New Belgium Brewing Co.: Mighty Arrow Pale Ale

I like Pale Ales. Generally, anyways. The problem is that it is becoming increasingly apparent to me that it is really difficult to do anything novel with them. And New Belgium has done nothing to dispel this general problem with their take on the genre--their seasonal Mighty Arrow.

There's nothing wrong with Mighty Arrow. It's your typical Pale Ale--light bodied, hoppy, very low malt flavor, some citrus flavor. You know it. But, like so many other pale ales, Mighty Arrow doesn't do much to this brew that would make it stand out. You figure the least they could do would be to throw in a random extra ingredient, a-la Rogue's Juniper Pale, but nope. New Belgium is content to use the standard no-frills recipe. The result is a standard, no-frills beer.

The failure of Pale Ale brewers to do anything interesting with this brew is all the more surprising when you consider that Pale's slightly edgier cousin, the IPA, is one of the more interesting brews out there. From Ruination to 90 Minute to (see just below) Idiot, the IPA genre has all sorts of interesting and tasty variations. But in the Pale Ale arena, Sierra Nevada continues to reign supreme. A couple other breweries have made beers that are, from a taste standpoint, arguably superior to Sierra (Deschuttes and Anchor come to mind), but these just tinker at the edges with what is, at heart, a very uniform genre.

I really like Sierra--and Mirror and Liberty for that matter. But I have yet to find a pale ale that really rises to the level of a world-class beer. Some might say that this is a problem endemic to the genre. I really hope this isn't true, and I will keep looking. But I can say with confidence that Mighty Arrow doesn't point the way there.

Deschutes Brewery: Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale

If you follow 801onTap's Twitter account, you've probably noticed that I drink a lot of Deschutes beer. Out of Deschutes' plentiful selection, I frequently find myself going for their Mirror Pond Pale Ale. This beer is definitely one of my go to brews. It's a full flavored and straight forward pale ale, which in my opinion goes great with a variety of foods and tastes right in any season. Because of my affinity for this pale, when I saw Deschutes' seasonal Red Chair Northwest Pale Ale I felt like I had no choice to pick up a six pack. I mean, I enjoy this brewery's year round pale ale so much, I figured I might also find this seasonal release delightful.

To start, I find the label for Red Chair interesting. First this Bend brewery has dubbed this beer a 'northwest pale ale'. I can't say I've ever seen a beer print that term on a bottle. Having lived in the Pacific Northwest for 7 years I find beers from this region to expand the traditional definition of 'ale' and 'lager'. Especially pushing the hop barriers to the extreme. Knowing Pacific beers to be mighty hoppy, I was surprised when I saw that the label for Red Chair read as follows: "Not up for a full on hop assault? Red Chair NWPA is a smoother ride. Seven select European and domestic malts make a surprisingly plush satin turn on the way to a citrusy hop kick. Edges out, layers in. " Hmmm. What's going on here?

After a thorough tasting I can inform our limited readership that this is a hoppy beer and despite the label, exhibits almost no malt flavors. The tasting didn't answer the questions raised by the bottle description. So as a result I was forced to do some research. After scanning some Deschutes literature I found that this brew has an IBU of 60; higher than most pale ales. So what's with the print marketing accentuating the malts? Apparently Deschutes wanted to make a traditional Pacific Northwest beer (a.k.a. hoppy) but without the harsh bitter bite. Ok, that makes sense. I feel like that doesn't come across through the packaging. Oh well. Either way, I must say that the addition of all the malts was a success on that front. Even without a strong malt taste, adding seven types of malt does make the aftertaste quites smooth despite the heavy does of hops. Eventually the silky feeling fades back to a lemon and pine hop finish. It all comes together for a nice complete tasting experience. Red Chair is definitely different from Mirror Pond, but both are quite tasty in their own regard. Red Chair is certainly good enough in my book that you can start to look for it on 801's Twitter account update from January to April. Cheers.

