British and North American Pale Ales

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 Britain, it is 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

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.

91 English Bay Pale Ale, Granville Island Brewing Co. (Canada). 5% ABV (2/07)
Rich amber color. Buttery caramel and nut aromas. A crisp entry leads to a frothy, dry-yet-fruity medium body of clean roasted grains, butterscotch and sweet dried citrus flavors. Finishes with a refreshingly crisp and dry, mild earthy hops and pecan fade.

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, toffee follow through on a supple frothy entry to a dryish medium body with nut skin, slate and mineral notes. Finishes with a crisp, refreshing and balanced fade.

90 Pale Ale, Samuel Smith’s Old Brewery (England). 5% ABV (2/08)
Deep amber color. Buttery caramel, sweet roasted corn and nut aromas. A round, supple entry leads to a dryish medium body with fruity caramel, nut and hay flavors. Finishes with a crisp, lightly astringent citrus and honeyed nut hop 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.

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.

87 Saranac Pale Ale, Matt Brewing Co. (NY). 5.5% ABV (2/07)
Amber color with a lacy head. Toasted grain and light caramel aromas. A frothy entry leads to a dryish medium body of roasted nuts, dried citrus and toast flavors. Finishes with a crisp, citrus peel and mild bittering hop fade.

85 Kentucky Ale, Alltech Lexington Brewing (KY). 4.5% ABV (2/09)
Brilliant amber color with a high fine foamy head. Mild earth hops and yeasty wet pizza dough aroma follow through on a soft, silky entry to a dryish medium body with a roasted root vegetable mélange and a chewy, caramelized malt and nut skin fade with a dash of dried orange. A nice pizza beer.
American Style Pale Ale

92 Track Town Triple Jump Pale Ale, Eugene City Brewery (OR). 5.5% ABV (3/09)
Rich hazy amber color. Aromas of toasty bread pudding, nougat and dried grapefruit follow through on a super smooth, satiny entry to a dryish medium body with chocolate crème brûlée notes. Finishes with a tart, kumquat, pine needle and peppery spice fade. A very nice combination of flavors and texture.

92 St. Ambroise Pale Ale, McAuslan Brewing Co. (Canada). 5% ABV (2/08)
Rich amber color with a thick, fine head. Honey, nut and mild tropical fruit cocktail aromas. A soft, silky entry leads to a dryish light-to-medium body of honey-drizzled grilled citrus, praline and delicate cocoa-spice flavors. Finishes with a refreshingly crisp, honeyed raisin nut toast and ruby grapefruit fade. Delicately poised and deliciously quenching pale ale.

92 Pale Ale, Cucapa (Mexico). 5.8% ABV (2/07)
Deep copper color with a lacy taupe head. Rich creamy dark caramel, dark chocolate and roasted nut aromas follow through to a rich medium-full body with layers of citrus marmalade and earthy hops on the long finish. Impressive!

92 Mirror Pond Pale Ale, Deschutes Brewery (OR). 5% ABV (3/09)
Pure pale amber color. Aromas of candied grapefruits and apricots with a hint of citrus shaving cream follow through on a round, plush entry to a dryish medium-to-full body with bread pudding and toasted nut notes. Finishes with a long crisp and refreshing honeyed citrus and pine-accented fade. A deliciously flavorful and balanced pale ale.

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