Thousand Islands Pale Ale, Sackets Harbor Brewing, NY

There are not too many beer brandings I like as much as this. But I am a big fan of this place, the Antique Boat Museum at Clayton, NY, and also like the Kodachrome kitch as much as the next resident of the St. Lawrence valley. Mind you if the beer was hopeless I'd lack that warm fuzzy feeling I have for this brew. And I'd feel worse than that if I had to check in with four shops in Watertown, NY on Saturday as I did just to find this one six pack and have it tuen out to be a dud.

Sackets Harbor Brewing, sitting on the eastern end of Lake Ontario just about 25 miles south of me, added Thousand Island Pale Ale to its line up in January 2006 and are having it contract brewed at the Olde Saratoga Brewing Company, the fine folk who make the eastern crop of Mendocino Brewing's ale and lagers. The brewery says of this one on its website:

Our newest beer is a hop-infused American strong pale ale and uses English malts and assorted hops from the American northwest to give it a citrusy aroma and bitter finish. It's 6.3 percent alcohol, more than a point higher than most American premium beers.

I quite like this beer, green hoppy hot with a rich fruity pale maltiness. It pours sort of a light caramelized straw with a tan foam and rim up top giving off a snootful of marigold weedy hop. More hop than a pale ale but more gentle than the IPA of the 21st century. Only a few BAers have found it but they were well rewarded.

Comments

gr - September 10, 2006 8:01 pm

The wife and I are in love, with this beer. Being big fans of Pale ales, and IPAS, this is a little of both. It is my new ALL TIME FAVORITE BEER.
I am so glad we moved to NY state. What a load of good beer in this area.

Benny the RED - May 16, 2007 10:37 am

The complexity of this ale exhudes the character and grace of ales found in the olde country.

JIMMY THE ROCK - May 16, 2007 11:50 am

It is my favorite ale of all time!!! Ale is my life!! Sometimes the wife and I drive up to Watertown from New York City and stay the weekend just for the Sackets!!! Its worth the trip!!!

Benny the RED - May 16, 2007 11:55 am

You must try the ale accompanied by one of the specials by Jreck subs. It is truly sublime.

Alan - May 16, 2007 12:56 pm

Wow - I was sure you guys were some sort of spammer bots but you are both New Yorkers or at least your servers are.

Benny the RED - May 16, 2007 4:29 pm

Sir, when it comes to a fine ale such as this, one does not jest about it's stature.

Who-GottEN - July 19, 2007 11:29 pm

wow...my dad's been drinking these since our trip to the area in the late 90's... he was right.
I've tasted many a Pale Ale for somebody that's only twenty-three, but the color... pourability... THE SMELL!!! I wouldn't be surprised if I never buy Magic Hat again... (an obvioussly drastic overstatement)