When you seek the company of an ale, you are not looking for a friendly beer. If you want comfort, drink a longer. If you want super sweet, drink some wine with the ladies. Ales are known for their mean disposition. If you need a good kick, a pale ale is the way to go. There are a number of different types and styles of pale ales. It can be difficult knowing which one to choose. Here are some tips when you are looking for the meanest pale ale.

Taste

A good ale is bitter. A truly mean ale is bitter and includes some earthy natural tones. It creates a perfect balance of sweetness and hoppy bitterness. If your ale is too bitter, it lacks the sweet malt backbone necessary to support the high quantity of hops. If it is too sweet, then it lacks enough hops.

Aroma

You should be able to smell the hops before you even drink the ale. Sometimes, brewers will “dry hop” the ale after fermentation. This adds that distinct aroma you want in a an ale. The added hops will not increase the bitterness, only the smell.

Alcohol content

Ales typically have a higher than average alcohol content. A really mean ale is no exception. The alcohol content of a quality pale ale is high in comparison to other beers. Drink a few, and you should be able to tell if the alcohol content is high enough to label an ale as truly mean.

Color

There is a huge variety in pale ales. They all tend to have one thing in common, they are pale in color. This is because pale malt is used. The color typically does not influence the meanness of an ale. It could be any shade of pale and be quite mean.

It is not difficult to find a pale ale that will give you a good smack when you need it. Take the time to try different styles and find the one that best suits you. Women have to kiss a lot of frogs before they find a prince. You may have to try a lot of ales to find the meanest one.