Catamount Brewing Company - Catamount Pale Ale

Catamount Pale Ale is a medium-bodied English Special Bitter (ESB) brewed with a combination of two-row Pale, crystal and caramel malts. Look for good head retention in this deep, brilliant bronze-colored ale. Immediately note a slightly fruity floral nose with a slight maltiness evident. Look for a medium-bodied, rich, malty sweet flavor in the body. Catamount’s Pale Ale is hopped with English Kent Goldings hops which contribute to its clean and pleasantly dry finish. Note a distinctive hop bitterness in the finish as well as a trace of caramel aftertaste. Overall, an excellent, clean and flavorful ESB. This beer pairs nicely with smoked salmon, duck, lamb, bagels and lox, or a roasted vegetable pizza.

Ever wanted to use the classic British pub line, "A pint of bitter, please. And one for the Queen as well."? Ever ask yourself just what the hell a Bitter is anyway? If so, we’re here to enlighten you. Included in this month's featured beers is Catamount Pale Ale, a fine representation of an English Bitter. Bitters are the most popular English beer style and the hallmark of English brewing. They are similar to pale ales, with the exception that pale ales have been bottled and bitters are usually dispensed on draft and by definition have slightly lower alcoholic content.

Since its release in 1995, Catamount Pale Ale has already taken the Silver at the World Beer Championships. Included in the judges comments on the beer were that it was well-balanced, clean, "bloody" smooth, and a stunning example of a bitter. As a product of Vermont's first commercial microbrewery since 1893, Catamount's win held special meaning for Brewmaster Stephen Mason.

You’ll also get a chance to try Catamount's Oatmeal Stout this month which was first brewed in 1996 as part of their Limited Edition Draught Series. It is now available in bottles and kegs as a spring seasonal. Stouts are Irish ales that trace their beginning to Dublin in the late 1700's. Irish "Porter" style beer was dubbed a "stout porter" by brewer Arthur Guinness. It was, in fact, a stronger beer than English porters were. The nickname stuck and Guinness' stout quickly became Ireland's drink of choice. A hundred years later, Guinness brewed nothing else but Irish stout. His brewery was the largest in the world at the time.

Stephen Mason is the Brewmaster and President of Catamount Brewing Company in Windsor, Vermont. Catamount Brewing Company was created in 1984 through a combination of public and private initiative, including private investments and loans from Vermont National Bank, Vermont Economic Development Agency, and the Small Business Administration. Within three years, Catamount was producing its first bottled microbrews. The company has steadily grown, and last year its expansion included a brewpub and restaurant. The craft brewery is located in Windsor Vermont in Windsor Industrial Park, which showcases handcrafted products from the state.

For more information about the brewery and scheduled tours, call (802) 674-6700 or check out their web site at www.harpoonbrewery.com.