Rogue: Juniper Pale Ale

Leave it to Rogue to take a thoroughly mainstream brew and do something weird to it. As I've mentioned before, the pale is a staple of the American craft brewing movement, but there doesn't seem to be much variety within the genre. Sierra Nevada has set the bar with its "thoroughly-enjoyable-but-not-very-adventurous" flagship, and for the most part, other breweries offer only minor tweaks (or watered down imitations). I was hoping Rogue would bust up the mold a little bit, but alas, even juniper can't do the trick it seems.

Don't get me wrong; this is definitely one of the better pales out there. It's a bit stronger in the way of malt flavors than your typical pale, and the hops are a very enjoyable blend of earthy and citrusy tastes. The juniper is, to be honest, quite mild. It really only serves as a compliment to the hop flavors, giving this brew a bright and snappy taste. True to the pale genre as a whole, the Juniper Pale is very drinkable.

The more I think about it, the more I realize, I actually like this brew quite a bit. It's refreshing and drinkable, and it doesn't fizzle out taste-wise. But I have to say, I'm beginning to worry that when it comes to pales, this is about all you can muster: a mild malt body, a pleasant bouquet of hops, and a crisp, clean aftertaste. Perhaps it's just that the pale ale genre doesn't lend itself to the interesting flavor complexities you find in stouts, IPAs, belgians, and even you occasional amber. Hopefully there is a pale out there somewhere (possibly a couple years in the future) that will really push this genre into new territory. In the mean time, I suppose, Rogue's Juniper is a pretty solid placeholder. Cheers!

Widmer Brothers Brewing Co.: Drifter Pale Ale

Along with Pyramid, Widmer Brothers is probably the main reason for a surge of interest in the Hefeweizen genre in America over the last few years. But while Widmer may have set the bar for domestic hefs, they have been slow to make a name for themselves outside of that one genre. Recently, however, they released their take on the American Pale Ale.

Unfortunately, Widmer's pale is a bit of a disappointment. A la Sierra Nevada and Anchor, Widmer opted to imbue their pale ale with a distinct citrusy taste. However, while the two veteran breweries seemed to appreciate the need to offset the citrus taste with a good dose of hops, Widmer has let the citrus flavors run wild. In the absence of a strong hop presence, this beer takes on an almost sour flavor, which combined with the fruity sweetness makes for a rather odd combination. You get used to it by the bottom of the bottle, but I found the first few sips rather unpleasant.

Otherwise, this beer has a pretty light mouthfeel and is also light on the carbonation, which gives it an almost watery consistency. The malt flavors are perhaps a bit stronger than your typical pale, but that could just be a byproduct of the reduced hoppiness. In conclusion--no endorsement here. There is a glut of pales available these days, so try something else.

Pike Brewing Co: Pike Pale

Did you think I would only buy one bottle of beer from a brewery that is an old favorite of mine?

Well the obvious answer to that rhetorical questions is a resounding 'no'. I now present another Pike Brewing Co review. The Pike Pale ale:

As just stated this is a pale ale. Let me first try to help you from being confused at the liquor store and the pub from mistaking this beer with another style. The label proclaims "Pike Pale" and "Pale Ale" but also has the phrase "heirloom amber ale" prominently posted on the lower portion of the label as well. To further confuse your mind and senses this brew has a very strong German brew aroma. Immediately after cracking the bottle, a powerful smell brought me right back to my days and nights at German beer gardens. Specially, the scent evoked the familiar fragrance of German pilsners and lagers. Even on first taste this pale ale tastes like a traditional German lager. Only after a full gulp do the after tastes of hops and bitterness overtake the soft malts and German flavored yeasts. As the beer warms even more malt flavors emerge. This effect combined with the larger flavors makes the beer taste like a solid amber lager. Potentially explaining the 'amber ale' langugage. While my taste buds could be off tonight, I wouldn't be surprised if this beer would confuse fellow beer enthusiasts.

All of that being said, you've probably gotten the sense that this beer is pretty easy drinking pale ale. The brew is definitely light on the hops and very low on the bitterness scale. There are also some nice bready flavors but nothing very intense and has a medium mouthfeel. So while this pale ale seems to borrow aspects for other beer styles it all works pretty well together. If you give it a shot, I think you'll find the interesting combination enjoyable. Cheers.

