East Coast (specifically their Hefewezien) out of Red Hook’s Portsmouth, NH brewery. They’ve been brewing since 1984. My college days in Eugene coincided with Widmer’s expansion in the ’90s—Hefeweizen on tap was as cheap as all the crappy domestics, so we were all drinking Widmer like it was going out of style. Ah, nostalgia.The bottle does refer to being “the original” Drifter Pale Ale—not sure what that is about.
Drifter has a hoppy nose with light, crisp, and toasted malt notes. Slightly opaque, it has a burnished amber color with a light off-white head. Beginning with a soft, clean biscuit malt front that is crisp but also lightly roasty, Drifter Pale Ale moves into a light hoppiness in the middle that is pleasant and well-balanced with the biscuit malt of the front. It closes rather clean and crisp—carbonation kicks in at the tail end of the middle and helps build the crisp closure. There is a bit more hoppiness in the nose than in
the body, but it is still solid overall. Drifter has a soft smooth body; there is some late crispness from the carbonation, and the sweetness does linger a bit, but not very long. Overall, Drifter is a very refreshing and enjoyable beer—well suited for late summer and early fall drinking.From the Widmer website: “With its unique citrus character, smooth drinkability, and distinctive hop character, Drifter Pale Ale is truly an original. Brewed with generous amounts of Summit hops, a variety known for their intense citrus flavors and aromas, Drifter has a taste unique to the Pale Ale category. True to style, the bittering hops are perceptible enough to give the beer a crisp, clean, quenching finish, yet also soft enough to keep the beer smooth and balanced.”
ABV: 5.7%
IBU: 32
OG: 14.0° P
Malts: Pale, Caramel 20L, Caravienne 20L, Caramel 80L, Carapils
Bittering Hops: Alchemy
Aroma Hops: Summit & Nelson Sauvin
Dry Hops: Summit & Nelson Sauvin
(9/21/2009)
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