So One Well Brewing's got a new pale ale out, and it's built around this hop called Alora that I hadn't come across before, which happens more and more these days if I'm being honest. New hop, light malt bill, and they kept the whole thing pretty simple on purpose, which I think was the right call.
You get notes of fresh lemon, peach, and melon, that kind of easy fruit character without any of the heaviness you'd normally associate with an IPA. That's really the pitch here, full flavored beer, just without dragging the ABV along for the ride, and at 5.3% it lands exactly where a good pale ale should, something you could have a couple of and still remember how the rest of your night went.
Kalamazoo's One Well has that "Fellow Keepers of Craft" thing going in their newsletters, real casual, real friendly, and Alora feels like it came out of that same headspace. Nothing showy, no big concept behind it, just a brewery sitting back and getting to know a new hop the way you'd get to know somebody new at the bar, a little curious, no pressure.
They mentioned a big announcement coming down the pipe too, so keep an eye out for that. In the meantime, come by the taproom, grab a pint, and get to know Alora yourself.
Sometimes the best beers are the ones that don't ask you to think too hard about them. This is one of those.