Pale Ale | Santa Fe Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Santa Fe Brewing Company
New Mexico, United States
santafebrewing.com
Style: American Pale Ale (APA)
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.40%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
Anything but a typical American Pale, Santa Fe Pale Ale is as full bodied as its most robust English counterparts, while asserting its American origin with a healthy nose resplendent with Cascade and Willamette hops. It finishes with a well-balanced combination of the subtle, almost Pilsner-like maltiness accentuated by the German yeast used to brew this Santa Fe classic, and a hop bite sufficient to leave a lingering smile on the face of any fan of American Pale Ales.
Added by BeerAdvocate on 07-03-2002
View: Beers | Place Reviews | Events
Reviews: 134 | Ratings: 254
Reviews by HoustonTX:
More User Reviews:
3.06/5 rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Waiting for my daughter to arrive in Terminal B at the Albuquerque airport, figured I should drink some local beers. This one wasn't bad.
In a pint glass the beer was copper-colored with a medium-sized white head that left a lot of lace.
Average aroma. Sweet malt and a tiny bit of citrus.
Taste similar to the aroma. Some sweet malt and a tiny late hit of citrus.
A bit on the timid side, but still pretty drinkable.
★ 421 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Waiting for my daughter to arrive in Terminal B at the Albuquerque airport, figured I should drink some local beers. This one wasn't bad.
In a pint glass the beer was copper-colored with a medium-sized white head that left a lot of lace.
Average aroma. Sweet malt and a tiny bit of citrus.
Taste similar to the aroma. Some sweet malt and a tiny late hit of citrus.
A bit on the timid side, but still pretty drinkable.
★ 421 characters
2.05/5 rDev -41.1%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
The Santa Fe Pale Ale poured a copper-orange with an thick and creamy off-white head that laced the glass.
The aroma was faint grassy hops, some fruity esters, and a bit of DMS that became more pronounced as the beer warmed.
The flavor was sweet malt and DMS with a very faint bitterness. It was medium-bodied and creamy, kind of nitro-like.
Overall, I didn't care for it. It was a little too sweet, displayed too much DMS, and not enough bitterness. It was a pretty bland pale ale and not very pleasant.
★ 513 characters
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5
The Santa Fe Pale Ale poured a copper-orange with an thick and creamy off-white head that laced the glass.
The aroma was faint grassy hops, some fruity esters, and a bit of DMS that became more pronounced as the beer warmed.
The flavor was sweet malt and DMS with a very faint bitterness. It was medium-bodied and creamy, kind of nitro-like.
Overall, I didn't care for it. It was a little too sweet, displayed too much DMS, and not enough bitterness. It was a pretty bland pale ale and not very pleasant.
★ 513 characters
3.68/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer pours a clear orange color with a white head. The aroma is a mix of biscuit and toffee malt with a little bit of orange citrus notes mixed in. The flavor is similar. Other than the orange citrus notes - and a little bit of grass from the hops - I get some biscuit and toffee malt and not too much else. The bitterness is pretty low and the beer is very drinkable. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
★ 413 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
The beer pours a clear orange color with a white head. The aroma is a mix of biscuit and toffee malt with a little bit of orange citrus notes mixed in. The flavor is similar. Other than the orange citrus notes - and a little bit of grass from the hops - I get some biscuit and toffee malt and not too much else. The bitterness is pretty low and the beer is very drinkable. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
★ 413 characters
3.23/5 rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
A darker yellow color, minimal head, but the lace did stick.
A sweeter pale ale, definitely in check, hopping came off more like a good pilsner. Maybe it was the light roast/malt bill. This was definitely a mild, but appreciable beer. Not much bitterness, a good pale for a hot day. Price was more than you'd think $8.
After having had these a few times, I notice wide variation, even within the same 6 pack of these beers. They're pretty much an English style ipa, but with Cascade hops as well.
★ 499 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
A darker yellow color, minimal head, but the lace did stick.
A sweeter pale ale, definitely in check, hopping came off more like a good pilsner. Maybe it was the light roast/malt bill. This was definitely a mild, but appreciable beer. Not much bitterness, a good pale for a hot day. Price was more than you'd think $8.
