American Pale Ale
Spanish Peaks Brewing Co.

American Pale AleAmerican Pale Ale
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Spanish Peaks Brewing Co.
 
Montana, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
5.7%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.62 | pDev: 12.98%
Reviews:
39
Ratings:
43
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Nov 19, 2021
Added:
Mar 28, 2007
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
View: More Beers
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.44 by LesDewitt4beer from Minnesota

Nov 19, 2021
 
Rated: 3.5 by jaydoc from Kansas

Jan 23, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Cujo65 from Illinois

Nov 07, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by barnzy78 from Illinois

Dec 01, 2011
Photo of kels
Reviewed by kels from Virginia

3.51/5  rDev -3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a bright coppery apricot, very hazy, with a 2 finger topping of soft, foamy white head. The head fades pretty quickly to a watery skim and leaves behind huge, thick rings of white lace.

Not a whole lot of aroma to speak of from this beer. A little bit of honey toasted grains come through.

Taste is light, sweet and refreshing. The malts are slightly caramelly, providing a slight syrupy sweet foundation for the lightest hint of lemony and grassy hops. Grains also have a toasty dimension that adds a heartiness to the beer. Feel is moderate to light, with decently bright carbonation.

Pretty highly drinkable and straightforward. Decent, solid pale ale.
Apr 04, 2010
Photo of kegger22
Reviewed by kegger22 from Michigan

3.08/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Spanish Peaks American Pale Ale was amber in color with tons of floaties, and a half-inch of off-white head that rapidly dissipated to a collar.

The aroma was a modest eau de skunque, nothing else rose above that.

The taste was citrus, lemon, but not very bitter or sweet; like weak lemonade.

The mouth feel was medium bodied with sufficient carbonation.

Drinkability was only fair, due to ambivalent flavor.

Not well balanced. This was one of the weaker APA's that I have tried. Not recommended.
Feb 08, 2010
Photo of BeerFMAndy
Reviewed by BeerFMAndy from Wisconsin

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
12 oz bottle in a Nonic. No date on the bottle.

A - Cloudy light amber color with a two finger, loose egg-shell white head with decent retention and a thick, sticky lacing.

S - Incredibly citrusy hop aroma bursting out. Smells a lot like powdered Crystal Light mix. Earthiness and dry straw notes too.

T - Great balance of flavors. A strong malt backbone that doesn't mind taking a back seat to the flourishing hop flavors. Pine, citrus, and light fruits.

M - Medium bodied and crisp with a light carbonation bite to the finish. Just a touch of dry bitterness.

D - I'm only half way through the bottle, if that, and the flavor is becoming overwhelming. I could sip it on a summer day as a refresher, but not an overly drinkable brew.
Jun 22, 2009
Photo of racer2k
Reviewed by racer2k from Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
A- Amber colored with decent head and lacing on the glass.

S- A balance of floral hops and malt aroma

T- A basic pale ale session beer with a good hop front and malt finish.

M- Moderate carbonation with decent mouth feel.

D- Good session beer. Enjoyable with some nice spicy BBQ.

Overall this is a good interpretation of the Pale Ale style and a session beer.
Jun 21, 2009
Photo of cheapxceptbeer
Reviewed by cheapxceptbeer from Massachusetts

4.25/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
Picked this beer up for 5 bucks at Marty's on Harvard Ave with their ongoing "stimulus package."

I'll start off with the appearance it has a very nice amber color, however it has a strange hanging sediment that is just unappealing, but otherwise looks delicious
Has a very piny, hoppy smell, like an IPA, not much else to say
This is really hoppy for a pale ale, the piny, citrusy qualities really come through, however the malt comes in to stop the hops from overpowering, delicious, nothing like it at this price
The body is medium which is appropriate for the style, definitely fuller than I expected, this is not APA flavored lager, this is the real thing
This beer is light enough that I could drink it all night, I am very happy with this choice, definitely a flavorful session beer
Apr 21, 2009
Photo of PaleAlien2
Reviewed by PaleAlien2 from Nebraska

3.06/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
The color of a city sunset: hazy yellow/orange, with an active white head that quickly dissipates leaving behind some beautiful lacing.

Smells fruity, yet dirty--as in earthy.

A little light in the malt/body department. Has some spices in hops in the back end. Pretty good. Not overwhelming though.
Mar 22, 2009
Photo of oriolesfan4
Reviewed by oriolesfan4 from Maryland

3.92/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Got this as part of a mixed Black Dog 12 pack for a sweet, clearance price.

First off, this beer pours a wicked cloudy light orange color with tons of floaties. I've never seen so much sediment in a beer before.. I thought Smuttynose IPA had a lot but nothing compared to this. Taste wise it's a kick of hops in the mouth.. pretty bitter for a pale ale, as its hoppier than a lot of IPA's I've had. Well balanced and very drinkable though, I enjoyed it a lot. A nice find for the price, above average beer.
Jan 26, 2009
Photo of jcm845
Reviewed by jcm845 from Texas

3.85/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I purchased this beer because it was on sale at local midway mart.
I was really enjoyed this beer. It is really well balanced and very drinkable. I found the characteristics of this beer are similar to other reviewers and was really impressed by the flavor and balance. Very good
Jan 24, 2009
Photo of beerthulhu
Reviewed by beerthulhu from New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Poured a slighty cloudy pale yellow with a small rocky white head that was fairly lasting.

