Spring Run Organic Pale Ale
Butte Creek Brewing Company

Spring Run Organic Pale Ale is an amber color with a huge cream head that shows excellent retention.

A great aroma consisting of that sweetened grapefruit smell. Based on aroma, this is going to be a good one.

Hold on, the taste does not justify the nose. Unfortunately, this beer is not that well balanced. There is little malt behind the hops bitterness, and even the hops fail to distinguish themselves. Just an average APA. A shame, this one started with great promise and fell well short.

The mouth feel is medium bodied with too much carbonation.

Drinkability is still good due to the low ABV.

Appearance- Very clear amber with a small off-white head that dissipates quickly. Continually effervesces very slowly for quite some time.

Aroma- Mmmm...very fresh smelling, with the perfect blend of malt and hops. Cascade with hints of citrus and even just a barely perceptible whiff of fresh cheese. I know it sounds gross, but it is ambrosia.

Taste- The taste is completely different form the aroma. A classic AIPA. A slightly malty, slightly over-hopped IPA. Not nearly as enticing or as complex as the aroma, but I like it. A hint of caramel

Mouthfeel- Light to medium body. A tad over-carbonated, but that is more persoal preference than style guideline.

Drinkability- I could do quite a few of these.

Polished tangerine with rich amber highlights. Bubbly lace is beginning to appear in the wake of a bubbly crown of lemony ivory that hasn't lost much altitude in the several minutes since the pour. This is a pretty good look for an APA.

It smells like aged Cascade are in the house. The beer has that characteristic grapefruit peel aroma, along with a whiff of funky cheesiness that indicates less than superfresh hops. Hmmm... not sure that I've ever had a bright, explosively hoppy, organically brewed APA or IPA.

Spring Run Organic Pale Ale is a decent version of the style from a brewery from which decent beer is anything but a given. However, to be fair, the past several Butte Creek brews have been... well... decent. With so much great beer being brewed in California, these guys are destined to play second fiddle. Make that third fiddle.

There's a little caramel maltiness, but it isn't as prominent as it is in Butte Creek Organic Pale Ale. I wondered how they would vary the recipe for this special release. Malt and hops are balanced (too much so) and the hops in this beer are more orange-like than grapefruit-like. A few crumbs of cheese remain.

Given the impressive amount of lace, it's now obvious that appearance and mouthfeel are SROPA's best features. The beer is light-medium, with a laid back amount of carbonation that keeps things smooth without crossing the line into lackluster.

It looks like fewer salmon will be saved since this bomber was on sale for $2.99. That's a pity since salmon is my favorite fish. To eat, that is. Spring Run OPA isn't anywhere near my favorite APA, but it's... uh... decent. Unfortunately, that's all the enthusiasm I can muster.

Appearance: Pours a clear, dark copper body with a full, foamy, whiteish head.

Smell: Biscuity malt nose with just a touch of caramel and notes of spice and citrus blossoms.

Taste: Toasty biscuity maltiness with a light, restrained caramel sweetness. Spicy, lightly citrus hop character with a medium amount of bitterness. Spicy, drying finish with just a tiny bit of lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Just barely medium-bodied. Medium carbonation.

Drinkability: A fine, refreshing, very drinkable pale ale. Plus, don't you care about the fishies at all you heartless monsters?

This beer poured a clear dark yellow color and formed a nice off white foamy head that left latticed lace as it subsided. A small amount of carbonation is present. An aroma of malt, hops, grapefruit and a hint of pine. The flavor was of malt, hop, hint of caramel and pepper. The body is medium light and the finish is peppery and sweet.

Pours a clear medium amber with just a little wisp on white head.
Smells slightly citrusy, mild malt and some vegetables.
Taste is crisp and biting, medium carbonation, lots of hops, earth, and grainy vegetables.
Feels smooth and dense.
Very nice to drink on a warm spring day. Not overly balanced in either way, not too hoppy, not too malty or sweet.

From a 22 oz bottle this poured a nice orange to copper color and raised a nice slightly off-white head. Great lacing left behind that looked like a lace tablecloth. Nose is floral hops and very clean. Mouthfeel is rich and it feels good in the back of the throat. Flavor is caramel malts with lots of those floral hops and a hint of citrus. Finish bitter. A well hopped APA, and very easy to drink. I tried this both chilled to 45 degrees and at cellar temperatures. Cold was somewhat better.

Pours a slightly cloudy gold color with a nice white head.

Aromas are bright, a bit mineral like, and with a hint of citrus fruit hops.

Taste is kind of flat up front, has a bitter aspirin like hops bite, and a creamy full malty finish. Not bad, but a bit off.

Mouthfeel is pretty good. Fairly full, thick, and lasting.

Drinkability is pretty good. A pedestrian, yet decent easy drinking APA.