Nor Cal Ale
Bear Republic Brewing Co.

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From:
Bear Republic Brewing Co.
 
California, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
4.5%
Score:
84
Avg:
3.69 | pDev: 11.92%
Reviews:
57
Ratings:
81
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Dec 01, 2020
Added:
Apr 28, 2009
Wants:
  1
Gots:
  0
Inspired by Northern California's brewing history, this California Bitter is as inviting as the Redwoods. Smooth and drinkable, this ale has a well rounded malt character accented by Cascade and Centennial dry hops.
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Photo of maddogruss
Reviewed by maddogruss from New Jersey

3.71/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75
Based on 2011 notes. Had this from a bottle.
A: pours orange amber body with small white head with decent retention and lacing
S: slightly sweet and subtle floral notes; some honey notes
M: fairly sweet, subtle honey notes with some earth notes; some lemon in the aftertaste
M: medium bodied and slightly refreshing; ok overall
D: nice mouthfeel and taste combo; nice beer overall; pretty good
Dec 01, 2020
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.14/5  rDev -14.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Called a bitter. Dark yellow, thin white head, above average lacing. Aroma was soggy biscuits left near the heater coil.

Taste kept up the breadiness, the bitterness was off though, wasn't really a hoppy derived thing. Something else. Had that old world vibe to a blended infected old beer with a uninfected fresh one.
Dec 27, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by HaveUSeenMyCellar from California

Mar 30, 2015
Photo of seedyone
Reviewed by seedyone from New York

2.75/5  rDev -25.5%
03/29/13 At Rattle N Hum over 1 year ago. On tap. Just OK. Hoppier than I like & not quite the right shade of bitter. I prefer my ESB's to more in the English ale style.
Dec 14, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by GClarkage from California

Jul 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by atrocity from Virginia

Apr 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by markgugs from New Jersey

Apr 20, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by sixerofelixir from Ohio

Feb 27, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by DIPAFAN from New Jersey

Feb 18, 2013
Photo of argock
Reviewed by argock from Virginia

3.21/5  rDev -13%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Served on-tap in a Shaker pint at Mellow Mushroom (Charlottesville, VA).

A: Very dusky amber with short cap of off-white head that left some lace.

S: Very bland average-homebrewish herbal and pine hoppiness with some citrus character. The malt backing is not too prominent in the aroma.

T: The flavor is also very bland with a steely, almost metallic pine and tannic hops flavor followed by a crackery but otherwise washed out crystal malt backbone. It has a very homebrew character, with too much astringency for the maltiness. If I had to guess this has a big wallop of Northern Brewer hops.

M: Decent slick smooth mouthfeel but the carbonation is too low.

O: I am surprised Bear Republic let this out of their brewery. This is easily the worst beer I have had from them - flabby with too much crystal malt and a semi-astringent hops tannin feel and flavor. Skip it.
Jan 25, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by Greenster from District of Columbia

Jan 21, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by RyanCMcGovern from New Jersey

Dec 28, 2012
Photo of Huhzubendah
Reviewed by Huhzubendah from District of Columbia

3.65/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
On draft at Lost Dog Cafe.

The beer is golden hued with a small white head. The aroma offers some hops and citrus. Tangy flavor with citrus and a bit of an earthy tone. Grapefruit, biscuits, crackers, grain. Light bodied and thin with moderate carbonation. Overall this was ok.
Dec 08, 2012
Photo of Sammy
Reviewed by Sammy from Canada (ON)

3.3/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
On tap their Tap Room. Not really an ESB as Cascade and Centennial. Served too cold and overcarbonated. BitterTaste did not come through, it was malt forward, bready, the kind of things altogether that do not make for the style. It was lacey with an off-white head.
Nov 13, 2012
 
Rated: 3.25 by Rhettroactive from Virginia

Nov 04, 2012
Photo of silentdonkey
Reviewed by silentdonkey from California

3.08/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Had this on tap over trivia and Sunday football at Congregation Ale House.

A: Light copper with a small off white head. Nice clarity and minimal lacing left behind.

S: Not much going on with the nose. Faint amounts of biscuit malt and caramel. A slight hint of citrus hoppiness.

T: Just as the nose suggests. A slight malty/caramel backbone and finish with a mild acidic citrus note up front.

M: Smooth, medium/low body with a fair amount of carbonation.

O: A very drinkable pale ale. It is a borderline bitter in my opinion. More malty and bready notes than your typical APA. Not what I was expecting with the name. It suggests a hoppier west coast PA.
Oct 22, 2012
 
Rated: 3.75 by RblWthACoz from Pennsylvania

Oct 21, 2012
Photo of John_M
Reviewed by John_M from Washington

3.88/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
On tap at the Meridian Pint the other night.

The beer pours a golden amber color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is likewise attractive, as I pick up some cereal grains and light dry citrus. The flavor profile replicates the nose, but the beer actually had a bit more hoppy bitterness on the finish than I was expecting. This beer is very well balanced, in a dry, west coast style manner, and the finish was clean and refreshingly bitter. Mouthfeel was otherwise medium bodied, and I appreciated the relatively low alcohol in this beer.

Very nice beer, and given the abv., quite sessionable as well. Impressive.
Oct 20, 2012
Photo of Beerandraiderfan
Reviewed by Beerandraiderfan from Nevada

3.24/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
On the board at the brewery they refer to this as Nor Cal Bitter. Tastes more similar to a classic bitter moreso than an american pale ale. Looks nice, dark gold, thin white head that had decent lacing. Aroma was off, I don't think they went for the aroma to be so traditional that it had a mild infection to it, but it gave off that kind of soggy mildly soured unintentionally vibe.

Biscuity and bready, the beer has probably noble hops, a little sticky viscosity for a beer this light in terms of alcohol, kind of filling. Far maltier than you would think looking at the color and abv. Wish it had more hoppiness going for it. There's a few examples of hoppy sessions coming out more and more, it would seem to be right up BR's alley, but oh well, this is more likely to impress your 75 year old grandfather from England moreso than anyone else.
Oct 14, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by drjman

Sep 03, 2012
Nor Cal Ale from Bear Republic Brewing Co.
Beer rating: 84 out of 100 with 81 ratings