Stegmaier Pale Ale
Lion Brewery, Inc.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Let me start by saying I really like stegmaier porter. With that said I am not sure what this beer was but it was not a pale ale. Very watered down and was more like a funky tasting ale. I will stick to their porter at 23 dollars a case its a great buy.

Here is the big problem I have with this brew that was given to me. It's a Pale Ale? hello? wheres the hops? it's as if the brewer used cardboard and lawn mower shavings to brew this disaster of a beer. Although it is drinkable my standards are much higher then this sub-par wicked mess of a beer. Did the brewer guess what kind of beer he made? the only thing that resembles a Pale Ale with this brew is the label.

Bottom Line: Lets play a game, pin the tail on the brew type!

 

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light amber color, with a thin white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains grassy hops, caramelized malts and a touch of citrus.

T: The taste starts out with a quick burst of piney hops bitterness. Then some citrus and caramel sweetness comes in. The malt character is on the thin side for the style and brings a decent balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and a little smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: A little tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, it’s a decent beer but there are better choices in the style.

The beer pours a nice clear and copper colour with a huge 3 finger head and leaves and excellent lacing pattern that looks like the Beatles in the one cartoon where they have really long hair. Trippy!

When it's warming the beer smells mildly malty with bready yeast and notes of orange peel, citrusy hops and honey. It's very faint but nice. You have to let this beer warm for those to come out. Cold it's average.

Taste wise this beer is balanced really well. Earthy hop bitterness mixed with orange peel play with some almost caramel sweet maltiness equally throughout the sip.

The mouthfeel is smooth but a bit on the thin side. The carbonation moderate.

Overall I am going to say that this is not the best American pale ale that I have had. It's a bit on the watery side, but the balance of flavours and aromas is excellent! If it weren't for the thin mouthfeel I would be giving this 4 out of 5. But I do believe that this beer is excellent for summer activities AND that it would be a great crossover beer for the craft beer beginner and it gets points for that!