After having had these a few times, I notice wide variation, even within the same 6 pack of these beers. They're pretty much an English style ipa, but with Cascade hops as well.
★ 499 characters
4/5 rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
(Served in an American pint glass)
A- This beer pours a very hazy dark copper brown body with an orange glow of light at the base of the glass. There is a light tan head that is lumpy with some brown spots, possibly trub, floating on top. There is a strong carbonation of bubbles supporting it.
S- The green grassy smell of herbal hops is mixed in with a lightly toasted malt aroma that has a slight sweetness. There is a soft mint quality to the hops which is nice.
T- The sweetness of caramel has hints of biscuit malt in the background. There is a green grassy hop finish with some orange hard candy notes to it. Not much bitterness at all.
M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a slightly creamy texture and a clean finish.
D- The malt flavors are stronger than the hops flavors but they both have good flavor. This beer has some nice subtle twist to the hops but they are still pretty muted.
★ 907 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
(Served in an American pint glass)
A- This beer pours a very hazy dark copper brown body with an orange glow of light at the base of the glass. There is a light tan head that is lumpy with some brown spots, possibly trub, floating on top. There is a strong carbonation of bubbles supporting it.
S- The green grassy smell of herbal hops is mixed in with a lightly toasted malt aroma that has a slight sweetness. There is a soft mint quality to the hops which is nice.
T- The sweetness of caramel has hints of biscuit malt in the background. There is a green grassy hop finish with some orange hard candy notes to it. Not much bitterness at all.
M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a slightly creamy texture and a clean finish.
D- The malt flavors are stronger than the hops flavors but they both have good flavor. This beer has some nice subtle twist to the hops but they are still pretty muted.
★ 907 characters
3.29/5 rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Pale yellow color with a small head that leaves a thin ring of lacing. Good carbonation on the pour. Aroma of cascade hops and yeast. Taste is hop dominant with the front end hops being more aggressive and back end hops being smooth. The malt is undistinguishable and the finish is just a touch bitter. Medium body with medium carbonation. Even with the hops, there's enough carbonation to make it a crisp beer.
Taste is a bit unbalanced and could use more malt. Good hop profile. Not a bad APA, but it is kinda one dimensional.
★ 528 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Pale yellow color with a small head that leaves a thin ring of lacing. Good carbonation on the pour. Aroma of cascade hops and yeast. Taste is hop dominant with the front end hops being more aggressive and back end hops being smooth. The malt is undistinguishable and the finish is just a touch bitter. Medium body with medium carbonation. Even with the hops, there's enough carbonation to make it a crisp beer.
Taste is a bit unbalanced and could use more malt. Good hop profile. Not a bad APA, but it is kinda one dimensional.
★ 528 characters
3.49/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Big off white head that just sort of sits above a clear to cloudy rich honey golden colored beer.
Very light aroma of citrus and pine style hops.
Light citrus and pine to almost fresh grass style hops taste.
This medium bodied beer mellow to a slight bittering dry aftertaste with just a bit of the beers tastes sticking around.
An OK beer, a little week or bland but not bad either, just want a bit more from a pale ale.
★ 425 characters
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Big off white head that just sort of sits above a clear to cloudy rich honey golden colored beer.
Very light aroma of citrus and pine style hops.
Light citrus and pine to almost fresh grass style hops taste.
This medium bodied beer mellow to a slight bittering dry aftertaste with just a bit of the beers tastes sticking around.
An OK beer, a little week or bland but not bad either, just want a bit more from a pale ale.
★ 425 characters
3.31/5 rDev -4.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.41/5 rDev -2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Santa Fe- Pale Ale
A- Good deep golden orange/ brown with a thick frothy heavy lacing head.
S- Light citrusy hops and a creamy caramel and bready maltiness.
T- Sweet malty crusty bread and caramel malt with a light touch of citrus (orange, lemon, grapefruit,) hops. Hops are light and the malt is dominant.
M- Thick malt throughout with a mildly crisp hop touch.
Overall- An easy drinker but not overwhelming.
