One of the joys and pains of buying beer these days, is that there is are so many interesting craft beers to choose from. Some are marvelous, some are unremarkable, while a few are wildly over-hopped, which some American craft brewers think is cutting edge. (It isn’t. It is simply bitter.) Recently, there has been a interesting shift of focus away from hops alone toward malt. All of which is long-winded way of saying that I recently came across the Cisco Brewery of Nantucket’s Whale’s Tale Pale Ale. Delightful. A richly malted ale with a complex fruitiness balancing nicely with the East Golding hops. While it is described as a British Pale Ale, it is best served cold. A very pleasant summer beer. This evening, I will be toasting Melville’s birthday with a Whale’s Tale Pale Ale.

Review in BeerAdvocate.   Review in the Village Voice.

Does anyone else have a favorite nautical themed beer?