SkipJack
Half Acre Beer Company
- From:
- Half Acre Beer Company
- Illinois, United States
- Style:
- American Pale Ale
Ranked #438 - ABV:
- 4.5%
- Score:
- 88
Ranked #17,777 - Avg:
- 4 | pDev: 6.5%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Sep 06, 2025
- Added:
- Mar 01, 2025
- Wants:
- 1
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
88
Very Good
88
Very Good
SkipJack XPA swims in the sovereign waters surrounding Half Acre… flavorful, sessionable ales with big, hoppy aromatics. SkipJack is crisp and light on the palate, floating in at 4.5% ABV. The mix of HBC 1019 and Nelson in the dry hop pushes peach rings and island guava up front with some underlying dank, grassy notes filling out the finish. Joe called in from the brewdeck to let us know this is the real deal. You might want to call it early today and grab a SkipJack.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by eppCOS:
Reviewed by eppCOS from Colorado
4.06/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.06/5 rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L - Crystalline, clear as day, great carbonation in this light pale ale.
S - The aromas of white grape, musk melon, grass, a little weediness...
T - Delicious for the ABV, more of the white grape punch, with some citrus pith core, sometimes a bit one-dimensional.
F - A bit thin as a palate impact, but geez, come on, it's 4.5% and for that weight, I'll take this any day it's above 80F.
O - a great little pale ale effort from Half Acre - this was a really pleasant surprise for a winter release.
May 20, 2025S - The aromas of white grape, musk melon, grass, a little weediness...
T - Delicious for the ABV, more of the white grape punch, with some citrus pith core, sometimes a bit one-dimensional.
F - A bit thin as a palate impact, but geez, come on, it's 4.5% and for that weight, I'll take this any day it's above 80F.
O - a great little pale ale effort from Half Acre - this was a really pleasant surprise for a winter release.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by TheBigBoy from Pennsylvania
3.25/5 rDev -18.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.25/5 rDev -18.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
This one is fine and drinkable but nothing standing out here. Probably an overstep for your newbie friends for an intro APA, but well under a quality APA for us crafties.
Sep 06, 2025
Reviewed by dano213 from Pennsylvania
3.95/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.95/5 rDev -1.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
16oz can purchased from the fridge as single for $4.30 plus tax. Canned on date is hard to read, looks like 02/19/25? That means that this was canned almost six months ago.
Look: Really nice clarity with a beautiful orange copper color. Nice fine carbonation. There was a finger of off-white colored head that eventually dissipated to a thin layer. The beer gained a bit of haziness after pouring the bottom of the can.
Smell: Really nice aromas - dankness, apricot, juicy peach, orange zest, more subtle guava. From the nose alone, this beer reminds me a bit of Vallejo. I'm a big fan of the Nelson Sauvin character here. Curious about HBC 1019, this will be new to me.
Taste: Interesting. It's pretty light in body and the finish is very dry and crisp. That being said, I would say that it does taste slightly watery. I'm not expecting a huge beer for 4.5% ABV, but there's a difference between having a full flavor for your weight class and coming up short. As far as the Xtra Pale Ale category goes, I suppose this does fit in more because it does seem to more more proportionately hoppy than malty. The finish is slightly resinous and bitter, but in a much lighter way than an IPA. There is a malt presence, but it is much less present than what you tend to get in your average American Pale Ale. Gentle touch of acidity on the finish that I think helps make this beer just a bit more interesting.
Feel: It's in between light and medium bodied. The beer is clean and relatively crisp yet it does have a mildly oily mouthfeel on the finish.
Overall: It's a well-executed beer that is very enjoyable and could make a very nice session beer. I wonder if this beer may have been better fresher? I definitely still like it, just wish that it had a bit more "oomph."
Aug 05, 2025Look: Really nice clarity with a beautiful orange copper color. Nice fine carbonation. There was a finger of off-white colored head that eventually dissipated to a thin layer. The beer gained a bit of haziness after pouring the bottom of the can.
Smell: Really nice aromas - dankness, apricot, juicy peach, orange zest, more subtle guava. From the nose alone, this beer reminds me a bit of Vallejo. I'm a big fan of the Nelson Sauvin character here. Curious about HBC 1019, this will be new to me.
Taste: Interesting. It's pretty light in body and the finish is very dry and crisp. That being said, I would say that it does taste slightly watery. I'm not expecting a huge beer for 4.5% ABV, but there's a difference between having a full flavor for your weight class and coming up short. As far as the Xtra Pale Ale category goes, I suppose this does fit in more because it does seem to more more proportionately hoppy than malty. The finish is slightly resinous and bitter, but in a much lighter way than an IPA. There is a malt presence, but it is much less present than what you tend to get in your average American Pale Ale. Gentle touch of acidity on the finish that I think helps make this beer just a bit more interesting.
Feel: It's in between light and medium bodied. The beer is clean and relatively crisp yet it does have a mildly oily mouthfeel on the finish.
Overall: It's a well-executed beer that is very enjoyable and could make a very nice session beer. I wonder if this beer may have been better fresher? I definitely still like it, just wish that it had a bit more "oomph."
Reviewed by beerdedking from Pennsylvania
4.08/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
4.08/5 rDev +2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Nice little PA from Half Acre that carries plenty of flavor for 4.5%. Strong berry and white wine notes which precede a proper drying bitterness are the showcase, and the body is more than acceptable. HA brews another winner.
Jun 14, 2025
Reviewed by BeerGeekExtraordinaire from Illinois
3.9/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.9/5 rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Standard caveat for me: I rate the same way I do on Untappd
Look-Golden with an off white head
Smell-a little dank and citrusy. Wasn't expecting it to be dank, but that's what I get
Taste-Nelson hops definitely coming through. Very vinous. Some citrus, but not overly so
Feel-medium bodied, drinks very easily. Finishes a bit dry
Overall, a nice pale ale
Apr 25, 2025Look-Golden with an off white head
Smell-a little dank and citrusy. Wasn't expecting it to be dank, but that's what I get
Taste-Nelson hops definitely coming through. Very vinous. Some citrus, but not overly so
Feel-medium bodied, drinks very easily. Finishes a bit dry
Overall, a nice pale ale
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!