As I reached into my beer fridge today, because everyone has a beer fridge, I pulled out a Legend Pale Ale.  I don’t know where this beer came from, it was either mailed to me or it was a beer swap. Regardless, I have to try it and, since I have never heard of the brewery, it’s a great opportunity to discover something new.

Tom Martin, the founder of Legend Brewery, grew up in a bottle of beer; it was only a matter of time before he joined the industry. Tom’s father was the Vice President of European Brewing Operations for Anheuser-Busch, and the original brew master at the Budweiser plant in Williamsburg, Virginia.  Do I need to go on?

Tom wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps, naturally, so he earned a Masters Degree in Brewing Science from the University of California, Berkeley and went to work as a brewer for Anheuser-Busch. We cannot judge him for that. In 1993, he ventured out on his own and started Legend Brewing Company. He began with 4 of his own recipes that included a Brown Ale, a Lager, Pilsner, and Porter. In 1994, Tom opened a tiny tasting room/pub in Richmond, Virginia’s Old Manchester District. It quickly became a popular fixture in the city and another place on my bucket list that I have to visit.

Tom has over 20 years of successfully brewing his Legend Beers and his brewery is the largest independently owned craft brewing company in the state.  Over the years, Legend Brewery’s reputation has grown and so has its line up of beer, including a Pale Ale, which I am now enjoying.

I grabbed my Pale Ale glass (aka empty glass in the cupboard) and quickly poured. The beer is copper in color and looks inviting. The smell is malty with a touch of citrus. And the taste is good. It has a slight bitterness but more malt. Second sip is definitely more malt, but it’s well balanced, and I get a taste of pine almost near the end.  This beer reminds me of a hometown tavern.  I could just see this on draft, drinking it at the bar and having a good night.  It’s worth a try!

Cheers

-Brendan

Brendan & Scott are The Beer Critics at TheBeerCritic.com. They write articles and reviews for their website and are the hosts of TheBeerCriticTV on YouTube. Have a question, recommendation or a donation? Just contact us:

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