Prison City made a beer for chicken wings…well that’s a must try!
From Two Villains last week to the place they end up when caught…Prison City.
Prison City Brewing hails from Auburn, New York – a small town in the middle of the state about 30 miles west of Syracuse. The city of Auburn has the unique nickname of Prison City and, back in 1890, the Auburn Prison actually carried out the first execution via the electric chair. That prison still operates today (as the Auburn Correctional Facility) and is considered one of the most secure prisons in the US.
The brewery got its start back in 2014 and has since become an awesome addition to the community. They have two locations and perhaps one of the coolest features I’ve ever seen from a brewery: two lofts, a block away from their OG brewpub, that you can rent for your visit to Auburn!!
Today I have a beer from their 4 Piece series. This series of hazy Pale Ales is made to be sipped while eating chicken wings…the spicier the better. The variation I have is an ode to the most popular hop, Citra, with it being exclusively hopped with Citra hops. It features a 5.9% ABV and a four pack costs $16 on their website.
Pouring a bright straw color, 4 Piece: Citra was topped with just under two fingers of pure white, rather airy, foam. The head did linger for a while before falling down to a finger high wall of foam atop the beer. As it did so, there was some nice lacing left behind.
The aroma was soft and citrusy, with massive notes of pineapple, mango, and tangerine hitting hardest. There is a little dankness to the scent and some lighter notes of cereal peek out from the grist. I say it’s quite soft because, although you can sure smell the tropical fruits, the aroma hints at a very light and crushable brew.
Each sip begins rather slowly. There is a light fizzle of carbonation that rushes across the tongue but then…nothing for a few moments.
But then…slowly…the Citra hops begin to attack my taste buds. Bright and tangy pineapple leads the way, followed closely by some juicy mango and orange. It’s a very sweet and fruity beginning.
Towards the midway point, a slightly bitter twinge of hops added some grapefruit rind and some acidic pineapple qualities. That bitterness begins to spike some, creating a slightly dry, rather pithy, taste.
However, after that, the brew ends rather cleanly. There’s a dash of dryness and some grapefruit rind flavoring that lingered on for a few moments but, otherwise, it was a rather clean finish.
Overall, this was a solid hazy Pale Ale. It was, as expected, on the lighter side but did have some flavors that compliment chicken wings nicely. On its own it’s good but not great. However, I had a second can with some wings and, when combined with the wings, it IS a great pairing.
