Underdog Pale
Broadhead Brewing Company
- From:
- Broadhead Brewing Company
- Ontario, Canada
- Style:
- American Pale Ale
Ranked #1,388 - ABV:
- 5.2%
- Score:
- 80
Ranked #36,663 - Avg:
- 3.35 | pDev: 11.94%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 4
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Aug 30, 2025
- Added:
- Dec 07, 2011
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 2
SCORE
80
Good
80
Good
Broadhead’s Underdog Pale Ale is a hard-hitting, deliciously hoppy beer that delivers a strong, lingering, bitter finish. Balanced by a foundation of malt and a subtle sweetness that give Underdog its lively character, Broadhead’s Underdog packs a serious punch.
41.2 IBU
41.2 IBU
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by thehyperduck from Canada (ON)
3.69/5 rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.69/5 rDev +10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
473 mL can from the LCBO; no canning date and served slightly chilled. I'm 95% certain that I tried a sample of this at a beerfest circa 2013 - but according to Broadhead, the recipe has been tweaked repeatedly since then, so I guess technically not. Now that I've shared that dull anecdote, I have officially reached the "old man telling pointless stories" stage of my life.
Pours a clear golden-amber colour, boasting nearly two fingers of soapy, sudsy white head that falters within two or three minutes' time. An arcing pattern of lovely lace is imprinted onto the glass, with a thin, frothy collar and patchy cap lingering on the surface. There are hints of bready malts and caramel, but it's mostly West Coast-style hops running the show here - piney, earthy and spicy, with notes of grapefruit, orange and herbal licorice.
The flavours are in line with the aroma: bready malts, caramelized sugars and lightly toasted grains underneath a sea of old school North American hop flavours. Citrusy notes of orange and grapefruit are interspersed amongst flavours of earthy, herbal hops and bitter pine resin; peppery spiciness at the finish persists into an earthy, resiny aftertaste. Light-medium in body, with moderate carbonation; smooth mouthfeel, with great drinkability.
Final Grade: 3.69, a B grade. Broadhead has adjusted & refined its recipe in the years since 2011, but Underdog is still very much a product of its time. It felt like taking a step back into the past: to a time when Cascade hops were the bee's knees, and most of the (far less numerous) breweries in this province included an 'Ontario pale ale' a lot like this one in their portfolio. It might sound as if I'm callously dismissing this beer as an outdated relic, but the truth is I love a good C-hop bomb - if I could find this fresh, I'd keep buying it. But is Underdog *really* what the average, modern-day pale ale consumer is looking for? I doubt it.
Aug 30, 2025Pours a clear golden-amber colour, boasting nearly two fingers of soapy, sudsy white head that falters within two or three minutes' time. An arcing pattern of lovely lace is imprinted onto the glass, with a thin, frothy collar and patchy cap lingering on the surface. There are hints of bready malts and caramel, but it's mostly West Coast-style hops running the show here - piney, earthy and spicy, with notes of grapefruit, orange and herbal licorice.
The flavours are in line with the aroma: bready malts, caramelized sugars and lightly toasted grains underneath a sea of old school North American hop flavours. Citrusy notes of orange and grapefruit are interspersed amongst flavours of earthy, herbal hops and bitter pine resin; peppery spiciness at the finish persists into an earthy, resiny aftertaste. Light-medium in body, with moderate carbonation; smooth mouthfeel, with great drinkability.
Final Grade: 3.69, a B grade. Broadhead has adjusted & refined its recipe in the years since 2011, but Underdog is still very much a product of its time. It felt like taking a step back into the past: to a time when Cascade hops were the bee's knees, and most of the (far less numerous) breweries in this province included an 'Ontario pale ale' a lot like this one in their portfolio. It might sound as if I'm callously dismissing this beer as an outdated relic, but the truth is I love a good C-hop bomb - if I could find this fresh, I'd keep buying it. But is Underdog *really* what the average, modern-day pale ale consumer is looking for? I doubt it.
Rated by Pmicdee from Canada (ON)
4/5 rDev +19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Nov 28 2024
Jul 22, 2024
Rated by spinrsx from Canada (ON)
3.29/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.29/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
On tap at Local Ottawa
Apr 15, 2016
Reviewed by Kremlock from Canada (ON)
3.96/5 rDev +18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
3.96/5 rDev +18.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
A: Medium copper/orange in colour. head pours at about 1/4 inch then settles to thin film. A bit of a haze present. no lacing.
S: Citrus hops, grainy malt, caramel and a hint of bisbuit.
T: The grain/caramel mats come threw very well. Yet the beer is very well attenuated. A since rounded bitterness compliments the malt with a hint of hop flavour.
M: Low-medium body, good carbonation, smooth on the tongue, rounded bitterness, dry finish.
O: This nano-brewery sure knows how to make a good beer. Working hard as they do I'm not surprised their beer is this good. This Pale Ale is so well rounded and balanced and very refreshing.
Jan 22, 2013S: Citrus hops, grainy malt, caramel and a hint of bisbuit.
T: The grain/caramel mats come threw very well. Yet the beer is very well attenuated. A since rounded bitterness compliments the malt with a hint of hop flavour.
M: Low-medium body, good carbonation, smooth on the tongue, rounded bitterness, dry finish.
O: This nano-brewery sure knows how to make a good beer. Working hard as they do I'm not surprised their beer is this good. This Pale Ale is so well rounded and balanced and very refreshing.
Reviewed by hopsolutely from Canada (ON)
3.2/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.2/5 rDev -4.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
I thought this was a stunning beer when we tried it at the brewery, but my two week old growler has not aged (?) well. Still impressed with these guys in principal, and would recommend trying them on draught at any opportunity.
The colour is a golden amber with minimal head, no lacing. A simple grainy aroma of caramelized malts. The taste has more complexity, but the malts have faded since I tried it in Ottawa. This growler is thin, with less bitterness or balance than I remember.
Jun 03, 2012The colour is a golden amber with minimal head, no lacing. A simple grainy aroma of caramelized malts. The taste has more complexity, but the malts have faded since I tried it in Ottawa. This growler is thin, with less bitterness or balance than I remember.
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