Back in 2007, the Flat Earth Brewing Company made it's debut with the Belgian Pale Ale, and followed it soon afterward with this beer, the Angry Planet Pale Ale, originally billed as Organic, (it seems that that's gone away) and the Cygnux X-1 Rye Porter, not particularly in that order. (Which means that I can't remember.) I was going through this blog recently and discovered that I still haven't added those here. I haven't seen any Cygnus in visits to the store lately, but I did pick up a bomber of Angry Planet. And I've got this nagging feeling that I wasn't impressed in my original notes, so I've decided to write new ones and give this beer fresh eyes.
Appearance: Clear, bright amber color, slim, but lasting off-white head.
Aroma: malty nose, with herbal and nutty notes. Earthy. English pale ale /ESB aromatics at work here.
Taste: Sweet and malty at first, with just enough hops for balance. Loads of malt in the flavor, here, medium bodied, with a long, malty finish. Definitely an English-style pale ale. Good drinking. Solid stuff.
What's the label tell us? "This is what happens when Mother gets angry. Angry Planet is a crisp, clean and satisfying American pale ale. Cascade hops are the star of this beer, giving it an orange citrus flavor and aroma. The malt's character is restrained to let the hops shine through. Angry Planet goes well on hot summer days with fajitas, pizza and pad thai."
Man, did I get that wrong! American pale ale? Cascade hops shine through? Am I basing my perceptions on what the beer used to be, versus what's in the glass? But, that is what I smelled and tasted. Sure, it's tasting hoppier now than it did at first, but I'd never have tagged this as an APA before they told me.
Huh. How about the ingredients? "American pale, Munich, Carafil and wheat malts, Simcoe and Cascade hops, American Ale yeast and St. Paul water. OG-1.086, 14 SRM, 48 IBU, 6% ABV.
I enjoy those moments when I write my notes and the brewer's information reveals that I am correct. Then there are the times that I am left embarrassed. Or should I be? The dark malt character definitely threw me off and led me away from seeing it as an APA. And, frankly, I didn't feel the Cascade hops were really shining all that much. Maybe it's the inured hophead in me? (Or is this an old bottle? No born on date anywhere.)
Although, halfway in, I'm now getting the Cascade, I'm getting the orange. But blended with caramel malt.
Here are the original notes from July, 2007:
On tap at Acadia.
Cloudy orange color...did they leave off the filter for this one?...little to no head on this pour.
Aroma:soft citrus from plenty of hops. Lightly tart. Almost right for style, but a bit muted...I want it to leap out at me. Not the case.
Orange rind and lemon peel in the taste. Very bright, but with a smack of bitterness.
(I don't have a lot of info on this one, it's not on the Flat Earth website yet, and word from the distributor is that it's Federally recognized as "organic" and that it's "just tremendous." And further word on hops, malts, alc.%, etc. is left to our imagination and/or guesswork. )
Nice hoppy kick continues on the palate, citric sweet with a slight sour ( a little too sour, mayebe) twist. Medium bodied, plenty of texture, easy-drinking, but not too smooth, just enough tumble and tickle to keep this tongue happy.
Well done, but not quite there yet. That little sour trickle at the end starts to really bug me, and doesn't really help ensure total satisfaction. Almost my favorite Flat Earth brew, except for that. Perhaps later batches may reduce this flaw?
feloniousmonk, Jul 19, 2007
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