Jarl

Jarl is the beer equivalent of a comfortable chair—it's got a pale ale skeleton but without the sharp angles. There's a papery, almost herbal dryness that comes through before any citrus does, and it finishes so cleanly you'll forget you're drinking it. The 3.8% creeps up on you only in the sense that you'll want another one before you realize the first is gone.

Snapper Pale

Snapper Pale announces itself with a slightly spicier, more assertive hop character—not aggressive, just more awake. There's a breadiness underneath that gives it ballast the Jarl doesn't have. The half-degree of alcohol and those extra 3 IBUs aren't huge numbers, but they combine to make this feel like a beer you're actively drinking rather than passively enjoying.