S: On the nose was a smooth citrus aroma, with some grapefruit and floral hopping.

T: The initial flavor was light fresh grains with a slight pine hopping and lemon hints. The hopping was moderate and noticeable leaving a nice citrusy hop lacing on the tongue after the swallow.

M: light-medium, crisp and dry.

D: Not bad, could put down a couple of these, moderately good and respectable pale ale.
Dec 02, 2008
Photo of denflyr
Reviewed by denflyr from Texas

3.77/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a nice yellow/copper color with a medium amount of haze. A slight head, but not very uniform.

The hops obviously dominate on the nose of this brew. They almost have an orange esther to them rather than what I feel are usually grapefruit type aromas.

The beer had a nice taste to it. It had a nice malt creaminess to it. Not an overwhelming amount of hops. Nicely balanced.

Just the right amount of carbonation. Nice refreshing brew to drink since my palate was not attacked by the hops.

An excellent beer to have around as a go to beer. I could drink this often if I could get this is Houston. Not sure what the ABV was it did not seem high, so a few could be had in my opinion.
Nov 18, 2008
Photo of danielharper
Reviewed by danielharper from Michigan

4.27/5  rDev +18%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Appearance: Yellow body tinged with orange. Very hazy, quite a few bubbles suspended in the liquid. Forms a thin white head that dissipates to soapscum quickly.

Smell: Sweet, fruity. Notes of apples. Quite a bit of malt, hints of hops buried underneath. A nice aroma, inviting.

Taste: Crisp bitterness up front, slight malty middle, dry finish. Aftertaste is malty, bready. Hints of apples and grains. Strong flavors of grapefruit and a few notes of banana as the beer warms. Overall an excellent flavor for a pale ale.

Mouthfeel: Moderate. Some carbonation, a touch of dryness to the finish. Slightly chewy.

Drinkability: A highly drinkable, well-above-average pale ale. Well worth the spot in the fridge.
Oct 27, 2008
Photo of praufs01
Reviewed by praufs01 from Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Appearance - This is a beautiful looking beer. Cloudy dark yellow, with a big creamy white head, that leaves a decent amount of lacing.

Aroma - Floral hops dominate with malt in the background.

Taste - Light crisp hop taste up front that's nicely balanced with a malt backbone.

Mouthfeel - Smooth, small bubble carbonation.

Overall - Well balanced, good looking pale ale that would be hard to beat. This ale is exceptional.
Oct 18, 2008
Photo of alehopman
Reviewed by alehopman from Wisconsin

4.1/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
I immediately noted a strong malt aroma and flavor initially. The hops are more earthy than I have encountered in APA's. I think the ale has more of a British character, oddly enough. I remember tasting Black Dog Ale in the early 90's and occasionally since. This is very similar to that. I hear Black Dog has a new recipe, not sure about that though. I will drink this more frequently, the price is right.
Oct 06, 2008
Photo of Shaw
Reviewed by Shaw from Florida

3.53/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A nice light copper in color with a thick light tan head. This beer is slightly cloudy from sediment.

It has an earthy, musty aroma, which I think comes primarily from the sediment, with notes of caramel and hops.

The earthy quality is notable in the taste, too, along with a light bread flavor and a nice bitter hop finish.

The body is fine, with a nice amount of heft.

Overall this is a fine APA. I like that it distinguishes itself from the zillions of others in the style through the earthy notes.
Jul 20, 2008
Photo of dickroop
Reviewed by dickroop from Maryland

4.18/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Label notes that Spanish Peaks Brewing Company was Funded Bozeman, MT, also says brewed in Frederick MD. (Beerme-dot-com says "Formerly located in Bozeman MT, formerly a microbrewery, formerly a contract company in King City CA, now an office in Polson MT...")

Pours a classic golden golden amber with not much head but a bit cloudy. There's good lacing, and the nose is promising, hoppy to be sure, and a touch of musty richness. (Truth be told, I just finished mowing the lawn, so my examination of the smell was, ah, somewhat *abbreviated*, shall we say.)

The taste is crisp citrus hops with some floral notes, backed up with a solid malt presence, a little bready. There are earthy yeast notes, and it's got a solid clean, dry finish, with lasting bitterness on the palate. A little grapefruit rind in the cheeks before you swallow. The mouthfeel is chewey and nice (maybe a touch of hop oil for added complexity), the carbonation is right on target. For an APA, this seems spot on, not over the top hop-bomb, respectfully paying tribute to British origins, but not at all shy, it stands up well to refrigeration and American preferences.

For me, drinkability is quite high, it would be sessionable, and it's pleasurable no matter how many you have. Recommended.
Jul 11, 2008
Photo of Tucquan
Reviewed by Tucquan from Pennsylvania

3.32/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Had this poured into a glass from a 12 oz bottle in Lake Okajobi, Iowa

Poured a hazy orange with a small white head that didn't stick around long.

The smell is floral and mildly yeasty.

The taste is fruit tart, grassy and perhaps slightly medicinal. There's a fair amount of sourdough bitterness in the after taste.

The mouthfeel is average with a good balance between the malt and hops.

I liked the medium+ carbonation.

Overall, I enjoyed this ale well-enough to try more from the Spanish Peaks Brewing Co.
Jun 22, 2008
American Pale Ale from Spanish Peaks Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 43 ratings