Chain Mail Pale Ale Review

Have fun storming the castle!

Clad in a glimmering panoply of hops, Chain Mail Pale Ale is as balanced as a trebuchet launching notes of stone fruit, blueberry, and gentle malt sweetness over the ramparts. The Holy Grail of pale ales! Read on to get the full panoply on our latest Hop Box-exclusive Pale Ale!

Malts: Pilsner, White Wheat
Hops: Centennial, El Dorado Incognito, Mosaic Incognito, Mosaic Spectrum, Cascade

Chain Mail Pale Ale is a Hop Box feature. For our readers that don’t already know, talk about the Hop Box and let us know how Chain Mail fits in.

The Hop Box is a mixed pack that allows us to showcase all the different, interesting ways hops can be used in modern brewing. The beers in this pack utilize a combination of new varieties of hops, novel brewing techniques, and exciting innovations in yeast. Chain Mail features two exciting hop products pioneered by Haas: Incognito and Spectrum. Meant to supplement both hot and cold side additions, these products are made entirely of hops, using processes that concentrate all the oils and alpha-acids brewers want, while eliminating the unpleasant, vegetal flavors that can accompany whole cones or pellets.

Can you give a little background on Chain Mail? Was it originally a draft collaboration with the Ohio Renaissance Festival?

Located just outside of Cincinnati, the Ohio Renaissance Festival was already a popular destination for employees and their families when the idea for a collaboration beer came about back in 2022. Staying true to our hoppy roots, we decided that a refreshing, hop-forward pale ale would be the perfect choice. Originally an Ohio Renaissance Festival draft exclusive, we decided that Chain Mail is the perfect addition to our Hop Box. The beer is still available on draft at the festival, though, so go grab a pint and watch some live jousting!

Chain Mail is a Pale Ale. This is a pretty common style—what makes Chain Mail stand out?

Along with the innovative hop products, Chain Mail also utilizes a recently released yeast strain from Berkeley Yeast called Superbloom. Of the many flavors and aromas found within hops, terpenes, naturally occurring oils in various plants, are responsible for many of the most desirable. During the fermentation process, various biosynthetic pathways are active, meaning that more is happening than just sugar being converted to ethanol. Researchers at Berkeley realized that these pathways could be utilized to coax yeast into synthesizing specific terpenes during the standard fermentation process, adding to, or even replacing, flavors contributed by traditional hopping regimens. Orange blossom, geranium, lime peel, and lemon zest are all flavors that can be produced by Superbloom yeast alone, which we then enhance with innovative hop products to create Chain Mail. An article about how we utilize this unique yeast strain can be found on Berkeley’s Site.

What are the notable characteristics of this beer?

Because we use liquid hop products and terpene-producing yeast, Chain Mail has much less vegetal hop matter than a typical pale ale, giving it a lighter, crisper body than you’d expect from such a hoppy beer. The combination also creates a unique bouquet of fruit flavors, including things like blueberry and stone fruit, while keeping the bitterness low. All this comes together in a beer that’s full of hop flavor, with perfectly balanced bitterness and sweetness.

What makes you want to drink this beer?

Summer break may be coming to an end, but summer temperatures aren’t. Chain Mail is perfect for a hot, sunny afternoon at the Ohio Renaissance Festival, a hoppy counterpoint to all the malt-forward seasonal beers that start hitting shelves around now every year.

What is Chain Mail’s D&D class?

If I’m going to do this, I might as well do the entire party. Chain Mail, with it’s perfectly balanced malt and hops, would be a fighter. Truth, packing a little more punch, is a Paladin. Since many start their beer journey with American lager, Cheetah is a Ranger, out establishing first contact. Light, crisp, and refreshing, the cleric would be Cincy Light. Table Beer is a monk, made in the traditional Belgian way. Bubbles is a rogue. Night Whale, with its intense flavor and high ABV, is a barbarian. And, finally, Mushhushushu is a bard; it’s a bit over-the-top, and only shows up on rare occasions, but on those rare occasions, is exactly what you need.

Tasting Notes

Appearance: Light gold with slight haze and thin, white foam.
Aroma: Fresh blueberry, orange peel, and apricot, backed with hints of sweet, crackery malt.
Taste: Blueberry and stone fruit are allowed to dominate the flavor, met with mild bitterness and perfectly balancing sweet malt.
Mouthfeel: Thin, crisp, and effervescent.
Overall: Chain Mail is a light, crisp, hop forward pale ale that manages to pack loads of hoppy fruit flavor into an incredibly drinkable brew. Fresh blueberry, citrus peel, and stone fruit burst from the glass, met with the perfect levels of bitterness and sweetness, leading to an astoundingly refreshing finish.

What foods would pair well with Chain Mail? A giant turkey leg, preferably at the Ohio Renaissance Festival!

Ideal glassware for Chain Mail? A standard shaker pint, or your favorite tankard.