1) This beer brings back some very fond memories. You see, the first time I tried this beer from Gage Roads was at the AIBA Awards in Melbourne earlier this year. That was where the beer won the title of Champion Australian Beer. it was also where I picked up the beer writer of the year award, of which I’m still quite chuffed. I’ve even made a habit of polishing it regularly to get my daughter’s fingerprints off it (she likes to hold it and pretend that she’s accepting the award herself).
2) After Little Dove was announced as the winner, it was available on tap in the foyer at the after-party. I tried some and really liked it – it was easy to see why it had won. But I was also on a high – both from the win and the partaking of free alcohol during the awards dinner – and so don’t have deep memories of the flavour of the beer beyond “sticky”.
3) As an aside, I approach beer differently depending on whether I’m reviewing it or drinking it for pleasure. If it’s for pleasure then I’m not going to stop and ruminate on the flavours, the balance and yadda, yadda yadda. I’m just going to think “hey, this is a good beer” and leave it at that. Because reviewing a beer is work – it means pulling out the beer review diary and taking notes. It means actually focusing attention on the beer and pulling out what I find there. Sometimes I just want to drink a good beer and be done with it.
4) When I heard Gage Roads was bottling Little Dove I was quite happy. Though, really, when a beer has won the top award at the AIBA, you figure it’s a sure thing to end up in bottles. But still – quite happy. And this time I drank some with my beer review diary handy. And I don’t really get “sticky” – not sure what I was thinking. But it’s still a great beer with its pine and melon characters running over the top of a nicely bitter pale ale. It’s a “new world pale ale”, which I think means “American pale ale”.
5) As an aside, I’d noticed the Little Dove label includes the name in raised text. Didn’t know Gage Roads were doing that. Might have to check the other labels next time I’m in the bottle shop; but I’ll make sure no one’s looking. Don’t want them to wonder who the old freak is who is caressing beer labels.
Free or paid for?: Paid for. And I’ll be paying for some more too. This is some tasty beer
Categories: Beer of the Week
BEER IS YOUR FRIEND 
I’ve been having their american pale ale lately a bit and gotta say for the price it’s a great beer, a definite go to at the moment.
FYI, the New World Pale Ale category is actually to recognise NZ/Aus hops: “The Australian International Beer Awards has also seen a new addition to the honours list in 2016 with the New World Pale Ale Trophy, which recognizes brews distinguished by the prominent and evident use of New World hops predominantly from New Zealand and Australia, in response to increased entries of the style over the last few years.”
(http://www.rasv.com.au/news/News_AIBA_ADSA_2016_new_trophies/)
I agree, though, that it suggests the original New World (the Old New World?) of North America.