Naked Pig Pale Ale brewed by the Back Forty Beer Company - Gadsden Alabama
Naked Pig is a delightfully crisp, hand crafted ale. The German malts
provide a perfect balance to the five hop additions that go into every batch
we make. This American pale ale is tasty enough for any craft beer newcomer,
while the complex character is sure to please even the most discerning craft
connoisseur. So get naked and enjoy!
Beer Review by Beer
Advocate
Appearance: Pours really nice. The body is a wonderful orange/copper color that
really brings out some orange hues when the light hits it. Body is clear with a
hefty amount of carbonation moving around in there. The head built easily and
beautifully. Got about 2 1/2 fingers of pristine and thick foamy white head.
Retention was wonderful and lasted the entire experience, tossing up some decent
lacing as well. This is a good start.
Aroma: This has a pretty hearty dose of hops in here. Good amount of citrus and
floral hops. Getting notes of lemon, grapefruit, and orange meat and zest. There
is some balance here with some biscuity and bready malt presence. Nothing crazy
sweet but it does cut the hops a bit in the nose. Very nicely done and very
pleasant to stick your nose in the glass.
Taste: Not much unlike the nose and quite good. There is just a great sharpness
and bite to the citrus hops in here. They come across as mostly grapefruit with
a little bit orange notes. Just nice and lightly bitter at times. The malts are
there as well but they aren't as balancing as in the nose. The biscuity presence
cuts it a bit, but this beer is mostly about the hops than it is about balance
and I dig that.
Mouthfeel: Nice and light with a little bit of creamy texture to it. Carbonation
is a little on the high side but it makes for a crisp and refreshing feel. ABV
is slightly noticeable but nothing crazy. Pretty well hidden. Bitter on the
palate but not out of hand. Aftertaste is all citrus hops.
Overall: Gotta say that everytime I get the chance to drink this beer, I get
excited all over again. It is very well put together and damned tasty. It looks
great, smells great, and tastes great. Its an APA that is a little heavy handed
on the hops, but I think it works awesomely in this beer. I started drinking
them after cutting the grass and kept downing bottles all the way through
dinner. Just and easy drinker that is refreshing and not going to kill your
palate, but it well satisfy you if you have a yearning for hops as well. Great
beer. Can't wait to see what else this brewery will be doing soon.
Back Forty Beer
Company
Jason Wilson and Zach Folmar were originally inspired with the idea of Back
Forty Beer Company in 2003 while visiting family in the small ski town of
Crested Butte, CO. While dining out one evening, the two men struck up a
conversation with the Master Brewer at the town’s local brewpub. The
conversation quickly moved to the back of the Brew house and lasted well into
the early hours of the morning. They left the pub that evening with a vision of
bringing great craft beer back to the state of Alabama.
In 2007, after years of developing the concept, the duo enlisted the services of
Montgomery, Alabama resident Jamie Ray as Brewmaster for the operation. Jamie
brings with him over twenty years of experience in the brewing profession,
including several medals at the Great American Beer Festival in Denver, CO.
 
Jamie immediately began working on a series of test recipe’s that would
eventually become the craft beers that you see on the shelf today under the Back
Forty name. Jamie has over 200 recipes in his range, which means Back Forty will
be able to continuously release innovative and creative beers for a long time to
come.
In 2008, Back Forty began working with the Mindvolt Agency in Athens, AL on
label and packaging designs for the release of their debut offering, Naked Pig
Pale Ale. Mindvolt continues to be the exclusive designer of Back Forty Beer
Company’s artwork and web space.
In March of 2009 Back Forty Beer Company was founded in Birmingham, AL, with the
assistance of David Carn. David is a great friend of the founders and practicing
attorney with Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz in Birmingham, AL.
In April of 2009, a deal was reached with the Alabama Budweiser network for
statewide distribution of Back Forty’s products. This resulted in the creation
of Alabama’s only craft brewery with distribution throughout the state.
After several months were spent obtaining licenses and permits, Back Forty Beer
Company offered its first public samples of Naked Pig Pale Ale at the Magic City
Brewfest in Birmingham, AL. This date was also significant, as it was the first
time craft beer that exceeded 6% alcohol was allowed to be sold in Alabama.
The beers were initially brewed exclusively at Lazy Magnolia Brewery in Kiln,
MS, while Back Forty selected a site and equipment for their permanent facility
and should be in operations shortly.
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