Schlafly Dry Hopped APA - The Saint Louis Brewery, Saint Louis

My goal this summer was to try and find a Pale Ale that I genuinely liked. So I've been trying more than a few pales to see if I can find one that will change my opinion about pale ales. Tonight I decided to have Schlafly's Dry Hopped American Pale Ale. This has been sitting in my fridge for a little while, it isn't often that I drink a pale ale so when I acquire one it tends to sit around for a while. First impressions were pleasant. This APA is hoppy up front, but that's to be expected with a pale. It wasn't too hoppy... but hoppy enough to overshadow the malt and finish a little bitter. This beer tastes a lot stronger than it actually is. At just under 6% it isn't a terribly light beer but it tastes more like it'd be closer to 8%. This beer is called Dry Hopped because Schlafly adds extra hops to the beer after it's brewed to kick up the flavor... and it works. The beer does taste a little dry, not as much as a Sierra Nevada (which I think is too dry) but when that dryness combines with the bitter hops in your mouth it can be a bit much.

I'm generally not a fan of pales so I wasn't expecting to like this Dry Hopped APA too much. I actually thought I'd hate it, it seemed like something I'd never like... A dryer version of a pale ale? Not something I'd normally go for. In the end though, I liked this beer. It isn't something I'd buy a six pack of unless I new I could set aside the fridge space to store it for several months since it'd take me a while to get through them. The APA wasn't as dry or as hopped as I'd feared, which added to my enjoyment. This was a good drink that I wouldn't mind trying on tap to compare. Though I think being fresher would make the dry hops more intense... but that's kind of what I was expecting. I rated this beer higher than I thought but still a little low because it's not something I can recommend since it isn't a style I'm all that fond of. EIther way, if you like pale ales and you're looking for something a little dryer and more floral, try out the Schlafly Dry Hopped APA - you might end up liking it more than you think.