Brooklyn Brewery - Pennant Ale '55

I'd like to comment first on the phenomenal football games we've seen this past weekend.  Steve and I both went to Iowa State, and for us, the ISU vs. Iowa game is always the biggest rivalry of the year.  On Saturday these two teams fought an absolute war, and ISU came out on top after THREE overtimes!  It was epic.  Iowa Hawks suck.  I'm also a die-hard Northwestern fan, my cousin is a senior starting at Tight End (they call him a super back - watch for him, #9).  They beat Boston College in Week 1, and just whooped some ass against Eastern Illinois last weekend.  So overall, my teams are doing pretty well.  Let's keep this momentum going!

Tonight I'm going to drink a bottle of Pennant Ale '55 from Brooklyn Brewery in Brooklyn, NY.  Back in July, Steve raved about their Local 2 Belgian Dark Strong, and in April he enjoyed the Local 1.  Since we're approaching the end of the summer, I figured it's a good time to try this summer baseball themed brew.  This is a year-round English-style pale Ale from Brooklyn, and it commemorates the 1955 World Champion Dodgers baseball team.  It's a session, at 5% alcohol, and recommended to be paired with 'Robust Fish" and crabcakes.  What the hell is a robust fish?

This bottle is sporting a baseball-themed label, and states that this beer is best by Sept. 2011.  The beer is ever-so-slightly hazy, pure copper color with a creamy off-white layer of head the has no interest in receding.  The aroma is malty, buttery, with a decent amount of sweet fruity esters in there - mainly fresh plums.  Just a brilliant aroma, I keep coming back for more.  The flavor begins some mild fruits - apricots, apples, plums?  Some combination of those fruits comes to mind.  Then we move to more of a buttery toasted malt back that balances things nicely.  Buttery is a theme that I keep coming back to, both in the nose and the flavor.  The finish is clean and crisp, super refreshing.

Overall Rating:  My only regret is not trying this beer earlier in the summer.....if I had, this would have been a staple in my fridge!  Smooth, wonderful flavors, super refreshing - great beer.  Definitely recommend you pick this up while there's still some summer (and baseball) left.  A-