Sweet Action
Sixpoint Brewery

Sweet ActionSweet Action
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From:
Sixpoint Brewery
 
New York, United States
Style:
American Blonde Ale
Ranked #27
ABV:
5%
Score:
87
Ranked #15,461
Avg:
3.9 | pDev: 12.05%
Reviews:
620
Ratings:
2,385
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 09, 2023
Added:
Mar 04, 2005
Wants:
  227
Gots:
  572
Ever heard of Sweet Action...the magazine? That short-lived sensation sparked one of our first collaborations--the beer you hold in your hand. Our quest to classify SWEET ACTION has ended; it's a beer your brain can't categorize, but instead speaks directly to your palate. Our senses and intuition sometimes conquer rational thought. It's Mad Science.
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Ratings by deanhead:
Photo of deanhead
Reviewed by deanhead from Vermont

4.22/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Arrived on tap in a pint glass at the Sierra Grille.

No head present on this brilliantly colored golden ale.

Aroma is citrusy with hints of Pineapple and sweet rolls.
Taste is citrusy, and grainy with a subtle astringent alcoholic note.

Mouthfeel is almost chewy, with slight dankness.
This is a highly drinkable, adequately carbonated beer, despite the absence of any head in my glass.

Finishes crisp clean and dry.
Oct 13, 2008
More User Ratings:
Photo of Profundobaso
Reviewed by Profundobaso from New York

3.47/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Look - poured into a tulip glass. Golden in color, hazy, with a beautiful three finger head and modereate lacing retention.

Smell - mostly malt with some fruity flavors, resembling candied peach. a fair bit of sweetness.

Taste - nowhere close to as sweet as suggested by the the smell. malt dominant, but has a surprising moderate hoppy bite that follows. the finish is relatively clean, with lingering malty notes.

Feel - medium bodied, average carbonation, and standard in ABV at 5%.

Overall - this beer is not bad. however, it taste quite different than the Sweet Action that I used to remember...in fact, I don't think this beer is even really much of a blonde ale, more so an APA (can now calls it an "NYC Pale Ale"). If evaluated as an APA, this is a lightly hoppy and balanced brew, but otherwise is not a standout. Personally preferred the old school "cream ale" version, so this is slightly disappointing.
Oct 09, 2023
 
Rated: 3.87 by NastyNorseman from New York

Sep 17, 2021
Photo of milkshakebeersucks
Reviewed by milkshakebeersucks from Maryland

3.43/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Hazy amber appearance with a larger than average white head and very good lacing. Subtle fruity aroma, more like peach than citrus. Taste is just as laid back as the aroma, smooth and wheaty, little bitterness, gently hopped. There is a bit more of a piney, resinous note in the aftertaste. Moderately carbonated, light-to-medium bodied mouthfeel. Close to the 'best by' date of 9/26/21.

Hard to nail down the style on this one. "NYC Pale Ale" is on the can but the website indicates it is a blond ale, a wheat beer and a pale ale. With a scattershot approach like that, just about any descriptor a reviewer uses would stick. Overall, inoffensive but unexciting.
Aug 31, 2021
 
Rated: 4.05 by Edy-Cantarero from New York

Apr 26, 2021
 
Rated: 3.71 by Kingmoonracer from New Jersey

Dec 15, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by MonkeyPilates from Minnesota

Oct 14, 2020
Photo of BloodSoakedAleMug
Reviewed by BloodSoakedAleMug from New York

2.98/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
NO!!! They ruined it! WHY!?!? THEY RUINED THIS BEER.

Sweet action used to be branded as a "Cream Ale" back in the day, and it was superb. Hands down the best for it's style.

What we have nowadays is a mockery, an imitation of the original, sharing it's name only. This is not the liquid that I remember, the beer that turned me onto craft beer. This is an impostor masquerading around in an old friends clothing. It's depressing.

Look: The look is more or less the same ... nice head retention. Excellent lacing as with almost all sixpoint beers. Golden, slightly orange color with a big frothy head.

Aroma: Certainly more hop dominated and less malty than it used to be. The beer used to be restrained and elegant in the use of its hop bill. Everything was supple. Hops would come through only on the end of the nose - not dominate the entire aroma. Now hops are just thrown in there for the sake of being hoppy thanks to the pale ale rebrand. It smells like any other generic pale ale, take your pick. A mishmash of spicy grapefruit and orange peel. None of the original depth of smell.

Taste: My god. . . what did they do. Why would they do this? I don't even know where to start. It's not even sweet (why the hell is it named sweet action still? just call it "generic pale ale" how about?). It doesn't taste "bad" but it has no character . . . grapefruit . . . orange peel . . . some pine sap. . . just bland. Nothing like the original. A damn shame.

Feel: Is it even brewed with wheat anymore? What the hell? Not even close to the original. Thin and dry, not silky and savory like it used to be. At least it's still somewhat refreshing.

Overall: It's boring. Yeah if I was thirsty I'd drink it. I'd probably still take it over a myriad of other lesser pale ales but thats not the point. They turned this into a generic, boring american pale ale - none of the body, creaminess or sweetness that was such a definitive characteristic of Sweet Action before it was re-branded by some numbskull who should be fired immediately and belongs nowhere near a brewery. Thanks for killing one of the best cream ales of all time.

At least people who have had it before the rebrand can still remember the good old days. I'm going to try and find an old homebrew recipe for the REAL sweet action cream ale and try and brew up a batch. Really astonished they would do something like this.
May 31, 2020
 
Rated: 2.91 by Milkman_d83 from Kentucky

Apr 27, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by imperialking from Illinois

Apr 17, 2020
 
Rated: 3 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Apr 07, 2020
 
Rated: 3.48 by SolarPower36 from Florida

Feb 12, 2020
Photo of VoxRationis
Reviewed by VoxRationis from New York

3.96/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Decanted from a 12 oz (355 ml) can into a muffin top, taster pint; canned 07/26/19.
A: Pours a ever so slightly hazy, dark copper color with orange highlights, a one finger, off-white head, more than rim retention, but only moderate Belgian lacing.
S: Aromas of rich caramel, lemon citrus, honey, star anise, and pine.
T: Semisweet with palate following nose closely. Mild bitterness.
M: Light to medium bodied with decent carbonation.
O: Really delicious take on the style. Reminiscent of a Pale Ale.
Feb 05, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by rare_bird from Michigan

Dec 03, 2019
 
Rated: 4.46 by cromiium

Nov 13, 2019
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
From old, undated notes. Poured from the can.

Clear dandelion hue.

HUGE white head (careful pouring!); frothy lace.

Orange citrus, pine & honey sweetness in the nose.

Medium thin mouthfeel.

Mild orange citrus, mild pine & honey in the flavor as well; a macro-corn lager finish mars what could have been a summer delight.

Close.
Oct 17, 2019
 
Rated: 3.79 by nater919 from New York

Sep 02, 2019
 
Rated: 3.5 by BltByKrmn from New York

Jun 14, 2019
 
Rated: 3.33 by gefinley from California

Jun 05, 2019
Sweet Action from Sixpoint Brewery
Beer rating: 87 out of 100 with 2385 ratings