Berkshire Gold Spike Ale

I generally consider it one of my purposes in life to convert people from those "frost brewed" or high "drinkability" beers. The beer for today is my #1 most successful tool in converting people to the world of craft beer: Berkshire Brewing Company's Gold Spike Ale.

Brewed just a few hours north of here, Berkshire Brewing is only available in 22oz Bomber Bottles, 64oz Growlers and kegs. From this very small brewery, none of the brews are pasteurized so we always have to keep them cold.  Sometimes this hurts their cause as many people still believe the myth about keeping cold beers cold.

The Gold Spike Ale pours out a crystal clear bright golden color.  Foam was light to medium but as you can see by the picture it faded relatively quickly.  That being said, there was a significant amount of carbonation through until the end of my glass.  The foam is bright white in color but left behind very little (nearly zero) lacing. The aromas, well, it smells like a beer. There's almost no detectable hops and just a touch of soft sweet malts.

On the palate, the Gold Spike is crisp, clean, refreshing and smooth. There is a subtle touch of dryness on the finish, but for the most part the bitterness from hops is negligible. The malts provide for a lighter easy-drinking style of beer that I would classify into the very simple category of "tastes like beer."  This is the type of beer that Bud and Coors imitate, just a perfectly smooth and non-offensive brew.

To all my craft beer lovers out there, grab some of the Berkshire Gold Spike Ale next time you're headed to a party.  Pour some in your glass and pass it around when you can.  Whether you're handing it to someone with a "silver bullet", a "vortex bottle", a can with a blue tab, or another other sort of gimmick, the Gold Spike Ale always goes over well.  Then slap a bumper sticker on their car like my "Think Global, Drink Local"!

Berkshire Brewing Company
Gold Spike Ale
TCSH Rating - 9/10
Aka - A gimmick-killer every time!

Eli
Bibo Ergo Sum