★ 411 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Santa Fe- Pale Ale
A- Good deep golden orange/ brown with a thick frothy heavy lacing head.
S- Light citrusy hops and a creamy caramel and bready maltiness.
T- Sweet malty crusty bread and caramel malt with a light touch of citrus (orange, lemon, grapefruit,) hops. Hops are light and the malt is dominant.
M- Thick malt throughout with a mildly crisp hop touch.
Overall- An easy drinker but not overwhelming.
★ 411 characters
3.58/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Received in a BOMC package.
A: Pours a nice copper color. Head is a bit disappointing as a vigorous pour gets only a couple of fingers of head that quickly dissipates to a thin ring and zero lacing.
S: Not a whole lot going on. Hops are more subdued than I'd expect from an American Pale Ale.
T: Nice balance. The hops were dominant but there was enough malt that they didn't overwhelm.
M: Probably my favorite part of this beer. Mouthfeel was medium with a nice creaminess and the finish wasn't quite as dry as most Pale Ales.
O: I thought this was a fairly good brew. Nothing outstanding but it was well balanced and easy to drink. Not one I'd go out of my way for but a good beer to drink while watching a football game (which is precisely what I'm doing).
★ 766 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75
Received in a BOMC package.
A: Pours a nice copper color. Head is a bit disappointing as a vigorous pour gets only a couple of fingers of head that quickly dissipates to a thin ring and zero lacing.
S: Not a whole lot going on. Hops are more subdued than I'd expect from an American Pale Ale.
T: Nice balance. The hops were dominant but there was enough malt that they didn't overwhelm.
M: Probably my favorite part of this beer. Mouthfeel was medium with a nice creaminess and the finish wasn't quite as dry as most Pale Ales.
O: I thought this was a fairly good brew. Nothing outstanding but it was well balanced and easy to drink. Not one I'd go out of my way for but a good beer to drink while watching a football game (which is precisely what I'm doing).
★ 766 characters
3.68/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a copper color with a bright white 1.5 finger head.. Typical APA appearance
Smell: picking up caramel, toasted malts, little bready.. Just a bit of citrus notes showcasing the hop presence..
Taste: again more on the malty side.. Lots of caramel sweetness, burnt sugars, bit grainy. Finishes with a citrus hop finish. Bitter but just enough to call it bitter. As I keep sipping I'm picking up a pear flavor.. Quite interesting.
MF is light to medium bodied with good carbonation for the style..
This brew is quite easy to drink and can easily be a gateway into pale ales.
Sessionable as well
★ 603 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured a copper color with a bright white 1.5 finger head.. Typical APA appearance
Smell: picking up caramel, toasted malts, little bready.. Just a bit of citrus notes showcasing the hop presence..
Taste: again more on the malty side.. Lots of caramel sweetness, burnt sugars, bit grainy. Finishes with a citrus hop finish. Bitter but just enough to call it bitter. As I keep sipping I'm picking up a pear flavor.. Quite interesting.
MF is light to medium bodied with good carbonation for the style..
This brew is quite easy to drink and can easily be a gateway into pale ales.
Sessionable as well
★ 603 characters
3.36/5 rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.65/5 rDev +4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pale yellow ale with good carbonation and a great head. Lacing is also pretty good. A solid-looking ale.
Smell: Some nice sweetness of honey with a solid dry malt background.
Taste/Mouthfeel: Honey and melon sweetness with nice dryness. Similar to smell. A wish it were a bit bolder. Fairly decent mouthfeel, but maybe a bit thin.
Overall Drinkability: A good western ale.
★ 387 characters
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Appearance: Pale yellow ale with good carbonation and a great head. Lacing is also pretty good. A solid-looking ale.
Smell: Some nice sweetness of honey with a solid dry malt background.
Taste/Mouthfeel: Honey and melon sweetness with nice dryness. Similar to smell. A wish it were a bit bolder. Fairly decent mouthfeel, but maybe a bit thin.
Overall Drinkability: A good western ale.
★ 387 characters
3.48/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
When poured it looks decent enough. It's a light amber color and has an appetizing frothy-smooth head, but it dissipates quickly.
