Temple Pale Ale

After Gage Road's less than inspiring Lager, the decision was made to return to my go to style of beer - the American Pale Ale.  These days the APA market is as gargantuan as Felix Baumgartner's testicles, and breaking into it is about as easy as bobsledding down a sand dune.  Temple is a brewery based on the northern side of the Yarra, in the hipster haven of Brunswick, and they have written the word 'beer' in no less than seven different languages on the bottle.  Not unlike a menu from a Fitzroy restaurant.  They have a decent range of beers from what I've seen on the shelf, but this will be the first cab off the rank for yours truly.

The pour of the beer is admittedly underwhelming.  The initial appearance is attractive, like a glass full of darkened honey in colour, but the body does present a bit like Kate Moss after a 3 day bender where she's only managed to eat a Salada and three Tic Tacs.  There is no haze or granulated elements in the body, it's just a clear glass of beer.  Lacking is that solid oomph that the stronger Pale Ales tend to pull off.

Taste-wise however, it doesn't really take many wrong steps.  The supporting flavours are very delicate, which does work seamlessly with the smooth feel of the beer.  Imagine headbutting a silk pillow, covered in caramel, malt and nuts.  It's all very laid back, except for the usual life of the party.  The hops aren't hiding away in the corner, and are as pronounced as John Travolta's chin during a 3D screening at IMAX.  It feels slightly off kilter at first, and while the pendulum never quite returns to center, there's enough balance to earn a passing grade.  If you like a smooth, hopped Pale Ale, then this is a solid beer.  Those who are looking for more of a firecracker will probably be disappointed.

There's enough to go off here to say that I would be interested in trying some other beers from Temple.  There is a time and a place for everything, and while this would never be my first choice, on a hot day it would still trump the watery beers that most people go for under these conditions.  I'm looking at you Corona.

6.5/10