-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale
Berkshire Brewing Company
- From:
- Berkshire Brewing Company
- Massachusetts, United States
- Style:
- American Pale Ale
Ranked #1,051 - ABV:
- 5.3%
- Score:
- 81
Ranked #25,653 - Avg:
- 3.57 | pDev: 13.73%
- Reviews:
- 243
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Feb 24, 2024
- Added:
- Aug 22, 1996
- Wants:
- 21
- Gots:
- 124
Berkshire Brewing Company's flagship brew is a light colored, medium bodied ale exhibiting exceptional freshness through its 2-Row Pale malt backbone and signature hop flavor and aroma. In the words of renowned beer writer Lew Bryson, Steel Rail EPA is “what the water in heaven oughta taste like.”
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by thoglund:
Rated by thoglund from New York
3.77/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
May 07, 2017
3.77/5 rDev +5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
May 07, 2017
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by seakayak from Massachusetts
3.75/5 rDev +5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev +5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
-Look: Crystal clear bright gold with a beautiful fluffy white head.
-Smell: Toasted grains and baked bread with mild grassy hops.
-Taste: Amazingly balanced and smooth - delicious!
-Feel: Soft and round, full and slippery.
-Overall: Very good pale ale that's flavorful and highly drinkable!
Feb 24, 2024-Smell: Toasted grains and baked bread with mild grassy hops.
-Taste: Amazingly balanced and smooth - delicious!
-Feel: Soft and round, full and slippery.
-Overall: Very good pale ale that's flavorful and highly drinkable!
Rated by DuaneL from Delaware
4.5/5 rDev +26.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
4.5/5 rDev +26.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
DL likes this one a lot. JK just OK.
May 16, 2023Reviewed by The_Beer_Guru from New York
3.5/5 rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
I rated this beer a 3.5 but this isn’t bad it’s just a beer you can pound down easy with more flavor than a bud light. Just an easy drinking ale. Could definitely pound several of these after a shift but not a beer I would buy for enjoyment.
Dec 16, 2022Rated by brewme from Massachusetts
3/5 rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3/5 rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Reviewed from memory. Blah, not good
Dec 02, 2022Reviewed by Gmann from New York
3.1/5 rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.1/5 rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Pours a pale straw color with a wispy white head that quickly settled into a sparse cap with some lacing. A notch or two below the color spectrum for an APA.
The aroma is of a honey malt and metal notes. Light rust?
Malt forward APA. Toasted cracker malt. Light bread and slight apple fruitiness. Hops are just there to balance. Perhaps the "Extra" pale ale name comes from a slightly more aggressive malt presence. Certainly not from the hops.
The feel is moderate with soft and fizzy carbonation. Lightly sweet on the palate with just enough bitter offset. Quite dry in the finish.
A meh craft brew. A notch above the mass brewed crap but not spectacular.
Nov 12, 2022The aroma is of a honey malt and metal notes. Light rust?
Malt forward APA. Toasted cracker malt. Light bread and slight apple fruitiness. Hops are just there to balance. Perhaps the "Extra" pale ale name comes from a slightly more aggressive malt presence. Certainly not from the hops.
The feel is moderate with soft and fizzy carbonation. Lightly sweet on the palate with just enough bitter offset. Quite dry in the finish.
A meh craft brew. A notch above the mass brewed crap but not spectacular.
Reviewed by Roy_Hobbs from Connecticut
3.27/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.27/5 rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Somewhat hazy medium yellow with a bit of short-lived white head that receded quickly to a thin cap. Aroma has some AAL vibes to it, with some lemon and breadiness. Taste is fairly non-descript. Light bread, very little bitterness. A drinkable beer that really stood out 15+ years ago. Still solid after all these years.
May 27, 2022Reviewed by FBarber from Illinois
3.55/5 rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
3.55/5 rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
The beer that started Beer Advocate - Berkshire Brewing Company Steel Rail extra pale ale. A big thank you to @Roy_Hobbs for sending this one along.
Pours a cloudy, pale straw color. Thin sudsy white head forms on the beer before mostly dissipating. Aroma has notes of straw, crackery malts, some light lemon, honey and floral hop notes. Its a very mild aroma overall.
Taste follows the nose in that this is a very mild approachable pale ale. Notes of crackery malts, a touch of grain, honey, dried grass, alfalfa and a touch of floral notes. Light to mild bitterness on the back end. Simple, approachable, and well done. Feel is light, sort of crisp. Bright carbonation.
