Pale Ale
Station 26 Brewing Co.

I had this in April 2021 as part of a mix pack, and it was the "brewer's pick" in the package, with a label that said it was a new recipe. So this is clearly different than the older ratings on this site. The new version (I never had the old one) was a solid West Coast APA, with a nice hop blend and not too bitter or grassy. I'd be fine with this in their regular rotation.

Medium-gold colored body; dense, creamy, rocky head. Pungent aroma; mostly pine with some floral/citrus attributes. Flavorful and balanced flavor profile; primarily light malt base with a zippy hop presence; medium hop bitterness. Medium body; a bit juicy with a nice, subtle dryness overall.

A refreshing, nicely balanced ale. Not too light, not too heavy...

Solid, easy-drinking and locally made pale ale on tap at the Station 26 brewery. Coming from a pale ale fan, I'd definitely get it again!

 

 

Look: Foamed up and out of the can a bit upon opening. Clear pale gold. Head recedes quickly.

Smell: Strong citrusy hops. Some sweet malty scents. Like a more hoppy IPA.

Taste: Blast of hop flavors. Not very bitter - as a Pale Ale should not be. Hop flavor is quite strong. Some pine, orange, mango, and some lemon. Not as sweet, caramelly, or malty as I'd hoped it would be like some of my favorite pales.

Feel: Low-end of the Medium bodied range. Head receded quickly and flattened more as I went. Pretty thin for style.

Overall: Not my favorite Pale Ale, but a really good beer. More like a lighter session IPA. I'd be ok with a 6-pack of this one though.

 

Clear golden color with white head. Aroma is slightly sweet and malty with some orange and citrusy hops. Taste starts with piney hops but not too bitter, really well balanced by the malts. Finish is hoppy and lingers with citrus fruit flavor and light bitterness. Light body with medium to high carbonation. Overall it's a quite good, easy drinking pale ale.

 

 

Poured from a 12oz can with a canned on date of 5/11/16; into a pint glass.
Appearance - standard clear, golden and fizzy. Medium, bubbly white head that fades to a thin layer quite quickly. Lacing is weak up top, but holds beginning mid glass.
Smell - again, standard pale malts and a hint of clean hops.
Taste - now we're getting somewhere! Clean, crisp and refreshing! Nice balance between malts and hops.
Feel - light and easy drinking! Very orchestrated balance between the sweetness of the malts and yeast and bitterness of the hops!
Overall - easy to kick back with a few of these, though I'd like a little more from the nose.

From a 12 oz can to a tulip and nonic glass (tasted multiple times). Reviewed from notes dated June 5, 2016.

A-The beer is clear and light-orange-golden in color. A fat finger of white foam fades pretty quickly, but leaves some chunks of lace on the glass. I can see some carbonation in the glass. It looks the part.

S-The aroma is a nice, hoppy mixture of grapefruit, orange, and light pepper notes. Malts suggest white bread, biscuits and crackers. Nice smelling stuff...interesting but not overly hopped.

T-The taste tracks the smell pretty closely. Citrusy hops and a dry, pale, malt base. It is hoppy for a pale ale, but it does not fall into the pseudo-IPA category like many APAs.

M-The body is lighter than average and very drinkable. Carbonation is moderate in amount and the finish is slightly creamy.

O-Station 26 is really killing it with this beer and the single hop IPA series. I hate to use the term, but this is a great session beer. It is interesting enough to keep me, uh, interested, but not overpowering. A good summer option.