JUNEAU, AK — With the new year, Alaskan Brewing is releasing a new beer – the rotating Spring Seasonal this year will be Big Mountain Pale Ale. Made with a variety of hops, its flavors range from tropical fruit to resinous pine.
“Big Mountain is a flavor departure for us, with a very new combination of hops that we have never used in our bottled beers before,” said David Wilson, Alaskan’s head of Quality Assurance. “The most distinct flavors and aroma come from Simcoe and Mosaic hops, which bring a stone fruit and berry taste and aroma, but also have a very complex nose and a flavor of tropical fruit and herbs.”
Wilson said Pale Ales are an exciting category, because they can bring a great amount of hop flavor and aroma, without the high bitterness levels typical of India Pale Ales. Alaskan Brewing already produces a very popular Pale Ale, the Freeride APA, which gets much of its distinct flavor from Citra, Centennial and Cascade hops. In contrast to Freeride, Big Mountain is slightly more bitter and higher in alcohol content at 5.8% ABV.
The name and label of Big Mountain pay tribute to the amazing landscape in which Alaskan Brewing makes beer – with massive mountains all around us – and to the adventurers who seek to journey into that landscape to climb, ride and ski the steepest chutes and most radical lines. Near our brewery, in the outer coast ranges of the Southeast panhandle, Big Mountain climbing and riding is how athletes describe the most extreme terrain.
Big Mountain Pale Ale will be available mid-January of 2015 until near the end of March, when our seasonal Kölsch, Summer Ale, begins to make its way to stores and taps throughout the 17 states where Alaskan Brewing currently distributes. Big Mountain will be sold in bottles and on draft.
More on Big Mountain Pale Ale can be found here: http://www.alaskanbeer.