Topic Archives: American Pale Ale

Posted in 21st Amendment Brewing, Beer News, Cool Stuff

Want More Bitter American? Perhaps All The Time?

21st Amendment Brewing recently released Bitter American, a session style pale ale.  It is incredibly tasty, easy drinking and the best part – low in alcohol.  Bitter American is all but gone from shelves.

Furthermore, a lot of drinkers seem to want Bitter to be a year round beer.  A beer is evolving in the U.S. the alcohol in beer seems to be getting higher and higher.  Not complaining, but for some (me included) it’s great to find a beer with great flavor that is lower in alcohol.  21A all but admitted that they are making plans to make Bitter American year round – as evidenced by this tweet.

In other just cool stuff, check out the new 21A Can displays for retail stores @21apdxguru>

Posted in Boulder Beer Company, Coming Soon

Hoopla, A Deeper Look

A couple of days ago, I posted a video about a new beer that Boulder Beer Company is working on with Kyle Hollingsworth of The String Cheese Incident.  The beer is called Hoopla, a pale ale designed for warm weather.

Label:
Magic happened this year in Boulder, CO, when local music and local beer came together. In search of the perfect festival beer, our Boulder Beer brewers and avid homebrewer Kyle Hollingsworth, Keyboardist of the String Cheese Incident, joined creative forces. Imagination and improvisation flowed freely, and Hoopla was born.

Hoopla Pale Ale is dry-hopped with generous amounts of Glacier hops for a fruity, floral hop aroma and flavor that will have your taste buds dancing! Its lively hop character is wonderfully balanced with a crisp, clean finish from the unique blend of US and German grains, making Hoopla the perfect companion to festival season.

With  a similar passion for delectable brews and harmonious grooves, our brewers and Kyle Hollingsworth thank you for sharing the Hoopla experience with us.  We hope you and your friends enjoy our collaboration as much as we do. — Cheers!

Style: American Pale Ale
Hops: Glacier, Nugget, Centennial
Malts: Pale, CaraRed, Chocolate, Melanoidin
Availability: 22oz Bombers, Draft.
Arrival: Mid May, 2011

5.7% ABV, 35 IBUs

For your listening pleasure, some String Cheese

Posted in Odell Brewing, Seasonal Return

Odell Brewing’s St. Lupulin Year 3

Odell Brewing (Ft. Collins, CO) is celebrating the release of their American Pale Ale – “St. Lupulin.”  Lupulin (pronounced Loop-you-lin) full of citrus & floral hops.  2011 marks the 3rd year this beer has been brewed.  If you get Odell Brewing (or even if you don’t) look for it on draft & 12oz bottles starting April 23rd.  From Odell:

The Saint Comes Marching In…Again
Odell Brewing celebrates the return of St. Lupulin Extra Pale Ale

Fort Collins, Colo. — On April 23, 2011 Odell Brewing will release St. Lupulin Extra Pale Ale. Now in its third year, St. Lupulin follows the brewery’s Red Ale as part of its seasonal lineup of beers.

St. Lupulin (loop-you-lin) pays tribute to a mystical legend who was tirelessly devoted to his rows of hops and the yellow resin residing in the hop cones. This resin, or Lupulin, contains the essential oils that give the hop its flavor and aroma.

Light in color, St. Lupulin is a dry-hopped extra pale ale with a clean and crisp finish. The brewers selected a variety of hops, including Cascade and Centennial, that create a bright citrus and floral aroma and flavor. Hints of grapefruit balance the subtle, sweet malt base. St. Lupulin has an ABV of 6.5%, and is available through September in the brewery’s ten state distribution region.

“Odell’s summer seasonal St. Lupulin fits the extra-pale-ale bill perfectly.” said Jennie Dorris in her 5280 Magazine blog. “The flavor starts with a blast of hops, and it finishes light and clean.”

Odell Brewing will celebrate the return of St. Lupulin on April 23rd (Earth Day) in the brewery’s Tap Room. Brewery guests can enjoy samples of the brew as well as live music. In honor of Earth Day, environmentally conscious beer fans can also get a free refillable ½ gal jug by purchasing a fill and joining the Odell Jug Club.

Founded in 1989, Odell Brewing was started by Doug Odell, his wife Wynne, and his sister Corkie. Twenty-one years later, the culture of family and collaboration still thrives fostering a brewery full of beer-centric people. It is this passion for beer that inspires Odell Brewing to create quality, hand-crafted, innovative brews. In 2010 the brewery completed its fourth expansion, adding a wood-aging cellar, a 750 ml bottling line, and a 76 kilowatt photovoltaic system capable of providing 25% of the brewery’s peak energy demand. As a regional craft brewery, Odell Brewing is committed to serving the communities in which it distributes by sourcing local raw materials, and through its charitable giving program known as Odell Outreach. Odell Brewing was recently named a “Top Company of 2010” by ColoradoBiz Magazine and is an award winning brewery, nationally and internationally: 2010 North American Beer Awards — gold medal for Woodcut No. 3. 2009 BrewNZ Awards — gold for 5 Barrel Pale Ale. 2008 World Beer Cup® — gold for IPA. 2007 Great American Beer Festival® — gold medal for IPA.