It smells like a hoppy Budweiser...maybe. I haven't had a Budweiser in awhile, but for some reason that's what my nose tells me.
As for taste, it's pretty bland in character. It's not interesting, even with the slight hoppiness, although it does go down smooth. The finish is a bit wheaty with a noticeable alcohol tang. Bottom line is, if you want a pale ale, stick with your Sierra Nevada. It's decent, but it's definitely forgettable.
★ 570 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
When poured it looks decent enough. It's a light amber color and has an appetizing frothy-smooth head, but it dissipates quickly.
It smells like a hoppy Budweiser...maybe. I haven't had a Budweiser in awhile, but for some reason that's what my nose tells me.
As for taste, it's pretty bland in character. It's not interesting, even with the slight hoppiness, although it does go down smooth. The finish is a bit wheaty with a noticeable alcohol tang. Bottom line is, if you want a pale ale, stick with your Sierra Nevada. It's decent, but it's definitely forgettable.
★ 570 characters
3.45/5 rDev -0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I had this on tap at Catamount in Santa Fe, NM. It was a deep red color, which surprised me for a pale ale - I would have guessed it was a red by its color. It didn't have too much of a smell or a flavor. Mainly the flavor was of sweet hops - I found it to be very refreshing and drinkable.
★ 290 characters
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
I had this on tap at Catamount in Santa Fe, NM. It was a deep red color, which surprised me for a pale ale - I would have guessed it was a red by its color. It didn't have too much of a smell or a flavor. Mainly the flavor was of sweet hops - I found it to be very refreshing and drinkable.
★ 290 characters
3.47/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.58/5 rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: Hazy amber-yellow with a big head and plenty of linger
S: Slightly malty with good hops and some citrus
T: Very malty, a little musky and a finishes with some sour hops
M: Medium body, plenty of carbonation and a hard finish
Interesting beer. Original yet simple styling, distinct if nothing else. I probably wouldn't come back for another 6 pack of this, but if it was on tap somewhere I would give it another shot.
★ 423 characters
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
A: Hazy amber-yellow with a big head and plenty of linger
S: Slightly malty with good hops and some citrus
T: Very malty, a little musky and a finishes with some sour hops
M: Medium body, plenty of carbonation and a hard finish
Interesting beer. Original yet simple styling, distinct if nothing else. I probably wouldn't come back for another 6 pack of this, but if it was on tap somewhere I would give it another shot.
★ 423 characters
3.63/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours sort of a peach tea color with 3 fingers of rocky sand colored head. Average lacing & above average head retention
S: Slight citirc hops presence
T: Citric hops (lemons & alittle grapefruit), plus some breadyness up front. Finishes dry with a lemony piney hop florish
MF: Medium bodied with lively carbonation. I figure it helps the hops pop
Drinks very easy, a nice simple, but enjoyable APA. Very pricey at $9 a sixer though
★ 444 characters
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours sort of a peach tea color with 3 fingers of rocky sand colored head. Average lacing & above average head retention
S: Slight citirc hops presence
T: Citric hops (lemons & alittle grapefruit), plus some breadyness up front. Finishes dry with a lemony piney hop florish
MF: Medium bodied with lively carbonation. I figure it helps the hops pop
Drinks very easy, a nice simple, but enjoyable APA. Very pricey at $9 a sixer though
★ 444 characters
Pale Ale from Santa Fe Brewing Company
3.48
out of 5
based on 254 ratings.
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A bit lighter than a normal amber pale ale, a bit more yellowish in tint. Extremely frothy large white head, lots of lacing.
Smells good, quite grassy and a touch of earthiness.
This beer has a really nice solid earthy backbone, semi-dry, chalky and dusty, like the New Mexico deserts. Subtle balancing notes of a nice mix of florals. Black pepper, and spicy grass. Hops are subtle, yet nice and juicy, like sweet oranges. Finishes decently with a semi-metallic note noted.
A good basic earthy Pale Ale. Nice and approachable, and still quite a bit to offer.
★ 561 characters