Introduction

Alec Stefansky started off the millennium by throwing his savings into the pot and making beer in it. Uncommon Brewers began in 2002 after Stefansky’s home-brew experiments in college. Pulling together a small band of beer lovers, UB bottles 11 regular beers and what once was teased to the public in small booths at brew meetups is now shipping across North America. Brewing in Santa Cruz, California, Uncommon has leased brewing time in Vancouver, to bring their beers to Canada, using locally sourced ingredients and controlling their carbon footprint. Uncommon continues to crush local and International brewing competitions and this beer will tell you why.

The Golden State Ale is a Belgian-style ale aged in oak Chardonnay barrels with wild yeast, producing a beer with warm base tones and snappy highlights. Serves well at 8°C and can spend a few months in the cellar.

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How it looks

Pour a copper colour with murky body and medium carbonation. A thick head of white foam retains its shape up top.

How it smells

Strong scent of rich bread on the top of this beer, along with some earth notes and nuttiness. The background has some citrus flesh and rind, floral hops with an almost sweet tone and a tickle of yeast.

How it tastes

Starts off with an almost sweet note as the combination of malt, citrus and floral hops highlight all their best qualities. But the citrus rind and poppy seeds are sitting one row back and get louder as the game goes on. The flavour shifts gears toward a sharper, bitter note, delivering the other side as the hops open up and evolve. The body is smooth and dry, but while the sweetness fades, the bitter note lingers on the palate.

Recommended food pairing

A smooth body and bold taste should get paired up with a pub favourite - the Fish and Chips. Golden batter, salt and vinegar on home cut fries, the best.