Albino Pygmy Puma
2nd Shift Brewing

Albino Pygmy PumaAlbino Pygmy Puma
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
2nd Shift Brewing
 
Missouri, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
85
Avg:
3.74 | pDev: 12.83%
Reviews:
15
Ratings:
69
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 19, 2020
Added:
Apr 10, 2013
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  3
Okay, here is my version of a Pale Ale that has a few hops in it like Columbus, Cascade, Summit & Centennial. Probably the best pale that has ever been made in the history of mankind.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by IpeeA:
Photo of IpeeA
Rated by IpeeA from Missouri

4/5  rDev +7%

Aug 11, 2014
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.94 by craigbelly from Iowa

Sep 19, 2020
 
Rated: 3.92 by BeerMe8 from Florida

Aug 15, 2020
 
Rated: 4.5 by JamesLeung from Florida

Aug 07, 2020
Photo of hoptheology
Reviewed by hoptheology from California

3.32/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 1
12 oz can purchased from Mike's in KCMO
Canned on 3/16/20
Ploughshare glass.

Snap of the can shows a nice blonde murky liquid in the can, which pours a likewise glowing blonde color with a creamy spit-toothpaste head of 2 fingers, leaving lots of lace on the glass as it recedes to a thin ring.

Aroma of starfruit, followed by hints of apricot, white peach, and slight orange blossom.

Flavor brings a touch of sawdust, followed by some slightly spoiled fruit, and then some fresher notes of starfruit, lychee, and lemon, with faint hints of apricot at the tail end. Plain malt-o-meal cereal mash type of flavor permeates as well which ends up giving off a little bit of a "baby food" character. Grapefruit notes build on the palate the more it is sipped which helps footnote the cereal mash notes and other spoiled fruit notes.

Feel is juicy and light, with a good acidity and semi-creaminess. Alcohol presence is detectable at 5.5% which is a bummer, I can feel it on my tongue and in my throat. Drying finish.

Overall, most everything from 2nd Shift so far that I've had has been an absolute stunner - but this one fell short for me. And at its price for a 4 pack session beer? It's an easy pass up next time. Edit : The 1 overall is for the brewery experience of requiring clot shot cards to sit in their establishment. I'll never again grace their doorways or buy their beer after this.

Price paid : $13.99 / 4 pack
Would buy again : no
May 06, 2020
 
Rated: 3.53 by mgundy32 from Wisconsin

Dec 22, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by rare_bird from Michigan

Dec 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.35 by jcoleMA66 from Massachusetts

Aug 31, 2019
Photo of Mark-Leggett
Reviewed by Mark-Leggett from Missouri

3.96/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Hazy and orange in color with a small head. Bright and citrus smells. Taste of juicy citrus with a malty base. Mouth feel is smooth and juicy. Very easy drinker
Jul 24, 2019
Photo of BEERchitect
Reviewed by BEERchitect from Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
It used to be that if you backed off those hoppy way, it only meant to consider a beer's bitterness. But nowadays you can back off of bitterness and that only be a small story of the hops in a pale ale. But the 2nd Shift brewers actually celebrate hops in a beer that looks to reimagine what American pale ale can be.

Bleached gold in its color but hazy with a translucent glow, Albino Pygmy Puma pours with a creamy eggshell froth and with an array of hop perfumes that range citrus, spruce, herb and spice. A gentle and creamy sweetness coats the tongue with shortcake, cereal and an overall cream of wheat character.

The malt and cereal sweetness continue to contribute a creamy substrate and a measure of lychee sweetness across the middle palate while the hops bring their force of grapefruit, orange peel and a pleasant verbena grassiness ahead of a medium measure of bitterness that includes spicy lemongrass, muddled pine needles and a fresh cut grassiness in balance.

Medium bodied through and through, this light pastry pale ale evades the traditional caramel and nuttiness of older versions in favor of a bolder hop taste and aroma. Its reduced bitterness is smooth and spicy late, taking on a green tea and gin-like botanical taste that extends into an even keel, medium length aftertaste.
Jul 18, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

2/5  rDev -46.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2
Canned 1/31/19; drank 3/16/19 @ the Yarchives.

Opaque orange appearance.

A violent pour yielded a nice eggshell head; nice, frothy lace.

Bubblegum, peanut butter & faint peach notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel.

Peanut butter flavors up front; sharp champagne bite & lager yeast notes on the finish.

To call this a "New England style pale ale" is at best ignorant & at worst a flat out lie. Avoid at all costs.
Mar 17, 2019
Photo of Livyatan1996
Reviewed by Livyatan1996 from Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
reworked into a hazy brew recently, canned 16 days ago. pours a nice yellow/orange juice with a decent white head. no lacing and a few patches of suds are left behind now. nose is a whole lot of fruit, with some more citrus flavors taking charge. a bit of bitterness cuts in and some earthy and grassy notes balance it out. taste is fruity, just a mouthful of walmart fruit juice with a sweet malt base. drinks light and a little dry. stupid tasty, should've grabbed a few more of these
Dec 16, 2018
 
Rated: 3.79 by lemmy187 from Missouri

Dec 15, 2018
Photo of JLaw55
Reviewed by JLaw55 from Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +20.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Had this one recently after it was retooled into a New England Style Pale Ale. Can't comment on what it was like before the change, but can say that what it is now is fantastic. It's all the juiciness and fruit forward flavors that you love from the style, but at a reasonable 5.5% ABV. Super drinkable and damn near one of the most crushable pales I've ever had.
Dec 15, 2018
 
Rated: 3.8 by MeLoynes from Missouri

Dec 09, 2018
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
a tasty beer but not their best work, especially on the hoppy side of things. a basic american pale, but they have done a nice enough job with it, hoppy and bitter as they go, but easy drinking too, light weight, and flavorful, but a little less interesting than their stronger ipa types that i have had, and not quite as compelling overall. i only had this on tap, and i know they bottle it too, and in my experience with 2nd shift beers, the bottles have always been better, so i will revisit this one in that format when i get the chance next and compare. citrus and pine both, it seems to have the best of both ends of the hop spectrum, but the freshness isnt where it was in their others, and the grain seems a little one dimensional. carbonation is great, and this ends up being one of those pale ales you could just drink a whole bunch of and feel no need to over analyze it, and once in a while, thats a real nice feature about a beer. not my favorite beer they do, but not a bad one either, i dont think they do any bad ones at all, but i prefer their more adventurous hoppy offerings personally...
Sep 14, 2016
 
Rated: 3.81 by emerge077 from Illinois

Aug 08, 2016
Photo of AndyBeerGuy
Reviewed by AndyBeerGuy from Kansas

3.93/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is a very nice APA. Good appearance. Clear light amber. Not much of a head. Lots of citrus in the nose which delivers in the taste too. Just a touch of pine with a bready caramel backbone.
Mar 17, 2016
 
Rated: 2.8 by DrAnnaNemis from Illinois

Jan 06, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by stephensinner from Missouri

Oct 10, 2015
Albino Pygmy Puma from 2nd Shift Brewing
Beer rating: 85 out of 100 with 69 ratings