Powerhouse Pale Ale
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

 

 

 

On tap @ Yorktown)

A- nice hazy golden orange with 2 finger head that left heavy lacing

A- floral hop heavy nose followed by caramel sweetness

T- muted hoppy bitterness. Maybe too much going on? A slight citrus pulls thru, but barely

M- decent body with nice carbonation

D- if the smell came thru in the taste, this would be an amazing APA. But overall, a very crisp and refreshing brew.

Had a pint, on tap, at the Yorktown (Lombard) location on 5/30/09.

A: beer came served in a pint glass showing a really impressive looking hazy amber/orange constitution. Minimal head was < a finger. Steady and solid lacing, though it only lasted about half the pint. Distinct and persistent rings between gulps.

S: this is the "hoppiest beer" in RB's lineup (according to the beer list). Yet, the hop presence in this beer was really very subtle. And even though the beer list boasts "bold citrus" it is pine that dominates the nose here. In fact, I had some difficulty sensing any citrus on the nose. However, there are some very nice yeasty components I wasn't expecting.

T: Good beer. Like the smell suggests, a bitter and piney brew. The citrus notes are hard to sense but are discernable if you try hard enough to sense them. And if you really pay close attention there's a real biscuit presence/flavor on the back end of this beer which is quite nice. Be aware, this is a bitter APA that gets increasingly more bitter as it warms.

M: pleasant...and perfectly carbonated. Very light on the palate. Let it sit a while and revel in the big biscuit finish. It's worth it; the finish is (for me) the most alluring aspect of this beer.

D: At 5.1% abv this beer is a drinker. And if you're a APA fan (or, even if you're not) this brew is worth a taste. It's solidly built and the surprising biscuit finish is, truthfully, alluring. Though, there are more exciting beers on tap right now (e.g. the nitwit and the Argus Imperial Brown Ale).

In all, this is a good beer you can order (and enjoy) with confidence. Cheers!

Pours a cloudy copper color with an average frothy white head that mostly lasted with good lacing. Moderate sour citrus hop aroma. Medium body with a slick texture and soft carbonation. Medium bitter flavor with a medium bittersweet finish of moderate duration.

Solid drinkable beer that met my expectations.

Pours a cloudy amber color with one finger of white head.

Scent of malts, hops and grain. It's simple, but it gets the job done.

Taste is simple too, malts, citrus and hops. Finishes with a grainy taste and hints of hops. A solid offering overall.

Mouthfeel is light bodied and clean.

I had this one on tap at the Orland Park Rock Bottom on 9/20/2008.

A= This ale poured a nicely clear, bright gold color with a 1/2" snow white head. The head slowly dropped to a skim, leaving some nice lace down the glass.

S= This one produced aromas of citrusy hops and biscuity malts throughout. I also got a bit of grassy and piney notes from the hops.

T= I thought this pale ale was extremely well balanced, yet it had a bigger hop presence than one would expect from a standard American pale ale. I particularly enjoyed the floral and spicy hop notes playing off the bakery malts and biscuit backbone.

MF= Though a bit light bodied (i.e. thinner than it had to be), the feel of this one was overall pleasant due to the perfect carbonation level.

D= Extremely drinkable and I must confess this is my standard go-to beer at the brew pub nearest to my house. Good hop flavors and a great malt backing give this one fantastic balance and easy drinkability.

Appearance: clear, medium amber, head left 1 finger high.

Aroma: malty aroma with very minor floral hints.

Flavor: malt hits first at a decent rate , biscuit-like malt seems to follow right after. Some hints of metallic notes near the end which were not so hot. Ends with a bitter tastes that is even a lil sour

Mouth-feel: medium to low amount of carbonation

Overall: A decent pale ale that doesn't have the hop notes i would enjoy...a decent session beer not spectacular in any ways but something that can be enjoyed on any day of the year

Serving type: growler

(Served in an American pint glass)

A- This beer has a light rusty brown clear body with a off-white sticky head that last a bit. There is a gentle carbonation of big bubbles that glide to the surface.

S- The soft grassy pine notes of hops has a faint pale malt note.

T- The taste of pine green hops is bright and turns a bit earthy as the beer warms followed by a soft slightly sweet pale malt flavor that supports the hops well. The green bitterness lingers just a bit after each sip.

M- This beer has a medium light mouthfeel

D- This beer is nice with a mellow hop bitterness but well built. It might would make a fair session beer but not much depth to really be interesting. Not what I really expected with a name like Powerhouse.