Pale Ale appreciation thread

Discussion in 'Great Lakes' started by prior2two, Dec 30, 2021.

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  1. prior2two

    prior2two Maven (1,490) Oct 18, 2013 Illinois
    Trader

    A well done Pale Ale is far and away my favorite type of beer, but I feel like it’s getting more and more obscure, as everyone and their brother is just making bigger and heavier beers. It’s so nice to have a dry beer that lets the hops shine, and not get over powered by sweetness. It’s also nice being able to drink 2 or 3 while still being able to drive home. It seems like almost all the IPAs now start at 7.5 abv and go from there - looking at you a Hop Butcher.

    Every time I walk into a store I have to sort through dozens of Double IPA or even Triple IPAs before I get frustrated, give up, and end up buying a sixer of Gumballhead.

    So I’d love to hear some recs on what people like, and also what’s available, as I admittedly can’t really keep a lot of the time.

    My absolute favorite is Half Acre’s Smoking Gull, but that’s a once a year release.
     
    #1 prior2two, Dec 30, 2021
    Last edited: Dec 30, 2021
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  2. seakayak

    seakayak Pooh-Bah (1,823) May 20, 2007 Massachusetts
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Daisy Cutter is pretty hard to beat on taste and price! :beers:
     
    #2 seakayak, Dec 30, 2021
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  3. gatornation

    gatornation Grand High Pooh-Bah (10,388) Apr 18, 2007 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Pipeworks Lizard King .
     
    #3 gatornation, Dec 30, 2021
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  4. flat_lander

    flat_lander Pooh-Bah (2,490) May 11, 2016 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Triptych Little Secret. Not year round, but brewed multiple times per year. Back when they opened in 2015 it was the first beer I tried from them that made me raise an eyebrow and think, "Shit, we might finally have a place in town that knows how to brew a well constructed beer." Well, that and Dirty Hippie.

    Also, I know it's not super cool with the kids anymore, but I bought a 2 week old 6 pack of Zombie Dust bottles last night. Always enjoyable and on sale for $12.99 at Binny's right now.

    Also, RE: Hop Butcher- Alemerica the Beautiful is always a great PA. Just wish it was more than once per year. It deserves to be IMO.
     
    #4 flat_lander, Dec 30, 2021
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  5. GuyFawkes

    GuyFawkes Grand Pooh-Bah (5,630) Apr 7, 2011 Illinois
    BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Off Color us releasing their first- ever pale ale today.
     
    #5 GuyFawkes, Dec 30, 2021
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  6. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    I had Tighthead's (Mundelein) Chilly Water on draft at lunch a couple weeks back -- pretty satisfying APA.
     
    #6 steveh, Dec 30, 2021
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  7. flat_lander

    flat_lander Pooh-Bah (2,490) May 11, 2016 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Actually 2013. Wow does time fly.
     
    #7 flat_lander, Dec 30, 2021
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  8. MaltyFlannel

    MaltyFlannel Aspirant (239) Oct 30, 2020 Iowa

    Here in central Iowa the selection for PA's is really poor. We have half a dozen really solid local breweries that distro, but they all make 47 DIPA's, and really never any basic, solid PA's. Have recently gotten Pequod with their portfolio of Blackstack, Modern Times, Untitled Art, Humber Forager, Weldwerks, Bearded Iris, and some others into the state but same thing - all they send us is DIPAs TIPAs and sours. drinking a 16oz can of 10% hop juice is tasty, but man it's a chore, and it's also tiresome spending $20/4 pack. So recently I've just been turning to good old Sierra Nevada.
     
    #8 MaltyFlannel, Dec 30, 2021
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  9. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    3 Floyds Zombie Dust
    Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue
    Summit EPA
    New Glarus Moon Man
    Great Lakes Burning River
    Fair State Pahlay'Ahlay (RIP)
    Indeed Day Tripper
    3 Floyds Alpha King
    Toppling Goliath Light Speed
     
    #9 MNAle, Dec 30, 2021
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  10. FBarber

    FBarber Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,325) Mar 5, 2016 Illinois
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    honestly, I picked up Sierra Nevada Pale Ale a few times this year and its the gold standard still for me. And at like $9 a 6-pack its unbeatable.

    I gotta get my ass into the city and go pick up a 4-pack of that - it sounds great.
     
    #10 FBarber, Dec 30, 2021
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  11. ablackshear

    ablackshear Zealot (695) Sep 17, 2010 Minnesota

    This one. Incredibly hoppy for a pale, at 5.5%, and reasonably priced
     
    #11 ablackshear, Dec 30, 2021
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  12. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    #12 MNAle, Dec 30, 2021
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  13. dlcarst

    dlcarst Zealot (733) Aug 21, 2015 Missouri
    Trader

    And many beers labeled pale ale are so hoppy they definitely cross that (admittedly blurred) line into IPA territory.

    Even more hard to find is an English style pale. I love me some Schlafly Pale.
     
    #13 dlcarst, Dec 30, 2021
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  14. prior2two

    prior2two Maven (1,490) Oct 18, 2013 Illinois
    Trader

    This is actually what motivated me to start this thread. I'm very excited.
     
    #14 prior2two, Dec 30, 2021
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  15. WIexile

    WIexile Zealot (526) Jul 20, 2017 Michigan
    Trader

    I remember a time when TG actually made pale ales.... Hard to beat a fresh Pseudo, or some versions of X-hops. Now its just DIPA. Hey we have a new DIPA. Fresh Collab DIPA!!!!
     
    #15 WIexile, Dec 30, 2021
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  16. beardown2489

    beardown2489 Pooh-Bah (1,966) Oct 5, 2012 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah

    Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, ever heard of it? Comes with a green label

    Locally we still have a lot of great ones in Chicago. Daisy Cutter is a timeless classic for those who like a drier pale ale, Brickstone APA is on the sweeter side of pale ale. Fist city is great, ride or die from Hopewell, Pantless Pale ale by Alarmist.
     
    #16 beardown2489, Dec 30, 2021
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  17. MaltyFlannel

    MaltyFlannel Aspirant (239) Oct 30, 2020 Iowa

    I miss the good old days of following the TG van to the liquor store to snag some bombers of fresh Sue, X Hops, and Zeelander
     
    #17 MaltyFlannel, Dec 30, 2021
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  18. steveh

    steveh Grand Pooh-Bah (4,174) Oct 8, 2003 Illinois
    Society Pooh-Bah

    Did I miss some news? Has Sierra Nevada opened a brewery in the Midwest? This *is* the Midwest forum, isn't it? :wink:

    ... almost picked up a six of Moon Man yesterday... other sixes were calling my name. :slight_smile:
     
    #18 steveh, Dec 30, 2021
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  19. gatornation

    gatornation Grand High Pooh-Bah (10,388) Apr 18, 2007 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah Trader

    Yeah that P Sue at $5.99 a bomber, Damn that beer was great.
     
    #19 gatornation, Dec 30, 2021
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  20. FBarber

    FBarber Grand High Pooh-Bah (7,325) Mar 5, 2016 Illinois
    Mod Team BA4LYFE Society Pooh-Bah Trader

    Last I checked SNPA is on shelves in the midwest pretty much anywhere craft beer is sold.
    If I lived in WI this would always be in my fridge - such a great beer.
     
    #20 FBarber, Dec 30, 2021
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