Santa Cruz Ale Works: Pale Ale

I do love Czech pilsners, German lagers, and Belgium witbiers. But more than any authentic European creation, I relish the taste of almost all west coast style American ales.

With the general expansion of microbreweries in the US, it is easier and easier to grab local craft brews. Another relatively new brewery caught my attention: Santa Cruz Ale works. I noticed this brewery had the same "California Brewed" bottle caps as Marin Brewing Co and Moylan's Brewery and Restaurant. (see picture) Apparently any California brewery can get their hands on these bottle caps instead of placing their trademarked logo on the cap. I really like this idea. For those of us who prefer to shop locally it's nice to easily identify California breweries and know that these brewers are also proud of their golden state roots.

But besides the fact that shopping locally helps the environment, stimulates the regional economy, ect, ect it's just fun to sample local craft. And this site is about the beer. As for this pale ale it has really nice spoungy head which eventually dissipates leaving a great hoppy fruity aroma. Unfortunately the taste doesn't back up the smell. While nice and hoppy with a good citrus kick the body is quite thin. I was sorta surprised because all the nice hop flavors are there but it just feels a little watery in the mouth. But one benefit of this character is that it makes this ale very drinkable and thus there was no problem putting down a 22oz bomber.

So next time you are at the grocer or in your favorite local watering hole I encourage you to order a local beer; wherever that may be. You can stick to an old favorite or have fun sampling something new. You can't go wrong. Cheers.

Anchor Brewing Co.: Liberty Ale

The birthplace of liberty (my dear Philly) is not the birthplace of liberty ale. But they do sell Liberty Ale out here (at least at the pizza place down the street they do), so I figured I'd give it a review.

Liberty is a pale ale. But it's not nearly as citrusy as Sierra Nevada. There are some faint fruit notes, but the hops are the taste that come in boldly (and with a faintly earthy taste to them). There's a little bit of malty sweetness evident here when you get through the initial hop burst, but--true to the American pale style--they are pretty mild. Furthermore, the beer has a very light flavor, which means that the sweetness is pretty much gone in a flash. A bear hint of oranges (I think) lingers on the tongue, along with a substantial dose of hops hops hops.

What makes this beer pretty remarkable is that it can be so light bodied and yet so flavorfully satisfying at the same time. It's damn cold outside, and this is definitely a summery beer, but in retrospect I'm glad I didn't go for a stout. Sometimes a bold enough summer beer is exactly what a dreary winter night calls for.

Magic Hat Brewing Co.: #9

This post has been a long-time coming. Magic Hat is a Vermont brewery whose brews are available up and down the east coast. Their flagship, #9, was one of the first new brews I had when I got out here two years ago. It's also been one of my enduring favorites, but since I have yet to review it, or any other Magic Hat beer, it's new to the rest of you.

This brew advertises itself as a "not quite pale ale." That's a fair description--take a typical pale ale, and then back off the hops and the malts a bit (yes, it's even less malty than a pale), and that's where you start. But you take this somewhat bland base and then add a heavy dose of crisp sweet citrus. However, the sweetness is heavily tempered by a very dry finish, a very light mouthfeel, and a substantial dose of carbonation. In sum, it's kind of like a copper ale, but a bit lighter and bubblier, and even more drinkable.

While this isn't a particularly complicated or subtle brew, it's also a beer that I don't think I'll ever get tired of. It's consistently refreshing and always seems to fit the occaision. To those of you living out west, this is one you have to try if you ever visit the other, colder coast.

Smuttynose Brewing Co: Shoals Pale Ale

Smuttynose is a fairly well-known brewery on the East Coast, especially as you move further towards New England. They have a full lineup of different brews, and I grabbed a variety pack, so hopefully I'll be posting on several different ones over the coming weeks. I'll start with their Pale.