Posted in Beer News, SweetWater Brewing

SweetWater 420 Gets Label Update

Not huge news, or a drastic change, but SweetWater Brewing’s iconic 420 Extra Pale Ale is getting a label tweak.

Biggest change is the Highway style 420 logo in the bottom center where it previous just had just “420.” (Previously seen in stickers & T-shirts only…)

420 is an American Pale ale available in 6pk/12 pk/ & draft year round.

5.4% ABV

Posted in Left Hand Brewing, New Releases

Left Hand Stranger Pale Ale

Left Hand Brewing (Longmont, CO) is replacing Jackman’s American Pale Ale.  Stranger is a completely new recipe, and not a rebrand of Jackman’s Pale Ale.  Jackman’s was retired at the end of 2010. I have requested info on what the change is and why from Left Hand. Info to follow.

Commercial Description:
Sane or senseless? Harmless or harmful? Sometimes it takes awhile to get to know a stranger. Initial impressions are not always reality, so you must delve deeper. Beyond the initial floral hop aromas, malt sweetness is revealed, yet with a spicy undertone that exposes a very rye sense of humor. Take your time to get to know the Stranger. It’s strangely satisfying.

Style: American Pale Ale
Hops:  Centennial, Willamette, Cascade
Malts: 2 Row, Rye Malt, Munich, & Crystal

Taste Expectations: Bright, floral.  Notes of citrus & pine.  Clean, dry finish.

Availability: 12oz/6pks.  Draft.

5% ABV

Posted in Harpoon Brewing, New Releases

NEW RELEASE: Harpoon Glacier Wet Hop Ale

Harpoon Brewing’s 100 Barrel series is what the brewery calls a return to their roots.   The 100 Barrel series is exactly as it sounds.  Small batch, one of a kind, 100 barrels.  Throughout the year, a different Harpoon brewer will create a recipe from start to finish.  As a finishing touch, the brewer signs the label.  It’s completely their creation.  Like a piece of artwork.  Glacier Wet Hop is release #33.

#33 Backstory:
For the 33rd session of the Harpoon 100 Barrel Series, we’re using locally grown hops and malted barley in our Glacier Harvest Wet Hop Ale, a pale ale made with fresh Glacier hops.

Wet hop beers are brewed using fresh, “wet” hops instead of traditional dried hops–hops contain about 60% moisture when they are picked. Typically, when hops are picked they are quickly dried and refrigerated to make them stable and more consistent for brewing. Freshly picked wet hops, however, need to be used within hours of harvest or they will begin to degrade rapidly.

Wet hops retain more of their natural aroma and volatile flavors that dissipate when dried. This gives wet hop beers a fresher hop flavor and aroma than that of beers hopped with processed hops. Barley grown in Maine complements the New York-grown Glacier hops. This robust pale malt can stand up to the intense, immersed hop flavor, and makes the beer a true celebration of Northeastern US brewing.

Style: American Pale Ale

Taste Expectations: Earthy hops. Slight citrus.  Some toasted malts. Caramel malts. Hops are fresh & clean.

Availability: 22oz Bombers. Draft.  One time 100 Barrel brew.

6.7% ABV

Brewed by by Ray Dobens, Harpoon brewer.

Posted in Great Divide, Seasonal Return

Great Divide Fresh Hop

Fall is the hop harvest, and with it comes fresh/wet hopped beers.  Great Divide Brewing (Denver, CO) does great things, especially in bottle.  Hop heads this is another beer for you.  It’s not overly hoppy, but fresh. Very fresh.

Commercial Description:
Fresh Hop Pale Ale is brewed with fresh, whole cone hops from the Pacific Northwest.  We ship these “wet” hops to Denver overnight and brew shortly after harvest, imparting an intensely grassy hop aroma and citrus hop flavor in a medium-bodied ale.

Style: American Pale Ale

Taste Expectations: A mix of fresh pine & citrus hops.  Hops are crisp & juicy. Sweet caramel malts balance this beer nicely.

Food Pairings: GD recomends Epoisses, a runny, rich intensely perfumed cheese from France, Grilled trout, Bratwurst, Garlic/ginger sweet potatoes

Availability: 22oz Bombers.  Some Draft.  October-November seasonally.

6.1% ABV