Fresh Hop Pale Ale | Great Divide Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Great Divide Brewing Company
Colorado, United States
greatdivide.com
Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 6.10%
Availability: Rotating
Notes / Commercial Description:
No notes at this time.
Added by Todd on 10-07-2005
HISTOGRAM
View: Beers | Place Reviews
Ratings: 1,603 | Reviews: 694
3/5 rDev -26.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
The colour is pale amber with a tint of gold; the three finger head is compact and yellowish. Lots of lacing.
The smell is hoppy with a sweet note of citric fruits and a creamy bitterness. Some dough and a hint of cat pee.
The taste is hoppy with American notes of grape fruits, cream cookies, and a touch of barbeque meat. The bitterness is medium strong and a little sharp/sour. The aftertaste is a bit alcoholic with some citric chemical bitterness.
The carbonation is medium strong, the bubbles medium sized. The liquid is a bit light.
An unbalanced and tired APA, perhaps not as fresh as the name implies.
617 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
The colour is pale amber with a tint of gold; the three finger head is compact and yellowish. Lots of lacing.
The smell is hoppy with a sweet note of citric fruits and a creamy bitterness. Some dough and a hint of cat pee.
The taste is hoppy with American notes of grape fruits, cream cookies, and a touch of barbeque meat. The bitterness is medium strong and a little sharp/sour. The aftertaste is a bit alcoholic with some citric chemical bitterness.
The carbonation is medium strong, the bubbles medium sized. The liquid is a bit light.
An unbalanced and tired APA, perhaps not as fresh as the name implies.
617 characters
3/5 rDev -26.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A nice pale ale, but a little over the top on the hop bitterness. Compared to a Sierra Nevada or Dale's Pale Ale, this one has more of bitter bite. Now that's a personal preference, but I prefer something more balanced and less jarring. So I'll stick with Sierra and Dale's for this beer style.
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look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
A nice pale ale, but a little over the top on the hop bitterness. Compared to a Sierra Nevada or Dale's Pale Ale, this one has more of bitter bite. Now that's a personal preference, but I prefer something more balanced and less jarring. So I'll stick with Sierra and Dale's for this beer style.
294 characters
3.01/5 rDev -25.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Pours beautiful copper/gold with nice inch of white foam. Nose is bold, grassy, funkiness. Some citrus peel and melon are detected as well. The flavor definitely picks up that dank grassiness in a big overwhelming way. There is some fruitiness in the finish as well. Mouthfeel is decent with good amount of carbonation. IMO it drinks heavy for what I would classify an APA. Ultimately it just didn't do it for me. Lacked nothing in terms of flavor but the flavor just didn't work on my palate. Far too one dimensional with a dank mulchiness that struggled to achieve any complexity.
582 characters
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Pours beautiful copper/gold with nice inch of white foam. Nose is bold, grassy, funkiness. Some citrus peel and melon are detected as well. The flavor definitely picks up that dank grassiness in a big overwhelming way. There is some fruitiness in the finish as well. Mouthfeel is decent with good amount of carbonation. IMO it drinks heavy for what I would classify an APA. Ultimately it just didn't do it for me. Lacked nothing in terms of flavor but the flavor just didn't work on my palate. Far too one dimensional with a dank mulchiness that struggled to achieve any complexity.
582 characters
3.03/5 rDev -25.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
On tap at a local craft bar, sweet and cloying. Little to no fresh hop taste. I have to assume it was an old keg, but maybe not. Obviously not super fresh, but it couldn't have been THAT old at this point in the year.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3
On tap at a local craft bar, sweet and cloying. Little to no fresh hop taste. I have to assume it was an old keg, but maybe not. Obviously not super fresh, but it couldn't have been THAT old at this point in the year.
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3.1/5 rDev -23.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5
Pours a clear gold with a one finger off white head leaving good lacing down the glass.
Very hoppy but with a malt backbone as well. Citrus/pine hops and loads of grass dominate the nose.
Taste starts off with some citrus and rounds quickly into a dank grassy bitterness. Not terribly complex and the aftertaste is somewhat unpleasant.
Medium mouthfeel and carb
Eh not one of my favorites. The grassy fresh hops overpowers most subtle flavors and it ends up kind of one note.
479 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5
Pours a clear gold with a one finger off white head leaving good lacing down the glass.
Very hoppy but with a malt backbone as well. Citrus/pine hops and loads of grass dominate the nose.
Taste starts off with some citrus and rounds quickly into a dank grassy bitterness. Not terribly complex and the aftertaste is somewhat unpleasant.
Medium mouthfeel and carb
Eh not one of my favorites. The grassy fresh hops overpowers most subtle flavors and it ends up kind of one note.
479 characters
3.1/5 rDev -23.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3
3.17/5 rDev -21.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Served on-tap at Al's of Hampden into a standard pint.
A - Pours a pale copper with no head whatsoever leaving no lacing at all. It appeared to be served far too cold.
S - Hints of piney hops and faint citrus fruits but both were fairly muted. Lots of sweetness from the roasted caramel malts.
T - Similar to the nose. Muted flavors of citrus fruits and piney hops. Strong roasted caramel malts that overpower nearly all other flavors. Is this one a little past its prime? Looks like it. It is a borderline malt bomb at this point in time.
M - Light body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Slight hop bitterness on the finish with more and more malt coming thru as it warms.
D - One of these was enough for me. It seemed to be a little bit old. I think I might revisit this one down the line when I know I can guarantee the freshness.
843 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Served on-tap at Al's of Hampden into a standard pint.
A - Pours a pale copper with no head whatsoever leaving no lacing at all. It appeared to be served far too cold.
S - Hints of piney hops and faint citrus fruits but both were fairly muted. Lots of sweetness from the roasted caramel malts.
T - Similar to the nose. Muted flavors of citrus fruits and piney hops. Strong roasted caramel malts that overpower nearly all other flavors. Is this one a little past its prime? Looks like it. It is a borderline malt bomb at this point in time.
M - Light body and flavor with moderate carbonation. Slight hop bitterness on the finish with more and more malt coming thru as it warms.
D - One of these was enough for me. It seemed to be a little bit old. I think I might revisit this one down the line when I know I can guarantee the freshness.
843 characters
Fresh Hop Pale Ale from Great Divide Brewing Company
Beer rating:
4.06 out of
5 with
1,603 ratings
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