The American Pale has diverged quite a bit from its roots in England (where it goes by the name of "Bitter"). Think Sierra Nevada: a bright hoppy flavor accented by a subtle citrus sweet maltiness. Smuttynose pulls back a bit from there, and while I wouldn't call it a traditional English style pale by any means, it definitely bears some similarities to its old-world predecessor. It has a much earthier malt than you usually find in an American brew, and the hops are notably dry. However, there are much more in the way of hops than you'd expect to find in an English brew, and it is also Americanesque in its level of carbonation. All in all, that leaves it with a decisively crisp and dry flavor that lingers on the tongue for quite a while.

While it doesn't qualify as a true English bitter, "bitter" is definitely the best word to describe this brew. So if you don't generally like bitter beers, you best stay away. But if you find yourself in the mood for something on the dry side and you like your hops, then this is definitely one to try.

Moylan's: Tipperary Pale Ale

My first post to the blog last summer was a beer from Marin Brewing Co so it's only fitting that my first post this summer is an ale from Moylan's Brewery and Restaurant. Brewmaster Brendan Moylan is also the co-owner of Marin Brewing and these two breweries, separated by a few miles traveling along CA Highway 101 produce some fine craft brews.

Did I mention it's summer? Oh yeah I did. I'm back in the bay and over my mini self-imposed prohibition: where I respected the 18th Amendment, ignored the 21st, and studied the other 25. Thus, I need to catch up. I've since started my 'training' for Bay to Breakers. The annual race in San Francisco where 'racers' lug and drink beer 7.5 miles across the city. But it's about time where I sit down and write about one of these fine beers I've been prepping with.

Now on to the beer. Before I get to the taste it is worth noting that this beer is alive. Along the back label, is a red stripe that states: 'Live Ale! Keep Refrigerated' Well, after a night of fridging when I opened the sucker it exploded as if the liquid was trying to escape. Sugars and live yeasts must really carbonate the bottle. Anyway, after the foam dies the beer pours nice and smooth with a pumpkin orange color. The taste is a smooth buttery flavor at first with a hoppy piney after taste. A little malts swirling around to top it off. Marin Brewing Company's beers are really piney and this Moylan's aftertaste matches. Overall a pretty solid pale. Very drinkable.

Other items of note:

-All the labels have an Irish-Celtic like label artwork and this name itself pays tribute to a county in Ireland (Tripperary).

-Brendan went to UC Davis brewery school. Props.

-Every bottle cap has a picture of the Golden State and states 'California Brewed'; which I think is cool.

-Cheers

Samuel Smith's Old Brewery: Pale Ale

Since Nick, Hofer, and Eric all have studied in Durham, I probably shouldn't be the first to review a brew from across the pond. But as of late I can't keep my hands off Samuel Smith's selections. So here goes:

Before I start on the pale, I must say that I had two 550ml bottles of Samuel Smith's Oatmeal Stout over the weekend and the quality was unreal. I'm not a huge fan of imports because I'm accustom to American styles and on occasion the beer doesn't hold up during the travel. But the stout really blew me away. I was out enjoying a birthday meal so I didn't drink it with a discerning palate. But I'll definitely give that stout some more quality time later.

As for the pale ale, I cannot believe, I am absolutely shocked, by the sweet smell. Poured into a pint glass, when you nose dips past the rim during sips the aroma is almost overpowering. A very sweet toffee smell. Luckily the taste is more subtle than the smell. Still some sweetness but mostly toasted malt flavors. A bready flavor compliments the other tastes giving an overall enjoyable combination. The only drawback is the hops are very limited, especially compared to most American Pale Ales. As a result the body is kinda thin. But this feature also makes the beer very drinkable. In addition there are enough flavors to overcome the light mouthfeel. The refinement of recipe is noticeable. It's as if they have been brewing this beverage for over 200 years. Cheers.

Kona Brewing Co.: Firerock Pale Ale

I do enjoy a fine pale ale. Due to my affinity for this style of brew, I occasionally subscribe to Hofer's alliterative quest: "the pursuit for the perfect pale"*. Thus, over break, I picked up a six pack of Kona's version on the pale beer, because, well, I had simply had never tried it before.

