Brew Crew: Kliticat Pale Ale

Brewery: Alameda Brewing Company
Available at: Sherbrooke Liquor (11819 St. Albert Trail)

Apologies in advance, dear readers: this beer isn’t as great as it may look. Or smell.

The first pour is rich in a reddish-amber hue, and a sleek light brown head. It presents with a pleasant fruity aroma, arousing the suspicion that a mouthful of jubilation is headed your way. Stop reading now if you want to save yourself some disappointment. The ale has a firm flavour, rich in caramel and earthy spices, but drags its malty heels across your tongue for an excruciatingly long drawl of an aftertaste. This stouty quality turns what could have been a nice brew into a typical craft brew bottom shelf dust-collector. It may be that the hipsters in Portland are trying too hard.

Alameda Brewing Co. hasn’t completely failed here, it is possible to drink if you don’t mind pastimes such as shaving with a butter knife, or wiping your backside with sandpaper, so suppress that gag reflex and let it flow. According to highly-placed sources on the Google, Klickitat is a word from the aboriginal Chinookan language for “beyond.” As in, “Gee, this beer is beyond garbage. Pour it out so we can fill the bottle with brine water. Maybe we can actually enjoy a beverage for once.”