the aroma and the taste, which emphasizes hops. There is certainly plenty of hop flavor here, with floral and citrus notes battling for dominance. The taste of hops is the taste that sticks with you, all the way through the aftertaste.
Even though this is a hop- dominated brew, one interesting note is that Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale also offers a substantial malt presence, and this can be detected quite easily in its caramal/bread/toasted notes that are all the result of the malts. Because of this malty presence, Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale is almost like a hybrid between an English and American Pale Ale. It is actually a very nicely balanced taste, and the aftertaste of hops is quite pleasing to the palate.
One surprise with this ale is the alcohol content. At more than seven percent by volume, one would expect a stronger presence of alcohol in the taste, but it is actually less noticeable than I expected. There is a bitter edge in the finish, but I can’t credit the alcohol for this. The hops seem to be most responsible for the bitterness. Given that the alcohol level is greater than seven percent, a stronger presence of alcohol was anticipated. Also, given this alcohol level, one might expect this beer to adorn the India Pale Ale label rather than pale ale. A little research on the internet shows that even beer experts cannot decide. Some web sites list Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale as an American Pale Ale; others list it as American India Pale Ale.
Overall, Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale is a very tasty pale ale that hopheads of all degrees will find to their liking. It is hop- accented, to be certain, but the contribution from the sweet malts keeps the hops in check, leading to a nicely balanced taste for pale ale. I’m going to rate Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale 4 stars out of 5 and give it an easy recommendation. It has much to offer, and its combination of crisp, toasted malt with floral and citrus hops makes it a good representation of this varied and sometimes unpredictable style.
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