Probably because this is a Hawaiian beer and the climate on the big island is very tropical, the packaging purports that the ale will be refreshing. (Maybe in an attempt to arouse memories of your lovely tropical island vacation). But I thought refreshing was an odd description for any pale. Now, Kona's flagship beer, the Longboard Lager, has been rightfully touted by many as incredibly refreshing (including our own Matthew Lightner - who promised to post on it). And that I can understand; as lagers are lighter than ales.

However, Firerock, is a surprising refreshing pale. It has basically no head (see right) and relatively few hops to match. Thus it is a pretty mild pale with some grassy flavors and hints of malts. It almost reminds me more of an amber ale than a pale in that respect. Now Kona's third beer on the shelf was a porter. I didn't examine its description, but if that beer is equally refreshing as the lager and paler ale, this company has figured it out.

Hang Loose & Cheers

*Note: I changed Hofer's use of "search" from his second post to "pursuit" because it added another 'P' and stylistically sounded better. But I'm sure he's not offended to that sort of editing from his tenure on The Santa Clara staff.

Deschutes Brewery: Hop Trip Fresh Hop Ale

Warning Warning! Beer prices on the rise!

My mother informed me that six packs might go up a dollar next year. Although this increase is not an incredibly large amount, for how much some of us consume (or use to), this rise is worth noting.

Beer drinkers in the Northwest became very upset when they heard this news. The northwest is a great beer brewing region. Washingtonians especially love their beer. (Enhanced by the fact that hard liquor is state regulated so its not available at supermarkets.) Washington writers have been intently following the agricultural updates on the upcoming shortage. My mom, a Seattle PI reader, forwarded along this article to me last month. The exerpt below, explains next year's price increase:

"Hops and malt, a form of barley essential to fermentation, are both in short supply nationwide. The shortage is caused by poor crops, high demand, the weak dollar and the increasing popularity of ethanol, which has prompted farmers to plant corn rather than hops or barley."

What does this all mean? Well don't worry, there probably won't be a shortage of beers out next year. With one exception: Harvest Ales.

If you read my Sierra Nevada Harvest Fresh Hop Ale post you may remember that a few breweries make a pale ale at harvest time with a large batch of fresh instead of dried hops. The process requires more fresh hops than would be needed if the brewers used the traditional dried formula.

So, with the possibility of no Harvest Ales on the shelf next year, (it looks like this is only a one year problem) I decided to try Deschutes Brewery: Hop Trip Fresh Hop Ale.

And I'm glad I did. It is delicious!

Although not as hoppy as their traditional pale, Mirror Pond, it has a wonderful soft mouthfeel. One of those beers that I could easily polish off a six pack and not be sick of the brew by the end. Like a trademark harvest ale, you can taste the hop resin sloshing around in the beer as opposed to a bitter kick. Sierra may have written the book on harvest ales, but Deschutes makes a damn tasty one. So, I recommend grabbing the remaining bottles of this fall brew before it's gone. Cheers

Speakeasy Ales & Lagers: Untouchable Pale Ale

I inundated myself with Speakeasy this summer.

As it was my first time living in San Francisco City proper, I tried absorbing 'The City' by going all out local all the time. As former Washingtonians, Shaan (my former roommate and drinking buddy) and I are use to sucking down Redhook, Mac & Jack's, and Pyramid at home. With a new home, we tried switching it up. We traded in the old three for a new three: Anchor, Magnolia, and Speakeasy. And it wasn't that hard as these brews were on tap at every bar in our new hood.

I felt I had to consume large amounts of Speakeasy and I even joined the Speakeasy mob.

Speakeasy is rather small so it's pretty hard to find outside of SF. So I got pretty stoked when Vacaville BevMo randomly had two 6 packs in it's back room; so I snatched it up as soon as I discovered 'em. Unfortunately it was Untouchable Pale Ale. Although not bad in any sense, I prefer White Lighting, Big Daddy, and Prohibition. But I still had to write a review to spread the word for their other fine brews. And well, I didn't have much else in the fridge. (click on the picture to see my beer deviously plotting their escape from their cold prison)

Untouchable is a very unique American Pale Ale. It's most overwhelming quality is its toasted malts. I would say most APAs go for a balance between Hops and Malts, or, if anything, favor the hops. This beers is almost all toasted malts. I say toasted because it has that distinct charred malt flavor that you hear beer snobs talk about but never actually taste. This beer has got it. It's other notable feature is quick disappearance of the head that leaves a nice lacing behind as you drink it.

