Old Brewery Pale Ale
Nelson Brewing Company

Old Brewery Pale AleOld Brewery Pale Ale
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From:
Nelson Brewing Company
 
British Columbia, Canada
Style:
American Pale Ale
ABV:
5%
Score:
86
Avg:
3.79 | pDev: 8.71%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
11
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 07, 2013
Added:
May 04, 2004
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
The Nelson Brewing Company's original pale ale is Back in the Bottle!!! A Nelson tradition since 1991, this Northwest style pale ale is bold and bodacious, deep amber in hue with no shortage of fresh organic hops. A classic pale ale that is a perfect pair with spicy foods or fresh cut salsa.
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Ratings by maplesyrup76:
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Rated by maplesyrup76 from Canada (AB)

4/5  rDev +5.5%

Oct 07, 2013
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by schopenhauerale from Arizona

May 13, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by EskimoDave from Canada (BC)

Nov 21, 2011
Photo of scott451
Reviewed by scott451 from Canada (ON)

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Two finger bubbly white head on a clear dark amber. The head sticks around to the end. Bubbly lacing

Smells of resiny hops and sweet malts. A nice balanced flavour. Fruity. A very mild hop finish.

Medium body and carbonation. Drinkability is good. Not crazily special but a good solid ale.
Dec 23, 2010
Photo of jaluria
Reviewed by jaluria from Connecticut

3.8/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Picked up a few bottles of this based on the store worker's recommendation.

Poured a translucent, rust color with brown hues throughout and a nice pillow-like head that dissipated quickly. Aromas of nuts, roasted malt, sea air, and damp earth was rather interesting; no hops at all. The taste followed the nose with a bright and brisk malt sweetness that seemed more like an English Brown Ale than an APA. Good texture and good bitterness underneath the dominant malt that was layered and evolving. A drinkable beer that can be enjoyed without much thought or effort; refreshing and flavorful.
May 01, 2006
Photo of Orrshow
Reviewed by Orrshow from Canada (AB)

3.97/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5
I received this from my buddy Rico (elricorico) from his trip to B.C. Thanks again.

Appearance –Pours golden with a small amount of white head which goes away fast. Not much is left on top of the beer but there is some lacing on the glass.

Smell –Strong aromas of bread malts, citrus, and floral hops make for a nice combination in this category.

Taste – A bittersweet flavor to start. I can feel the hops off the go. There is more sweetness to follow hints of bread. Not bad.

Mouthfeel – Good body on this one and the carbonation is kept right where it should be.

Drinkability – Easy to drink brew. My glass emptied in no time. This one would be very nice for a summertime patio session.
Apr 05, 2006
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Reviewed by OliasOfSunhillow from Colorado

4/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I absolutely could not stop drinking this while I was in Nelson. All of the pubs had it, most at an unbeatable price (something like $2.50 CDN). It's possessed of a peculiar, wonderful taste that I can only describe as "Sam Smith-like." While the best beer available in eastern BC is definitely Tree HopHead, Nelson OBPA is an ideal session beer that compliments your dinner extremely well.
Mar 17, 2006
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Reviewed by elricorico from Canada (AB)

4.04/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Yesterday I picked up my first Nelson beers from my hometown liquor store. Unfortunately, the only ones left were past their best before date. Thought it was still worth a try though. This one was about a month and a half past the marked date.

Pours a copper colour with an offwhite head that started about a centimeter thick and faded to a thin cap. The beer itself has just a bit of a haze to it.

The smell is pretty big. Citrus and floral hops, toffee and biscuits. Worth smelling over and over.

The taste surprisingly leans more towards the sweet than the bitter. A semi-sweet toffee and breadiness dominates the mouth. There is a hint of hops in the finish, but only a light bitterness. All told, I like it a fair bit, but it may be that the hops have mellowed out as the beer has aged.

The mouthfeel is good, it has a bit of body to it. Carbonation is a little on the light side, but I don't mind much.

This bottle is surely not lasting long, as it is going down very smoothly. I certainly will pick up more of this one when I next see a fresh case.
Feb 06, 2006
Photo of canucklehead
Reviewed by canucklehead from Canada (BC)

4.07/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Another improved Nelson product. Very hoppy much like Tree's offering, this is very balanced and well finished. The nose is pure hops offset with an English twist. This is really a great drinking beer that is also food friendly. Unlike GI and Ok Springs this has real hop bite.
Oct 11, 2005
Photo of sitbooboosit
Reviewed by sitbooboosit from Canada (BC)

3.49/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5
nice dark copper colour
head pours off white large bubbles, a little inconsistent, quiets down quite quickly
nice strong hoppy aroma, citrusy, cascades, but aroma vanishes with the head
hops are dominant with slight metallic bitterness at the end
thin, watery mouthfeel

i was surprised that this was so mediocre. i've had it before and enjoyed it quite a bit, strong hoppy aroma immediately got me going. i'm hoping it was a bad bottle and i can edit this review. there's still a few more in the fridge.
May 04, 2005
Photo of Cwrw
Reviewed by Cwrw from Canada (AB)

4.17/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5
I cannot believe that Old Brewery Pale Ale has not even been LISTED by now, especially since the Nelson Brewing Company website calls this their "flagship brand." Although I have yet to try(FIND, more like) any others from this Nelson, BC brewery, I can see why they would call it flagship. This is yet another sensational, somewhat obscure BC micro beer very difficult to find in Alberta, or anywhere except, surprise, BC.

It has a pleasing, typical pale ale appearance. Light ambers and browns mix with fleeting light reds in different lights. The clear translucent beer is topped by a delightfully rich and viscous cream-coloured head. Lovely, patchwork lace, with ample longevity. The aromatic hops are delightfully English in character, and the smell reminded me instantly of two of my favourites: Fuller's London Pride and ESB. After the initial hit of the hops comes an appetising, almost slightly tart, lightly roasted malt note; a premium balance of the two. I smell wild grasses, musk, toffee, roasted bread, buttery caramel, and dark fruits. The aroma is a perfect introduction to the taste: sweet malt, caramel and smooth, very light coffee-tea notes, with a dry, oily, earthy and bitter finish. Again, balance is the distinction here. Mouthfeel is satisfactory: grainy, medium-bodied, but, to me personally, would improve with a little more fullness. The extraordinary balance would have me drinking these with contented ease all day(IF I had more than 2, that is!)
Prodigious drinkability.
I dearly hope that this, and other Nelson Brewery beers become available here, and very soon.
May 04, 2004
Old Brewery Pale Ale from Nelson Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 11 ratings