My Thomas Fawcett Maris Otter and Glacier SMaSH bitter came out surprisingly neutral. What is surprising is that I used a pretty characterful yeast and got very little yeast presence (perhaps due to a lowish fermentation temperature). I used a lot of hops for the gravity (1.045), but the hop flavor and aroma are very restrained. And the color is more pale than anything I have brewed. This beer was always going to be bottled and given as a gift to my girlfriend's grandpa (who is a Henry Weinhard's Private Reserve man). I figured he would enjoy something low in alcohol, light in color, and just a little more flavorful than what he's used to. I was concerned that this recipe was going to be too "English" and too hoppy for him, but it is almost as neutral as a lager. I think Glacier is an even more neutral hop than Willamette or Mt. Hood. In the future, I plan to try this hop primarily for malt-forward beers. Here's the recipe:
Fermentables
UK Pale Ale Malt (Maris Otter) 9lb 0oz (100.0 %) In Mash/Steeped
Hops
US Glacier (5.7 % alpha) 30 g Loose Whole Hops used 60 Min From End
US Glacier (5.7 % alpha) 30 g Loose Whole Hops used 20 Min From End
US Glacier (5.7 % alpha) 30 g Loose Whole Hops used 5 Min From End
US Glacier (5.7 % alpha) 30 g Loose Whole Hops used At turn off
US Glacier (5.7 % alpha) 30 g Loose Whole Hops used Dry-Hopped
Yeast: White Labs WLP002-English Ale (1L stir-plate starter)
OG 1.045, FG 1.011, 4.6% ABV
IBU ~35
Single Step Infusion (68C/154F) w/Mash-Out