Bear Republic XP Pale Ale

     Now it seems that the warm weather is gonna hang around for a bit here in Michigan it's time to start indulging again into lighter, crisper and refreshing beers. No, this does not mean that Smashin' Transistors is gonna start sipping Miller 64 (2.8 abv? Really? Why doesn't one just drink San Pellegrino with a shot of regular Listerine instead?) or some other nonsense though so don't fret.
     This bottle of pale ale from California brewery Bear Republic has been in my fridge for about a week. After a day of hard work of job hunting (Argh, don't even get me started on that what seems to be a handful of empty promises in this area that I have no other choice but to stay in for the time being) it got eyed up, taken to the porch and poured in a glass.
     Slightly hazy rich copper in color with a burst of bubbles rising to the top. Modest half finger eggshell white head that melts fairly fast, leaving a moderate amount of lacing behind. Looks nice. The malt aromas seem pretty predominant with a caramel notes on the nose. That is accented with the scents of freshly bread and a mix of fruits like strawberry and pineapple. Smells good.
     Unfortunately though the flavors don't quite meet the sight and smell presentation. There's bit of malt, a touch of hops but nothing stands out. It just tastes mushed together, lacking anything that gives it any distinction or levels of complexities. Reminds me a bit of a Bass Ale without the gazillion years of history behind it or it's slight bite.
     I really like some of the other beers Bear Republic makes but this one is bland and completely "Meh." It bums me out a little too as my brew budget is almost completely nil due to my current financial situation and I was really looking to this. It's not a drain dumper but nothing I imagine trying again.
http://www.bearrepublic.com/