Overall a solid pale ale. However, it is admittedly cool to get a chance to drink this beer given its history and importance to BA.
Dec 25, 2021Pours a cloudy, pale straw color. Thin sudsy white head forms on the beer before mostly dissipating. Aroma has notes of straw, crackery malts, some light lemon, honey and floral hop notes. Its a very mild aroma overall.
Taste follows the nose in that this is a very mild approachable pale ale. Notes of crackery malts, a touch of grain, honey, dried grass, alfalfa and a touch of floral notes. Light to mild bitterness on the back end. Simple, approachable, and well done. Feel is light, sort of crisp. Bright carbonation.
Overall a solid pale ale. However, it is admittedly cool to get a chance to drink this beer given its history and importance to BA.
Reviewed by Beersnake from California
3.85/5 rDev +7.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.85/5 rDev +7.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Poured at fridge temp. Pours a nice transparent yellow with minimal head. Good carbonation with bubbles slowly disappearing.
Nose is crisp malts, honey, wheat, light lemon. Slight floral note. Quite mellow overall.
The taste is really nice. Surprisingly sweet upfront. Crisp. Honey, candy, lemon, bread, wheat, grass, and a bit of a floral note.
Mouthfeel is light and crisp. Overall, a nice easy-drinking pale ale.
Dec 25, 2021Nose is crisp malts, honey, wheat, light lemon. Slight floral note. Quite mellow overall.
The taste is really nice. Surprisingly sweet upfront. Crisp. Honey, candy, lemon, bread, wheat, grass, and a bit of a floral note.
Mouthfeel is light and crisp. Overall, a nice easy-drinking pale ale.
Reviewed by Ozzylizard from Pennsylvania
3.28/5 rDev -8.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.28/5 rDev -8.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
Steel Rail (2021) from Berkshire. Received from @Roy_Hobbs in BIF #14. 12 oz can. Stored at home at 38 degrees. Reviewed12/12/21. Note that I use DD/MM/YY protocol.
Can stamped on bottom “BORN ON 08/24/21”. Served at 44.7 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 51.4 degrees.
Appearance – 3.
First pour – Pale Straw (SRM 2), clear. As the end of the can approaches, some sediment rises.
Body – Straw (SRM 3), Hazy. When rear-lite, translucent with many very tiny particles and much effervescence.
Head – Average (Maximum three cm, aggressive center pour), white, diminishing to a three to six mm undulating crown fed by effervescence and a thick complete cap with tiny rocks.
Lacing – Fair.
Aroma – 3.25 – Initially weak hoppiness, no malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 3.25 – Taste follows the nose but slightly grainy as well, no malt, no yeast. No ethanol (5.3 % ABV, according to website, NOT marked on container) taste or aroma. No gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Some slightly bitter maltiness builds on the aftertaste.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, watery, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.25 Not sure what makes this an “Extra Pale Ale” – certainly neither the aroma nor taste. Maybe it’s the unfiltered remaining yeast?
Dec 12, 2021Can stamped on bottom “BORN ON 08/24/21”. Served at 44.7 degrees in a hand washed and dried Jester King snifter. Final temperature 51.4 degrees.
Appearance – 3.
First pour – Pale Straw (SRM 2), clear. As the end of the can approaches, some sediment rises.
Body – Straw (SRM 3), Hazy. When rear-lite, translucent with many very tiny particles and much effervescence.
Head – Average (Maximum three cm, aggressive center pour), white, diminishing to a three to six mm undulating crown fed by effervescence and a thick complete cap with tiny rocks.
Lacing – Fair.
Aroma – 3.25 – Initially weak hoppiness, no malt, no yeast.
Flavor – 3.25 – Taste follows the nose but slightly grainy as well, no malt, no yeast. No ethanol (5.3 % ABV, according to website, NOT marked on container) taste or aroma. No gastric warming. No dimethylsulfide or diacetyl. Some slightly bitter maltiness builds on the aftertaste.
Palate – 3.5 – Medium, watery, soft but lively carbonation.
Final impression and summation: 3.25 Not sure what makes this an “Extra Pale Ale” – certainly neither the aroma nor taste. Maybe it’s the unfiltered remaining yeast?
Steel Rail Extra Pale Ale from Berkshire Brewing Company
Beer rating:
81 out of
100 with
724 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!