Danger Ale
Castle Danger Brewery


- From:
- Castle Danger Brewery
- Minnesota, United States
- Style:
- American Strong Ale
- ABV:
- 6%
- Score:
- 84
- Avg:
- 3.71 | pDev: 13.48%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 24
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Aug 16, 2020
- Added:
- Aug 08, 2011
- Wants:
- 2
- Gots:
- 24
"Danger Ale
Long ago when cliffs were called castles and between them was a reef that meant danger, is an American strong ale with great hop flavor and target gravity of 6%, making it dangerously good and a true Castle Danger Ale."
Long ago when cliffs were called castles and between them was a reef that meant danger, is an American strong ale with great hop flavor and target gravity of 6%, making it dangerously good and a true Castle Danger Ale."
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Chaz:
Reviewed by Chaz from Minnesota
3.65/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.65/5 rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Pours a very clear red-amber in color, topped with a pale tan, frothy head, with good retention.
Nose is malty but muted: Berry notes, golden apple. Light citrus and zest from the hops. Very approachable altogether.
On first sip its big, bold, and rather flavorful. MUCH more fruity than the nose, and with some biscuit malt character (British malt?) shining through. The yeast profile is also working well for this one, and I am favorably reminded of a classic British strong ale profile.
Rather dry in the finish, with a nice lingering bitterness, and the biscuit malt, again.
Hops seem to be a blend of British and West Coast / domestic. Neither overpowering nor too subtle, but adding nicely to the flavor profile.
Nice, fuller body which is fitting of its strength. Very drinkable, still.
Final thoughts? Somewhere in-between a classic "training wheels Micro" Amber Ale from the 1990s and a strong ale of today (and I note that the can I'm holding reads 6.5% vice the 6.0% listed here at Beer Advocate).
This is tastier than I'd expected, and rather good for what it is.
Jul 23, 2015Nose is malty but muted: Berry notes, golden apple. Light citrus and zest from the hops. Very approachable altogether.
On first sip its big, bold, and rather flavorful. MUCH more fruity than the nose, and with some biscuit malt character (British malt?) shining through. The yeast profile is also working well for this one, and I am favorably reminded of a classic British strong ale profile.
Rather dry in the finish, with a nice lingering bitterness, and the biscuit malt, again.
Hops seem to be a blend of British and West Coast / domestic. Neither overpowering nor too subtle, but adding nicely to the flavor profile.
Nice, fuller body which is fitting of its strength. Very drinkable, still.
Final thoughts? Somewhere in-between a classic "training wheels Micro" Amber Ale from the 1990s and a strong ale of today (and I note that the can I'm holding reads 6.5% vice the 6.0% listed here at Beer Advocate).
This is tastier than I'd expected, and rather good for what it is.
More User Ratings:
Rated by Captain69 from Illinois
3.43/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.43/5 rDev -7.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A MALTY HOPPY ALE , SMOOTH TASTING
Aug 16, 2020Reviewed by dnmyrick from Minnesota
3.93/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.93/5 rDev +5.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
First off, I gotta say I really like this ale. I'm a bit uncomfortable not using the proper review format, but this is an oddball ale and I am feeling a bit loquacious after 4! Add my being of Welsh descent to that and...here's the story....I live in Southeastern MN. This is a "style" of beer you won't find anywhere but MN and WI, and primarily around the Lake Superior coastlines. I've heard it called a North Shore Ale (which I think is what is on the can) or North Coast Ale. At 6.5% it is not a traditional strong ale. It really fits no category I know of. It is a dark copper color with a good two-finger amber malt head that laces very nicely and slowly. The smell is a nice mixture of fruit and malt and yeast. It all just kind of jumps out at you at once, that's why it's very hard to pin down specific notes. The taste is undeniably a strong ale even though the abv is just 6.5. Nutty, biscuity, malty with a strong bitter hop taste. It would surprise me if it had MN wild rice in it from the flavor. Very pleasant and surprisingly easy drinking for all year round but especially good for those icy cold MN and WI winters and ice fishing.
