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Buyer's Guide for Beer Lovers

2010 British and North American Ales

Cultural Exchange

British Style Pale Ale

Pale ales tend to be fuller-bodied with a more assertive character on the palate than the standard bitter in a English brewer’s portfolio. In England, they are generally bottled, as opposed to being sold on draft. Despite the name, pale ales are not pale but, in fact, more of an amber hue. The original designation was in reference to this style of beer being paler than the brown and black beers that were more popular at the time of the style’s inception. In the United States, pale ale styles have become one of the benchmarks by which craft brewers are judged. The U.S. version of pale ale is crisper and generally much more hoppy. Indeed, this style is well suited to assertive domestic Pacific Northwestern hop varieties that give the United States examples inimitable character. A good U.S. example should be available on tap in any bar worth frequenting for its beer selection.

Interpreting the 100-point Scale

Consumers can translate the point score to the following quality bands:

Point Range Quality Band
96-100 points Platinum
90-95 points Gold
85-90 points Silver
80-84 points Bronze
Less than 80 Not Recommended
Legend
  • = Brewpub
  • ABV = Alcohol by volume
  • Date denotes the date on which the beer was tasted

93 Pendle Witches Brew, Moorhouse’s Brewery (England). 5.1% ABV (3/10)
Slightly hazy pale amber color with a lacy head. Pleasant mild toast and delicate caramel aromas follow through on a round entry to crisp, dryish medium body with a balanced and even, slightly nutty malt and grassy, earth hop fade.

91 Propeller Pale Ale, Propeller Brewing Co. (Canada). 5% ABV (2/08)
Pretty golden amber color with a fined, blanketed mousse. Pure roasted grain and nut aromas with a touch of fruity, but dry caramel follow through to a soft, supple entry leads and a dryish medium body with wonderfully balanced and restrained layers of nutty and fruity malt. Finishes with a crisp, refreshing smack of bittering hops and a lingering praline, citrus and peach marmalade fade.

90 Michelob Pale Ale, Michelob Brewing Co. (MO). 5.6% ABV (2/09)
Brilliant new copper penny color. Aromas of honeyed orange peel, barnyard haystack and toasted baguette follow through on a supple entry to a dryish medium body with earthy nut, orange, mineral and pepper accents on the crisp, Czech pilsner-like fade. Clean and precise with a solid earth hop and nutty malt character.

90 Triple XB (XXXB) Classic Pale Ale, Batemans (England). 5% ABV (2/09)
Deep brilliant copper color with a layer taupe head. Mild aromas of dried cherries and peaches, dusty roasted nuts and toffee follow through on a supple frothy entry to a dryish medium body with nutskin, slate and mineral notes. Finishes with a crisp, refreshing and balanced fade.

90 Pale Ale, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery (England). 5% ABV (3/10)
Copper penny color. Mild roasted nut aromas and flavors with a smooth even, dryish palate and a dried raisin toast and treacle-like fade. A very nice session beer

89 Samuel Adams Pale Ale, The Boston Beer Co. (MA). 5.3% ABV (3/10)
Aromas of butterscotch and dried apricot have a sourdough edge and follow through on a round entry to a dry-yet-fruity medium body with chewy raisin bread toast-like malt and a hint of corn frittata. Finishes with a crisp, creamy and foamy fade. Nice vibrancy and texture make this a pleasure to drink.

88 Anglers Pale Ale, Uinta Brewing Co. (UT). 5.8% ABV (3/09)
Rich amber color. Praline, dried peach and grapefruit aromas follow through on a soft, round entry to a dry medium body with toasty brioche notes and a mellow earthy hop fade. A nice, even session beer that will cover a lot of bases.

88 Pike Pale Ale, Pike Brewing Co. (WA). 5% ABV (3/10)
Amber color. Aromas of chocolate-covered roasted nuts, honeyed whole grain bread and faint soy follow through on a round, silky entry to a dryish medium body with good depth and an earthy, mineral, cocoa and dried citrus-accented fade. A nice food beer.

86 Lancaster Blonde, Lancaster Brewery (England). 4.1% ABV (3/10)
Pale golden yellow color. Aromas of roasted corn and salty root vegetables follow through on a round entry to a dry medium body with cracker-like malt and a chalky, grassy hop finish with good astringency.

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