Antebellum Ale
Craggie Brewing Company

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From:
Craggie Brewing Company
 
North Carolina, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
5%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.55 | pDev: 14.37%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
24
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 24, 2019
Added:
Jun 06, 2010
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Lantern:
Photo of Lantern
Rated by Lantern

3/5  rDev -15.5%

Dec 06, 2011
More User Ratings:
Photo of REVZEB
Reviewed by REVZEB from Illinois

3.85/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Had on tap. Actually had this for the first time in a bar in Asheville when the owner of craggie showed up and offered for pints of this APA for free. Pretty cool! Amber orange appearance, with some surface bubbles. Smell featured hops that were mild and grassy, with caramel malt and biscuit aromas. Taste was crisp, with more malt than expected, big caramel, molasses, piney hops, grass, pale biscuit malt, and some crisp lemon zest on the finish with the hops. Languid and smooth, but no pale ale hop textures.
Jan 24, 2019
 
Rated: 3.25 by jrob21 from North Carolina

Nov 19, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by jaredtp from Tennessee

Sep 24, 2014
Photo of tdm168
Reviewed by tdm168 from Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks to jtd1969 for bringing me back a growler of this from his travels.

A - dark orangish amber with a big off white head that leaves a thick lacing

S - big molasses and spruce

T- the molasses and ginger show up first followed by a very earthy, spruce note that dominates the finish

M - medium bodied, smooth, well carbonated

This isn't a very good beer. I give it bonus points for creativity and uniqueness. I had a very hard time finishing the growler. With it's over the top spruce presence this may make a better winter ale. As it stands, I'm glad I tried it once, but I won't be looking for it again.
Oct 08, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by zekeman17 from Pennsylvania

Oct 07, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by KMitch from Alabama

Sep 16, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by GTB from North Carolina

Jul 17, 2012
 
Rated: 2.5 by keithwalk from North Carolina

Jul 12, 2012
 
Rated: 4.5 by Lob from North Carolina

May 07, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by NCLorax from North Carolina

Apr 15, 2012
Photo of oline73
Reviewed by oline73 from Maryland

3.23/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Poured from a growler into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a mostly clear amber color with two fingers of off white head that fades to a layer on top of the pour.

Smell: Mild herbal hops with some slightly fruity notes.

Taste: Pine hops with some caramel, molasses, and a bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a high amount of carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This is a very interesting pale ale. Not amazing, but still quite good.
Apr 04, 2012
 
Rated: 3.5 by UltimateLivewire from South Carolina

Mar 11, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by tclapper from Maine

Dec 03, 2011
Photo of DefenCorps
Reviewed by DefenCorps from Oregon

3.11/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Growler shared by Nathan last night. Thanks, friend!

Pouring a clear reddish amber with a dense, off-white head that recedes leaving a little lacing, this looks good. The nose is decent. Pine, spruce and ginger are most noticeable, and there's a mild molasses character to the nose as well. Moderately caramel-like.The palate opens with a strong blend of spruce and ginger, pungent and spicy. Moderate caramel and honey flavors follow through, with the ginger really hiding the molasses. Medium in body with soft carbonation, this feels nice on the palate, but the finish does have more ginger than I'd like. Decent, this is closer in spirit to a gruit/braggot hybrid than a traditional APA.
Jul 01, 2011
Photo of beer2day
Reviewed by beer2day from North Carolina

3.77/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Caramel orange pour with fleeting 1/2 finger head. No retention and very little lace.

Nose is pine with strong molasses. Very sweet.

Spicy molasses flavor. Hint of pine, but caramel sweetness clobbers that. Burnt caramel finish. No hops to speak of.

Feel is very thick and full of syrup.

Good one to try but maybe not get again.
Apr 23, 2011
Photo of Jdmpolk
Reviewed by Jdmpolk from Florida

3.79/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Thanks to my buddy Adam for bringing this brew back from his read trip.

A- A golden red color with a matte appearance. In the darker areas a woody color shows. Little to no head and no lacing.

S- Ginger is predominant with a pine aroma. There is a hint of lemon in the back ground. Malt is definitely discernible.

T- Ginger leads the charge with a resiny back drop. Malt follows it up like juggernaut and takes over the experience. The aftertaste had a floral hint to it.

M- I felt like I could actually chew the malt in this brew it was that strong. it coated all corners of my mouth especially the tongue.

D- A pretty easy brew to drink, I appreciate an ale with hints of ginger in it, but the malt was overpowering, and severely hindered my enjoyment.
Mar 10, 2011
Photo of callisbeers
Reviewed by callisbeers from North Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Served from growler given to me as a gift. Very little head or lacing ( I always wander how long these store bought growlers have been on the shelf ). Taste is a very unique mixture as better described by some of the other advocates. It wasn't bad but just different. Definitely a holiday beer with winter flavor. I am not sure I could have more of these, although it may be one of those beers that takes some refining of the palate to appreciate.
Jan 21, 2011
Photo of ChainGangGuy
Reviewed by ChainGangGuy from Georgia

2.83/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Appearance: Delicately hazed, deep amber-hued body with a light, tight, white head.

Smell: AA smells of processed ginger, spruce-scented votives, and tangy, smokey blackstrap molasses.

Taste: Initial slip of tartness and a curious taste of gamey smoked meat glazed with molasses and sorghum. Some perceived 'heat' from powderized ginger and a touch of spicy spruce. Sweetish, gingery finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-low carbonation.

Drinkability: It's the beer I was most looking forward to at Craggie and the only one I was dismayed by. An odd, clunky mix of disjointed flavors, though I'll probably revisit this one, in hopes of a better experience.
Dec 08, 2010
Photo of CrellMoset
Reviewed by CrellMoset from Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Antebellum Ale, on tap at Craggie Brewing Company during my last trip to Asheville. Served in a pint glass.

Appearance: Arrives a hazed, coppery amber orange, capped by half of one finger of quickly fading, tawny head. Retention leaves a little to be desired, though the thin surface dusting, thick collar, and voluminous streaks and dollops of side stick are fairly nice.

Aroma: Ginger dominates the nose on this one, with some sweet, toffee-like backing notes providing a nice foundation. Hints of pine and fruit emerge as this one warms.

Taste: Festive! A very flavorful brew, with definite notes of ginger and spruce intermingling excellently with a sweet, roasty backing malt bill. Tastes like what one would imagine Christmas would taste like, spicy and piney, and everything works surprisingly well.

Mouthfeel: This beer's best aspect. A wonderfully smooth, even, and soft body with enough fluffy, crisp components to touch on the best of both worlds.

Drinkability: One of the better pale ales I've had lately. CBC has struck upon a really interesting combination of notes here, and, though I can't comment on this one's historical authenticity, I don't think I really need to. At 5.0%, I could see myself putting away a few of these - maybe with gingersnaps?
Dec 06, 2010
Antebellum Ale from Craggie Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 24 ratings