Full Sail Hop Pursuit Brewmaster Reserve 2011, a limited offering from Full Sail Brewing, poured a cloudy, dull orange into the glass with no visible carbonation and was capped by a thin, soapy white head. The nose carried a surprising amount of malt considering the name, but carried peppery hop aromas in equal measure.
Full Sail Hop Pursuit Brewmaster Reserve 2011 opened with a crisp, citrus start with a smaller spice profile than inferred from the nose before settling into a warm, biscuit body. A light, lingering bitterness came in at the fade that brought the citrus a bit more forward but erased all traces of spice.
Full Sail Hop Pursuit Brewmaster Reserve 2011 is a good ale, and it would have been better served had I walked in with no expectations. Whereas the current craft trend is to shoot for the moon in IBUs for anything with “hop” in the name, Full Sail has created something more akin to a pale ale with an admirable malt profile than a big, Northwest IPA.
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