So if you are in The City and in mood for a Pale Ale that doesn't follow the trend try Untouchable. But if you want their best go with White Lighting or Prohibition. Cheers.

Sierra Nevada: Harvest Fresh Hop Ale

Sometimes I forget where beer comes from. This beer will remind you.
Beer like most foods, comes from the ground. However while enjoying a brew it is an easy fact to forget.

Sierra Nevada does a great job at reminding you that beer is an agricultural product. Last month I went to Chico, California to drink Sierra Nevada and party like I was still in college. I went to a birthday party at the brewery and restaurant. At Sierra Nevada Brewing Co I was thoroughly surprised how many beers they had on tap; 14 at the time. Naturally, with such a selection I asked every bar tender and waiter what was the best beer that Sierra makes. Unfortunately, my question was too broad. The #1 answer I got was Sierra's Harvest Ale, which was not on tap at the time. As it's a seasonal beer. For the record; the traditional pale ale is so fresh there it is to die for.

I was excited when the latest version of the harvest ale came out recently in bottles, since I had heard so much about it. It's a little more expensive than other one bottle brews. But its a 24 oz bottle. So you get your liquid worth. Back to the beer, Sierra Nevada wrote the book on Harvest ales. Literally. They invented the idea. A harvest ale, for all intents and purposes, is a pale ale brewed with fresh hops. Eleven years ago, SNBC picked their hops (they ship in most but have their own field too), and then instead of drying them (think the Sam Adams TV commercials with the brewmaster with the piles of dried hops) brewed a batch of beer with the fresh hops. Most breweries didn't have the size, money, and capability to pick their own hops, ship 'em to their brewery, and install the proper filtration system to make it all work. But for the past 11 years Sierra has been making it happen.

The harvest ale does look and taste like a traditional american pale ale. Darker golden color, with a bitter taste that you want from a pale. However, the best feature of this ale is the resins from the hops are more flavorful because they do not lose their flavor in the process of drying. Sierra also claims that keeping the hops fresh adds aromas and spices. I actually disagree (no extra aromas or spices in my opinion), but you can taste the hoppy resin. According to Sierra staff, only 7 other breweries last year made harvest ales. Most agree that Sierra Nevada is doing the best job because their vast experience in this unique ale. However, this beer is good but not as great as hyped. I really like SN and was hoping it would be a top 10. No luck. But it is a fun taste and a twist on the traditional pale. And this beer also reminds you that at harvest time Sierra Nevada is taking 8,000 pounds of hops and making it into beer in a 2 day period. Which is a cool concept. Beer comes from the ground, who knew?

Cheers

Deschutes Brewery: Mirror Pond Pale Ale

If there is a truly "West Coast" brew, then it has to be the Pale Ale. Microbrews from Seattle to San Diego vary widely in the beers they offer, but I can't think of a single brewery with any reputation that doesn't have its own version of the medium-bodied hoppy ale. And of course the most widely available West Coast brew is Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale. (It's the only West Coast beer that appears with any frequency on the East Coast.)

From Bend, Oregon, the Deschutes Brewing Company sends its take of this brew. The Mirror Pond Pale ale is a bit drier than Sierra Nevada, but despite this it maintains a full flavor. However, what makes the Mirror Pond distinct is a subtle tartness which may be masked if the beer is consumed with especially flavorful food. Thus, the beer is probably best appreciated before diving into a hearty meal. When consumed along with a burger or a burrito, the fainter flavors fade and it tastes like "just another Pale." Of course, this is not necessarily a problem for those of us that love our Pales.

All in all, I think Mirror Pond is probably a step ahead of the vast majority of American Pales. It's also a fairly widely available alternative for those who are a little bit tired of Sierra Nevada. But the search for the perfect Pale must go on.