Tasting March Haters Ale

This last weekend I finally opened a bottle of my March Haters Ale (B4), an American Pale Ale based on Jamil Zainesheff's recipe from his Brewing Classic Styles book.

As you may recall, this was my first all-grain brewed beer, which means that I milled the American two-row and German Munich barley and I mashed the grain to convert starches. All-grain brewing takes longer but gives the brewer more control of the beer and tends to produce better tasting results.

Foamy

Appearance: The beer has caramel color. The bottle I opened had ample carbonation. I had to pour, wait for the head to fall, then pour some more. I've noticed that some beers have a lot of carbonation and other don't have much. Maybe the sugar-water mixture I use to prime my bottles is not evenly dispersed.

Aroma: Smells much like the fruit flavors in the taste.

Flavor: The flavor is rather smooth; there is no harsh bitterness. The malt flavor is balanced by the hops, but the hops do not have a strong presence. I taste some grape, plum, or apple flavor. The taste ends with a malty coffee flavor as opposed to an earthy or citrus hop flavor.

Mouth feel: The beer has a good medium body. It is not thin or watery. Decent carbonation. As it warms, the liquid seems to thicken.

Overall: The beer is my best so far. No off-flavors or astringency. The beer is more robust and has more complexity. Maybe the beer could have used more IBUs due to the significant grain bill and gravity. I certainly can't fault Jamil's recipe though. I'm sure any shortcomings derive from my beginner mash process, which may have caused the fruit flavors. 

Good American Pale Ale Color