Ankle Buster

After our whirlwind trip up the coast I’m finally able to sit down with a few of the beer I’ve picked up from the breweries I visited. One of the first ones I’m opening up is  Pelican Brewery’s Ankle Buster Ale. At the pub a helpful server corrected me when I said it was a Belgian style ale and told me that it was instead a hybrid Belgian-English style ale. Seeing how I’m still fairly new to this I don’t have a clue what the hell that means but the Belgian side of it really shines through for me.

It’s got a great light amber color and is crystal clear. A hefty pour releases a great Belgian aroma that is very enjoyable. The CO2 release from the pour quickly recedes to a lacy ribbon along the edge of the glass.

The taste is incredibly easy to drink with a very balance malt to hop ratio and the spiciness of the Belgian yeast following it up. It’s got just a bit of caramel up front but it all quickly recedes into that great Belgian spice.

When I sampled this beer at the brewpub I thought it was the perfect beer for a post surf session  on the Oregon coast (yeah, I don’t surf but I can imagine). Even now it’s the perfect beer for today’s 65° overcast weather here on the Puget Sound. If you like balanced Belgian style ales and if you can find a bottle of this beer definitely pick it up.