Over the weekend I finally drank that bottle of Big Bay's Boatilla Amber Ale that's been in my refrigerator. I liked their Wavehopper Kölsch quite a bit so I was looking forward to tasting Big Bay's other brew.
Boatilla poured a nice head which lasted a long time. With its deep amber color, it sure made for a pretty glass which I think you can see despite my piss-poor photography skills. It had a very sweet aroma – like smelling caramel – with just a hint of the German hops.
Right out of the cooler the taste was just like the aroma. The sweet malt was prominent along with those caramel overtones. I had to wait until the finish before I could really taste the hops. BB says it uses Hallertau Perle and Hersbrucker varieties which are on the herbal/grassy side of the hop spectrum. The beer left an aftertaste of hoppy bitterness. Since I drank the beer out on my porch, it warmed up a bit and, as it did so, the hops began to assert themselves.
Boatilla seems to be brewed to style with an emphasis on the malt but I still found it a very refreshing beer on a hot day. It's not heavy or cloying on the tongue and the hops balance the sweetness. I suppose that, if you're going to go with a summer fun theme, you can't brew a particularly heavy beer. Perhaps, if they brew more substantial beers, they'll introduce an ice fishing theme.
Junk Food Pairing: Pair Boatilla with pungent root vegetables. I suggest Jays Onion & Garlic Ridged Potato Chips.
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