This past weekend there was something of a mini-buzz around the very first release of Alberta’s first gypsy brewery, Outcast Brewing (although I am not sure the term “gypsy brewery” applies as he isn’t planning on moving around quite yet). First Ditch Effort Pale Ale is the first batch from Patrick Schnarr, the founder and sole employee of Outcast. (For background on Outcast, read my profile of the brewery here).

It is a small batch (9-55l kegs to be exact), meaning it wasn’t going to last long. Edmonton got a grand total of ONE keg, on the growler bar at Sherbrooke Liquor Store, which was tapped on Saturday morning. Consumers were warned not to delay and that threat was proven right, as the keg ran dry by mid-afternoon Sunday.

As it works out I think I was the very last customer to get a growler of the beer, having only been able to swing by on Sunday afternoon.

I tried it on Monday night (I had other things to do on Sunday). I fully recognize this is the VERY first beer from a brand new brewery, so I always set my expectations with that context. That said, I think the beer is worth writing about (even if you can’t even get it at the moment – although I assume you will again sometime soon).

The beer pours very cloudy (I think due to it being the end of the keg) and offers up a dark orange hue. It quickly builds an aggressive head that fills more than its portion of the glass. There seems to be an above average carbonation as well.

My immediate impression of the aroma is that is has a HUGE juicy citrus character with a hint of hop resin. Like a freshly squeezed grapefruit mixed with a bit of freshly picked hop. I can also find some soft honey poking out from underneath.

I take a sip and at first am not sure what to think. The front offers a light biscuit malt and a grainy sweetness. I wonder if the graininess might be a bit harsh. The middle opens up with a bit of tree fruit and floral honey. At this point the body seems surprisingly light. But at that point you get what your palate is waiting for: citrus. Grapefruit, pineapple and papaya all come out in a burst of hop flavour. I also get some resiny pine character. The bitterness is assertive and unapologetically American. The linger is also quite sizeable, leaving a grapefruit rind and hop resin note along the edges of your throat. The bitterness level seems in the zone for a pale ale, but the finish is moderately dry, which accents the hop character. I find a bit of harshness in that linger that I can’t quite describe.

The clear thing about this beer is that it is a very assertive pale ale. No question. Big hop flavours are the feature of this beer, and its best qualities. The aroma, I must say, is absolutely gorgeous. The hop flavour is both enticing and the central character of the beer. The grain reveals a bit of astringent harshness – not a lot but noticeable (for me) and the hops also offers a sharp, slightly pungent finish. Those might be elements that could be tweaked for the next version.

Also, I might be old school but I find the balance a bit out of whack in this beer. I still like my pale ales to be quaffable. First Ditch finishes moderately dry and the body is a bit light. I realize that is the in-thing these days, and so this isn’t really a criticism, per se, just an expression of preference.

Overall First Ditch is a good first effort. It makes me greedily anticipate the release of their upcoming Double IPA.