My latest print article for The Bulletin here in Bend dropped Sunday, in which I examine OG Kush Hoppy Pale Ale from Cascade Lakes Brewing in the context of the “modern” pale ale style: OG Kush pushes pale ale forward.

That’s not to say the [pale ale] style has stayed stagnant. It has evolved with the times, much as IPA has. The original pale ales were loosely modeled on English bitters, with American hops and ample doses of caramel malt in place of unavailable traditional English varieties.

In recent years, the style has been reimagined with newer hop varieties and less caramel and character malts for a drier, lighter body. Many have been influenced by the rising popularity of hazy or juicy New England-style IPAs, which emphasize intense hop flavors, low bitterness and clean malt character.

One such newer style of pale ale I explored recently (though it’s not hazy) is OG Kush from Cascade Lakes Brewing Company. Billed as a “hoppy pale ale,” it was the first new beer introduced by brewmaster Ryan Schmiege when he started with the brewery earlier this year.

The brewery had provided me with a six pack of the OG Kush (I also received a sixer of Salted Caramel Porter and had a couple of draft beers), which was very fresh at the time that I drank and reviewed it. It’s a good beer even if it’s not hazy, and worth checking out.