Aug 09, 2018Reviewed by Son-of-Butch from Minnesota
2.2/5 rDev -40.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
2.2/5 rDev -40.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2
Looks good in the glass with inviting color, but taste was over powering mix of fruity bitter.
Sampled 8 ales this weekend and it was my least favorite. (Bell's 2 Hearted Ale was my favorite of the 8)
I would pay about a nickel per ounce for Danger Ale.
Otherwise would not buy again and not recommend unless it was on a deep discount clearance sale.
Jul 30, 2018Sampled 8 ales this weekend and it was my least favorite. (Bell's 2 Hearted Ale was my favorite of the 8)
I would pay about a nickel per ounce for Danger Ale.
Otherwise would not buy again and not recommend unless it was on a deep discount clearance sale.
Reviewed by JackieTH from Minnesota
3.92/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.92/5 rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Amber pour with thin head. Smells malty with early, pith, flowery presence. Bitterness of pith across the palate some grass and unripe papaya but is malt forward with some slight sweetness lingering. Medium body holds together well. Overall is a good drinking beer, balanced, enjoyable.
Jul 24, 2018Reviewed by wl2bill from Wisconsin
4.35/5 rDev +17.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.35/5 rDev +17.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Found this when visiting family in Superior WI. First beer from this brewery. Not quite an American strong ale or an ESB. Nothing wrong with a unique, good tasting, and enjoyable BEER. I will be looking for this next time.
Jun 01, 2018Reviewed by ThorSon from Minnesota
4.25/5 rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25
Burnt Sienna I believe is the color, or coppery amber. 6.5 ABV so maybe they upped this recently. Great feel and smooth going down, no after taste. Lots of sediment, its unpastuerized so its good for your gut, medicinal. Its kind of in a class by itself and thats on the marketing tagline, can't disagree. Go out and get one, you gut and mind will thank you.
Mar 23, 2018Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota
3.87/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.87/5 rDev +4.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
L: hazy dark amber to light brown under a sticky and lacy 2" cream to tan collar with fair retention. The beer is filled with floaties and is slightly more than 5 months old.
S: It smells like malt, light toast, and a trace of fruit, berry and tropical fruit. The malt aromas are medium, the yeast aromas are medium low and the hop aromas are low.
T: Rich malt and light toast lightly sweetened by caramel and faint fruit and berry lead the flavors with an assertive bitterness emerging mid-palate. Fruit flavors are medium to medium low, malt is medium to medium high, the bitter is medium to medium high.
F: Danger Ale is creamy. medium to medium full bodied, and has medium carbonation.
O: I do not get off flavors and aromas typical of bacterial contamination. The hop aromas and flavors are slightly old but I do not get the oxidation typical of a beer too far past its prime. I think this beer suffers from mishandling either at the brewery or somewhere between the brewery and my refrigerator.
Jun 07, 2017S: It smells like malt, light toast, and a trace of fruit, berry and tropical fruit. The malt aromas are medium, the yeast aromas are medium low and the hop aromas are low.
T: Rich malt and light toast lightly sweetened by caramel and faint fruit and berry lead the flavors with an assertive bitterness emerging mid-palate. Fruit flavors are medium to medium low, malt is medium to medium high, the bitter is medium to medium high.
F: Danger Ale is creamy. medium to medium full bodied, and has medium carbonation.
O: I do not get off flavors and aromas typical of bacterial contamination. The hop aromas and flavors are slightly old but I do not get the oxidation typical of a beer too far past its prime. I think this beer suffers from mishandling either at the brewery or somewhere between the brewery and my refrigerator.
Reviewed by bsp77 from Minnesota
4.02/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.02/5 rDev +8.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Really an English Strong Ale. Big malt aroma and taste of dark fruit and toffee, countered by spicy, floral hops. Big and balanced. Nice, dry finish. This is beer is underrated IMO, possibly due to style misunderstanding.
Sep 14, 2016
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