John H. R. Molson & Bros. 1908 Historic Pale Ale
Molson Coors Canada

John H. R. Molson & Bros. 1908 Historic Pale AleJohn H. R. Molson & Bros. 1908 Historic Pale Ale
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From:
Molson Coors Canada
 
Ontario, Canada
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
6.8%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.67 | pDev: 14.71%
Reviews:
31
Ratings:
65
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Feb 11, 2017
Added:
Feb 05, 2016
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  17
No description / notes.
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Photo of TheHammer
Reviewed by TheHammer from Canada (ON)

3.81/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
I'll be, forgot I had this one in my fridge, how about that.

Appearance: Poured with two fingers of head that stay around and produced an ample amount of lacing. The body on the other hand, while boasting amply thin carbonation, seems to be constantly stirring up this finer then sand particulate matter that clouds the beer a brownish orange.

Smell: It's stops just short of tame as far as potency, but solid regardless. Caramel malt, lemon accented by floral and herbal hops. While it's not overly exciting, it strikes me as what solid ale should smell like. It's not trying to wow you, but it's subtle and confident in what it is.

Taste: This is a bit odd, normally the bitter kick of hops appear during the finish, but here the herbals and floral hops seem to be front and center and then gives way to a good dose of caramel malt which then turns to the lemon and citrus hops. I kind of like it, as it seems to spread the hopping a bit more evenly for this pale ale, as opposed to just being a mild IPA clone.

Mouthfeel: The transition isn't the greatest, as it's like starting on a hop peak, falling into a malt gully and quickly rising back up to the hop end. The carbonation seems to help out the tail end of the beer, but it still present throughout. The aftertaste is kinda clingy and plastic like with herbal hops foremost.

Drinkability: I didn't have any problems getting it down, or keeping it down as the carbonation isn't late to the game. It's a lot more refreshing then most pale ales, but interesting enough. It really does taste like a pale ale that was designed to have a broader appeal from back in the old days, but not with weird qualities that sometimes plague "older style" beers.

Final Thoughts: Most "older style" beers I've had, usually end up tasting like a muddy mess. This one though is a milder pale ale with a broad appeal. I was presently surprised by this one, and I guess it goes to show you how Molson became the beer giant it is today, from solid work back then. Sadly the generic lager they brew now while still a good measuring stick, isn't much more then that, but I digress. Solid brew, hopefully it sold well enough and the brewery starts looking back more to its past.
Feb 11, 2017
 
Rated: 4 by mistahmojoryan from Canada (SK)

Dec 04, 2016
 
Rated: 3.09 by chickenm from Canada (BC)

Oct 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.75 by hunterjames from Canada (ON)

Sep 26, 2016
Photo of taxandbeerguy
Reviewed by taxandbeerguy from Canada (ON)

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
625 ml bottle served cold into a pint glass. Purchased from the LCBO for a reasonable $3.95 CDN.

Appearance - pours a hazy honey brown coloured beer, topped with a finger and a bit of white head, and there's some gold and yellow hues to the beer too. Plentiful carbonation. Some lacing left behind. Browner than most but a good looking beer.

Smell - not the biggest aroma, but some earthy and slightly citrusy hops. Lemon comes to mind. There's also a deep rooted caramel pillar in the background. Balanced.

Taste - earthy and fairly bitter. Not a lot of sweetness, just enough to prevent an all-in on the bitterness. Flavours are fairly bready as well, sourdough comes to mind here but it's a little different than that. Just a hint of lemon too.

Mouthfeel - carbonation is high, and is a little on The heavier side but this is a higher ABV beer.

Overall - molson's historic 1908 pale ale, is probably one of the best beers the brewery has ever come out with. Drinks easy and is full of flavor and has a lot going for it than if it was manufactured under any other label, it would easily pass for craft. Worth a try and decent bang for your buck as far as larger containers go.
Sep 15, 2016
Photo of notheroic
Rated by notheroic from Canada (AB)

1/5  rDev -72.8%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1
Disgusting. Would not recommend. Did not enjoy it in the least.
Sep 13, 2016
Photo of matthiasbrau
Reviewed by matthiasbrau from New York

4.12/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Tasted 9/2/16 at our AirBnB apartment in Montréal, reviewed from notes. 625ml bottle. Hard pour into Hoegaarden tumbler reveals 1 finger of fine-bubble foam, settling to a thin white cap, some lacing as I drink; amber-orange color, slightly cloudy; bready aroma; herbal hop and grain taste, balanced flavors; medium carbonation is style-appropriate. Overall, this is a subtle and delicious, classy pale ale with pleasant bitterness. I'm glad I grabbed 3 more big bottles of this before leaving Montréal and I look forward to enjoying them as autumn sets in here at home in New York.

I'm thrilled that this is a Molson; during college in upstate New York (not quite as long ago as 1908), any beer from north of the border was considered cool, but Molson was a personal favorite.

Translating from an article in Québec beer magazine Bières et Plaisirs, the original recipe used in making this beer is that of Molson's india pale ale from 1908, but the company rebaptized the beer as a pale ale, in order that it corresponds more to today's (style) standards. The article goes on to say that Molson is thinking of resurrecting other historic recipes. I hope they are all as tasty as this one.
Sep 13, 2016
 
Rated: 4.35 by bryanzk from Canada (ON)

Sep 06, 2016
Photo of Lewnanny
Rated by Lewnanny from Canada (NB)

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I will need to have this one again to rate it.
Sep 02, 2016
 
Rated: 3.52 by Mousel from Canada (ON)

Aug 30, 2016
 
Rated: 3.61 by JonCorbett from Canada (BC)

Aug 17, 2016
 
Rated: 3.37 by Exeter from Canada (AB)

Aug 04, 2016
Photo of TerryW
Reviewed by TerryW from Canada (ON)

3.24/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Moderate head settle to film, good lacing. Burnt orange in colour. Hardly anything on the nose, just a little caramel. Malty without being excessively sweet. Dry and hoppy. Lingering bitter finish. Slightly metallic at the end. Lots of individual things happening, but no real harmony. Actually kind of harsh stuff to drink to my mind. Not for me. Doesn't hang together right.
Jul 25, 2016
Photo of BIGGIE101
Reviewed by BIGGIE101 from Canada (ON)

3.4/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Once poured. Like most Molson, brown with a flat head. But the flavour, light malt, caramel and fresh oranges. A mild hop bitterness and a short dry finish. It's not a bad beer at all. Totally surprised with Molson's effort on this.
Jul 19, 2016
 
Rated: 3.25 by Socialiste from Canada (QC)

Jul 11, 2016
Photo of Molson2000
Reviewed by Molson2000 from Canada (ON)

2.89/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Slight caramel malt aroma with some corn. Lots of caramel malt is about the only flavour. A touch of hops in the finish. Lingering aftertaste is an unpleasant burn. Not good.
Jul 07, 2016
 
Rated: 3.56 by groleau from Canada (QC)

Jun 24, 2016
 
Rated: 3.69 by Brody1714 from Canada (ON)

Jun 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.95 by Chriswillms9 from Canada (AB)

Jun 18, 2016
Photo of robnews
Reviewed by robnews from Canada (NB)

3.72/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Molson decided to brew a beer. It's got it's own distinct personality. Not stellar but solid and unique. A repeated purchase. Thanks for brewing a nice mild IPA.
Jun 17, 2016
John H. R. Molson & Bros. 1908 Historic Pale Ale from Molson Coors Canada
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 65 ratings