Pennsylvania Tuxedo
Dogfish Head Craft Brewery

The clear dark amber, almost copper colored beer pours out into a snifter glass with a 1" off white head that recedes to leave a few patches of lacing on the glass. Soon the foam becomes a ring around the glass and a thin patchy layer on the surface. Sipping creates lots of scattered spots of lacing many of which soon recede back to the liquid. By mid-way through the beer mostly the foam has gone except for the small ring.

Aromas include the slightly resinous fresh green spruce. a lightly citric character and some toasted caramel from the malt. This is riding on a slightly floral and grassy background that also seems to have some tropical fruit character.

The flavors are much as expected from the nose, with the lightly resinous green spruce up front and mingled with some slight toasted bready caramel sweetness and a slightly fruity character which is well balanced with the light bitterness. There's some floral, grassy character to the bitterness, which remains in the background. The alcohol is well hidden in this one by the complex interplay of flavors.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a nice smooth bready mouthfeel and some light but persistent carbonation. The finish begins after the initial burst of flavors and then everything seems to to slowly fade into a nice dryness that is still has just a touch of the lightly resinous green spruce mingled with the dryness as the close out the show.

Overall I'd say this is a first rate imperial pale ale with lots of complex balance among the various flavors and aromas that make it easy to drink and lead me to want to have another bottle sometime. What is particularly impressive is the use of the resinous spruce as a dominant but well balanced and well controlled focal flavor. But this also a sipping beer both because of the relatively high ABV and because of the complexity of the flavors which can become overpowering if the beer is consumed to quickly. Also, if consumed too quickly all one tastes is the spruce.

*archived rating*

Pours a clear copper, thin head, but decent lacing as drunk. Sharp pine intensity upfront, almost prickly, with a quick and clean finish that is faintly sweet.

12-ounce can courtesy of the generous jonphisher. Enjoyed in a nonic half-pint glass.

Look:
The color is a rather spectacular gold-amber with an almost imperceptible haze. The head of vanilla white foam looks creamy and leaves decent lacing.

Smell:
The nose is malty and bursting with spruce. There's also a bright lemon-lime component underneath.

Taste:
Flavor follows in the same order as the nose: satisfying, toasty malt infused with spruce. The lemon-lime character is piquant like citrus zest, but with a subdued intensity. The citrus and spruce are nicely enhanced by the moderate malty sweetness.

Feel:
The body is a hair heavier than medium, with a pleasant bite of carbonation and a little warmth on the back end.

Overall: The spruce in Pennsylvania Tuxedo has a more resiny and spicy spruce character than I get from Oregon spruce beers like Fort George's Magnanimous IPA, which comes through as softer and a bit more fruity. I like that spicy pine kick. I'm also impressed with the balance, the strength of the flavors, and the way it drinks well below its almost 9% abv. This is a fine specimen of a spruce beer. I'd be happy to try on this Tuxedo again.

Poured from a 12 ounce can with a best by date of April 2026 into a shaker pint glass.
L - Pours a clear dark amber color with a white head that dissipates slowly leaving a nice lacing on the glass.
S - Smells of malt and citrus.
T - Tastes malty, piney & grassy.
F - Medium body and carbonation.
O - Very nice spin for a pale ale. I liked it a lot.

 

RB transfer

Amber color. Nice, white head. Pine, malt, spruce, and citrus in aroma. Notes of spruce taste a little bit weird and reminded me of gin; . Hoppy bitterness is balanced by a lot of malt. An interesting variation of IPA.

 

 

 

This is a beautiful looking beer, it is crystal clear and a deep burnt gold color; head collapses at medium pace and leaves some nice lacing as it does, retention after initial head is meh.

The nose is rich in malt; some vague sweetness, very very lightly toasted quality; there is a pine sol like pine-ness that is very tame amongst the malt...some minor red berry notes.

The taste is just a super pleasant balanced mixed up malty AIIPA and pine needle; like if you licked some pine sap but didn't get its full force, it is very nicely balanced, reminds me of juniper teas I have had.

Mouthfeel is medium; but you can tell this beer has some heft, there is no burn but it slowly warms the throat and eventually sinus canal; light residual malt sweetness, though it doesn't linger long, a moderate but soft bitterness on the finish; resin like feel on the tongue.

Pours a nice amber color with a white pillowy head. Upon inspection it kind of looks like 90min ipa. There’s a nice piney and malty aroma from the glass and then drinks real smooth with a sweet malty backbone and a zesty kick at the end. Really does taste like spruce tips which really is awesome.

 

Even at room temperature, it's a delightful pour to empty a pint can's contents into a clear glass liter mug. Its head is modestly off-white and the color of the brew is brightly copper. It's not pungent, but there is a minty aspect to the mild doses of hops and malt the nose can detect. The spruce tip addition to the taste is at least, interesting. It certainly is unique, which means it's going to take the completion of the sixteen ounces until a final verdict. The head was short-lived and there was almost no lacing left inside the glass. The mouthfeel is smooth and full-bodied. So it comes down to this: Do you like the inclusion of Spruce tips in your basically good ale, or not? Maybe it's the somewhat rare inclusion of spruce that sets this one apart. It's remarkably smooth, mildly hoppy, not bitter, yet full flavored. There weren't any taste transitions, but in this case, that's a good thing. This may just be an experiment that works for the greater overall.

 

Lightly hazed, amber/golden hue, small off-white head.

In the nose: floral, citrus hop notes, bread-y malt background. Nice enough.

In the mouth: Those spruce tips come on strong at the front. Big pine and citrus attack on the palate. Spicy and spruce. Nice. Medium bodied, easy-drinking, just enough hops, adequate malt, everything works on all levels.

Good spruce, hoppy, sweet and malty pale ale and you can drink it.

 

One of my favorites. Warm golden amber color with a nice head. The piney notes hit the nose and inspires you to take a sip. The piney, bread like flavor is nice and unique. Finishes with a nice smooth medium bodied feel that is perfect for a cool Saturday afternoon.

Poured into a pint glass. Clear dark copper in color. Nose is bright floral hop with slight hints of the spruce noted on the packaging. Flavor follows suit, with a smooth malt presence to add balance. This hits a lot of marks for me. Excellent beer.