Pale Ale
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing

Pale AlePale Ale
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From:
Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing
 
California, United States
Style:
Belgian Pale Ale
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
77
Avg:
3.19 | pDev: 18.18%
Reviews:
20
Ratings:
29
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 04, 2016
Added:
Jan 23, 2006
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by TicoCali:
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Rated by TicoCali from California

3/5  rDev -6%

Feb 04, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by SimcoeKid from California

Sep 04, 2016
 
Rated: 3.48 by B_B from California

Mar 23, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Oct 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by Texasfan549 from Texas

Feb 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by drgonzo2k2 from California

Sep 16, 2013
 
Rated: 2.25 by baybassboy from California

May 14, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by bvermilion from California

Mar 04, 2013
Photo of charlzm
Reviewed by charlzm from California

2.75/5  rDev -13.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
Consumed June 30th, 2012 at the brewery. Reviewed from notes.

Medium golden hue, slightly hazy with no head.

Fruity with a touch of caramel in the nose.

Flavor is odd; as the nose, but with a pronounced mustard note. No real bitterness.

Well carbonated, at least.

Could have fooled me that this was supposed to be a Belgian style pale ale.
Jan 07, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by t0rin0 from California

Dec 28, 2012
Photo of DoubleJ
Reviewed by DoubleJ from Wisconsin

3.47/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
67 IBU's in a pale ale? That's only 10 less than the IPA, which is 150 basis points higher in alcohol. I would bet this is the hoppier of the two, but I only drank of those two. On-tap at the brewery itself, on to the beer:

A yellowish orange colored beer with little head and a few traces of lace that cling to the glass. The nose offers caramel and flowers. A very floral hoppiness.

Caramel and earthy notes jumpstart the flavor. But the dominant flavor are the hops, which are in the raw and bust out with tea-like and hemp flavors. Perhaps too raw for me, as I like my hops to be a little more mellow and fruity. Its body is a lighter medium, is fairly drinkable, and a solid representation of the American pale ale.
Sep 11, 2012
Photo of AgentMunky
Reviewed by AgentMunky from New York

3.46/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into an Allagash cervoise glass.

A: A nice finger of foamy head. Hazy amber. Great lacing.

S: Gentle malts and slight citrus hops.

T: Tasty enough. Light, carbonated, but surprisingly robust/malty for such a light beer. Touch of bitterness leads to a pleasantly dry finish. Cloudy lemon in the maintaste, with only a touch of barley sweetness. Generally good.

O: An average beer, but unremarkable, save inasmuch as it's a goodish beer at relatively low ABV. Very drinkable, goes well with spicy food.
Jun 22, 2012
Photo of htomsirveaux
Reviewed by htomsirveaux from Texas

2.62/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
22 oz. bottle tried 21 Nov 2007.

Medium white head. Medium carbonation. Slightly cloudy straw yellow color. Aroma is metallic, lemony. Fairly vegetal, like celery. Slight hint of citrus. Puckery dirty aftertaste. Light body.

Belgian pale ale? Really?
Jun 30, 2010
Photo of SShelly
Reviewed by SShelly from Oregon

3.68/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is definetly not a belgian anything, and my experience with this on draft at blue palms was way different then alot of the reviews.

Light golden yellow color with small white head and a little bit of retention.

Aroma is of a subtle citrusy variety, pretty subdued but nice, clean and a little hoppy.

Nice and crisp in the mouth slightly dry with a well balanced bitterness, subtle hop flavor, a little bit of balancing sweetness, leaves a nice crisp hop flavor in the mouth.

Probably not something I would actively seek out but kinda nice on a day when im not trying to crush my liver...probably better on a hot day.
Feb 10, 2010
Photo of chickencoop
Reviewed by chickencoop from California

3.73/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Santa Cruz, the first place I ever bought the silly shrooms, nice little place in my heart but why did all those mountains keep rolling. But about the beer. Pours a light amber, little head. Smell, not much, but where this beer shines is the mouthfeel, big bready yeasty mouthfeel, actually compared to there other beers, very good. Mouthfeel for a light pale lager is big and welcoming. This is a very drinkable beer and highly recommended.
Feb 07, 2010
Photo of srandycarter
Reviewed by srandycarter from California

3.7/5  rDev +16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
A - Murky honey with small white head leaves fast.

S - Very light malt smell. That is it.

T - Malty, some hops, but very watery in general.

M - Light bodied, fair balance, not much coating.

D - Although this is not anywhere near a favorit, it is easy to drink and I could all night!
Sep 15, 2009
Photo of flexabull
Reviewed by flexabull from California

3.87/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours a clear and light gold color with a small white head.

Aromas are of caramel malts, brewed tea, and pine like hops.

Taste is much like the aromas. Brewed tea flavor, creamy caramel malts, and some sweet cereal grains. Finish is crisp with an earthy pine hop note.

Mouthfeel is full, well rounded, and nicely carbonated. Beer feels smooth.

Drinkability is quite good. This isn't going to wow you, but it's a solid sessionable pale that falls more toward the British style.
Apr 25, 2009
Photo of RichardWalter
Reviewed by RichardWalter from California

3.62/5  rDev +13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3
A light golden, a little hazy with all the foam. Way too much white foam that breaks into chunks, with a lot still left on the side of the glass.

Light citrus grapey aroma , nothing overpowering, reminds me of a wine cellar.

Light and refreshing small amount of aftertaste.
Apr 05, 2009
Photo of illidurit
Reviewed by illidurit from California

2.9/5  rDev -9.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
On tap at the brewpub. Typical golden straw color, crystal clear, with a wet and wispy white head. Aroma is very grainy with some wet hay and lemony citrus. Also some phenolic character that doesn't meld in that well. Flavor is yeast, spices, wet mushy grains, and a tinge of citrus. Some slight hop astringency. Mouthfeel is very very light, carbonation is high. Drinkable but extremely boring.
Feb 28, 2009
Photo of watchnerd
Reviewed by watchnerd from California

3.6/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Picked up a 22 oz bottle of this at Draeger's in San Mateo.

I'm not sure I'd agree with the style categorization. It doesn't describe itself as a Belgian Pale Ale anywhere on the bottle. On the other hand, it isn't quite hoppy enough to be a typical West Coast pale ale. But it's not yeasty enough to be really described as a Belgian ale, either.

Overall, it was okay. Not spectacular, not bad. A bit light on the palate and in the mouth, but this does increase the drinkability. It would be a decent beer on a hot day.
Jul 05, 2008
Pale Ale from Santa Cruz Mountain Brewing
Beer rating: 77 out of 100 with 29 ratings