Southern Tier Brewing Company's 422 Pale Wheat Ale

It was a good hour, and two beers in,  before I realized that 422 stood for April 22nd, Earth Day, to be exact.  Never mind that the beer's packaging was recycled in 100% post-consumer craft brown cardboard, with printed notes about being green, recycling, and saving the planet.

I believe 422 is a hybrid of barley based Pale Ale and a wheat beer.  I don't know the particulars of how it is brewed, but the characteristics of Pale ale and Wheat beer are both evident when you take a sip.  Depending on how much of a beer purist you are, you will either enjoy this funky mix, or find it disappointing - as it is neither Pale Ale nor a Wheat Beer.

422 is unfiltered, and pours from the bottle opaquely yellow with a very thin white head. The aroma is malty and ester-ly, with light banana and clove.

This is a very floral beer, with a citrus-y hop character.  Not aggressively hopped, mind you, just enough to balance the slight maltiness of the beer.  Is it me, or do I notice a nuance of fresh cut grass and juniper in there?  Mouth-feel is very rich, and it has a very clean and dry finish.

Overall, I enjoyed this beer very much.  I enjoyed this with some local cheese and sausage, and I think this beer would pair well with many foods. With it's clean finish, and 5.8% ABV, it would make a decent session beer if you found it on tap.

Southern Tier labels this beer as having "everyday availability," but I cannot help thinking of this as a spring seasonal beer.  Available on tap, and in 12 ounce bottles as a six-pack, as part of Southern Tier's 12 "Pack of Pales," or in a 24 bottle case.