Three Notch'd The Ghost of the 43rd

When we picked up food for our in-room dinner last weekend, we stopped in the local beer store for a beverage accompaniment. I was in the mood for a nice hoppy, but low ABV Pale Ale with which to relax after the long day. The store cooler housing the chilled beer had a very limited selection. One of the few craft selections that seemed to meet my criteria was Three Notch'd The Ghost of the 43rd. It was a beer I hadn't had previously so I took a chance on a six pack of cans.

The Ghost of the 43rd is an American Pale Ale that checks in at a moderate 5.1% ABV. My first tasting of the beer was straight from the can. Despite the less than optimal serving method, I enjoyed the crisp citrus hop bite. Later from a glass, I was able to fully appreciate the appearance, aroma and flavor. This Pale Ale pours a bright golden yellow with a frothy white head. The aroma is bready malt with citrus and fruit notes. The flavor is slightly bitter, balanced with tropical citrus hops. There's a hint of vinous grape notes in there too. The finish is crisp and somewhat dry.

I was quite pleased with the serendipitous purchase. The Ghost of the 43rd is a refreshing beer with a pleasantly balanced citrus and bitter flavor profile. It hit the spot after that long day in class, and was even better when enjoyed from a glass, relaxing at home.

GABF Virginia Winners

Two hundred and thirty-four U.S. Breweries took part in the Great American Beer Festival held in Denver, CO over the past three days. Virginia breweries had a great showing, as usual. Congratulations go out to Devils Backbone Brewing Company for being named the Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year. That's a testament to the hard work by the folks at Devils Backbone, who were awarded Small Brewpub and Small Brewpub Brewer of the Year in 2012, and Small Brewing Company and Small Brewing Company Brewer of the Year in 2013.

Here are the Virginia breweries that went home with medals.

Mid-Size Brewing Company and Mid-Size Brewing Company Brewer of the Year

Devils Backbone Brewing Co. - Outpost, Lexington, VA DB Brewery Team

Category: 3 American-Style Fruit Beer - 56 Entries

Gold: Raspberry Stout, Hardywood Park Craft Brewery, Richmond, VA

Category: 41 American-Style Dark Lager - 19 Entries

Silver: Old Virginia Dark, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. - Outpost, Lexington, VA

Category: 42 German-Style Schwarzbier - 37 Entries

Gold: Schwartz Bier, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. - Outpost, Lexington, VA 

Category: 43 Bock - 27 Entries

Silver: Turbo Cougar, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. - Outpost, Lexington, VA

Category: 56 American-Style Amber/Red Ale - 140 Entries

Silver: Amber Waves Ale, Capitol City Brewing Co., Arlington, VA

Category: 62 Irish-Style Red Ale - 60 Entries

Bronze: “Hydraulion” Red, Three Notch’d Brewing Co., Charlottesville, VA

Category: 67 German-Style Altbier - 33 Entries

Bronze: Alt Bier, Devils Backbone Brewing Co. - Basecamp, Roseland, VA

A complete list of GABF winners can be found here.