Prickly Pear Pale Ale
Lewis & Clark Brewing Company

Prickly Pear Pale AlePrickly Pear Pale Ale
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From:
Lewis & Clark Brewing Company
 
Montana, United States
Style:
American Pale Ale
Ranked #406
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
88
Ranked #13,718
Avg:
3.94 | pDev: 14.72%
Reviews:
18
Ratings:
78
Status:
Active
Rated:
Feb 01, 2024
Added:
Aug 18, 2002
Wants:
  6
Gots:
  16
Brewed with an emphasis on hops, the combination of Montana pale ale , crystal, and dextrin malts provide the setting for a smooth, balanced pale with great body. The addition of plenty of Northwest hops both in the kettle and a nice dose of dry hopping create a virtuoso hop performance. Named for the Prickly Pear Cactus found in the North Helena Valley and encountered by Lewis & Clark as they portaged around the Great Falls of the Missouri, this beer is actually brewed with real Prickly Pear Cactus.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by Zgsharon:
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Rated by Zgsharon from Montana

4.32/5  rDev +9.6%

Sep 02, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of stevoj
Reviewed by stevoj from Idaho

3.25/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
12 oz can from MarCellars. Medium golden, foamy head fades away. Funky, fruity aroma, melon. Taste too is mildly sweet, then some malts, then bitter. Grows on you as it goes down.
Feb 01, 2024
 
Rated: 4.09 by KC_beerman from Missouri

Jan 01, 2023
 
Rated: 2.48 by GClarkage from California

Sep 17, 2022
Photo of Parmesan
Reviewed by Parmesan from Colorado

3.49/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
L: Pours a copper orange yellow with a large foamy white head and thick lacing on the glass.

S: Very light aroma, a touch of toasted malt and then a hint of citrus.

T: Notes of prickly pear and sweet juicy fruit, balanced by a touch of light to medium bitterness.

F: Smooth prickly carbonation, quite easy drinking.

O: This is an interesting take on the pale ale, if the Aroma was a little stronger this would be fantastic.
May 29, 2022
 
Rated: 4.1 by DownyIsHungry from Minnesota

Jan 04, 2022
 
Rated: 3.01 by CisPiece88 from Nebraska

Aug 12, 2021
 
Rated: 3.25 by NickMunford from Wyoming

Jul 17, 2021
Photo of lwillitz
Reviewed by lwillitz from Wisconsin

3.71/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12-oz bottle into New Belgium globe

A - cloudy golden orange body under a finger of white suds

S - fruity and citrusy; not a lot going on

T - light biscuity malt, lemon, slight fruity sweetness, tart character, herbal and citrus hops

M - medium/high carbonation, medium body, tart with a fairly dry finish

O - a very decent summer brew
Apr 25, 2021
Photo of Iamaskier
Reviewed by Iamaskier from Idaho

3.4/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
On pour, the head is full, even, and foamy, quite nice looking. Not a super smeller, mostly bread with a bit of hop bitterness. Taste is mild dank hops, floral notes, some spice, and a light biscuit sweetness. Feel and finish is wet.
There’s something a little unique about this that I can’t put my finger on, but it’s probably the cactus. I can see how it would appeal to some but it doesn’t do it for me. It’s okay, but there are a million other craft pale ales/IPAs that are just a bit better.
Apr 12, 2021
Photo of KTCamm
Reviewed by KTCamm from New Jersey

3.46/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
7/29/20...pours dark copper with white foam layer. Slight fruity nose and mellow malt. Fruity malt, quite mellow, with a tasty hop bitter at the close. Very subtle. Fast finish. The unique taste must be the prickly pear which contributes nicely.
Dec 06, 2020
 
Rated: 5 by meg-ethan from Massachusetts

Oct 15, 2020
Photo of RJLarse
Reviewed by RJLarse from Washington

3.95/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Nice pale ale. Hazy gold color, with chill haze. A citrus aroma. Taste is very malt forward , with a good balance between malt and hop. The beer has a lot of body, and a sweet and bitter aftertaste.
Apr 06, 2020
 
Rated: 3.94 by windowside from Germany

Sep 27, 2019
Photo of StonedTrippin
Reviewed by StonedTrippin from Colorado

3.64/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
i could be wrong, but i feel like other prickly pear beers ive had have always been pink or red, maybe im thinking that because they also had hibiscus or something, but this one has no color at all to it. golden to brassy in color with a nice head on it and pretty good clarity too. smells real hoppy and not very fruity, which is generally what i prefer in these, but its less interesting than i wanted it to be at the same time, lightly floral, some medium malt sweetness like honey, and a mosaic and cascade type of hop profile that has a canned fruit cocktail vibe to it in the aroma and some green bitterness. the flavor has some good bitterness too, which i like in an american pale, and which seems to be disappearing from the style these days. i dont get a ton from the fruit surprisingly, i really thought that would have a bigger impact here. its drier beer than it smells like its going to be too, which is nice in an outdoorsy summer context, but i dont get a ton of uniqueness from the prickly pear, maybe its mostly fermented out of this. the hops have some spiciness, some pine sap, and some pineapple to them, a little oiliness in the feel giving a little richness to an otherwise very light and drinkable glass of beer. i have never known these guys to be much of risk takers, so i had a little higher hopes that this would be weird or different tasting, but ill never hate on a decent pale ale, and thats exactly what we have here...
Aug 23, 2019
 
Rated: 3.02 by shivtim from Georgia

Jul 29, 2019
Photo of LiquidAmber
Reviewed by LiquidAmber from Washington

4.09/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium golden amber with coppery tones with a two finger white head with great retention and lacing, looks nice. Aroma of pale malt, citrus hops, lemon, a little dankness and a fruit note that must be the prickly pear fruit. Flavor is lightly biscuit malt, citrus hops, lemon, grapefruit, apple and unidentifiable fruit with light sweetness. Lingering lightly dank and citrus rind finish. Medium bodied with light to moderate creaminess. I'm not a huge fan of fruit added to pale ales, but this was deftly done. I’m not sure what a prickly pear fruit tastes like, but there is a distinct light fruit note that is reminiscent of pomaceous and mild tropical fruit that must be its contribution. Nice lightly biscuit malt and Northwest pale ale hops. This one really worked for me. I'd get this again. Nice summer ale.
Jun 12, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by Kolb from Montana

Apr 30, 2019
 
Rated: 4.49 by JCricket from Montana

Sep 27, 2018
 
Rated: 3.75 by cherche from Washington

Sep 04, 2018
Prickly Pear Pale Ale from Lewis & Clark Brewing Company
Beer rating: 88 out of 100 with 78 ratings