Ballast Point's Yellowtail Pale Ale is "skillfully crafted in the style of the Kolsch beers of Cologne, Germany."
5% ABV and 23 IBU's
Review:
Appearance: Golden color, 1/8 inch head that disapites quickly. Somewhat opaque.
Aroma: Slight grain aroma... munich malts?
Taste: Grainy in the same way that Maui's big swell and Bikini blonde are grainy. Probably has Munich malts in it. There is also a slight tang to it. This sometimes occurs in lower alcohol beers. There are also some earth notes in this ale. Altogether, it is a mix of sweet and tart.
Finish: The sweet tanginess of this ale transitions into a nice dry hop finish.
(Side note: Ballast point also makes Sculpin, one of the best IPA's on the market.)
Overall:
The American craft and micro brewing landscape is one of amazing diversity and excitement. One could certainly argue that America is the best place in the world to drink beer, based on the available styles and number of breweries. It truly is a wonderful industry... but sometimes the ugly world of marketing and sales invades my beautiful beer world and pisses me off. This beer is a good example.
Ballast point Yellowtail Pale Ale IS NOT A PALE ALE! This beer is a Kolsch! There are defined categories in beer, and two of them are Pale Ale (BJCP 10a and 8c) and Kolsch (BJCP 6c). This beer is clearly a Kolsch, and as you can see from the quote at the top of the page, even the brewery says it is a Kolsch. (And a tasty Kolsch too.) So why then, are they marketing this beer as a Pale Ale? Simple economics-- Pale Ales sell better in the US and especially San Diego. Somebody in their marketing department, with no love for the honesty and integrity that has been a part of the micro-brew industry for the past 3 decades, decided that they could sell a couple more cases of beer if they put a different label on the beer and misled the public. That's not cool! If I want a Kolsch, I'll buy a Kolsch. If I want a Pale Ale, I want to be able to buy a beer labeled a Pale Ale and have it be a Pale Ale. Pushing the boundaries of brewing, and making hybrid styles is great, but that's not what Ballast Point is doing. Yellowtail is not a Pale Ale that tastes like a Kolsch. Yellowtail is not a Kolsch that tastes like a Pale Ale. Yellowtail is a KOLSCH!
I love a good Kolsch, but I won't support false advertising.
Hey Ballast Point! Listen up! Get some integrity!
To use your own quote, "Get the point?"
Barrel Man says,
"B.P. can go
F##K themselves."
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