Dale’s Pale Ale

Beer-a-Day #311 beer can conga line

I was at my favorite retailer recently and I was able to score seven craft beers in cans. So, I’m declaring this “Can Week”.

First up: Dale’s Pale Ale from Oskar Blues.

Dale’s Pale Ale is our flagship beer and America’s first hand-canned craft beer. It’s an assertive but deftly balanced beer (somewhere between an American pale ale and an India Pale Ale) brewed with hefty amounts of European malts and American hops.

It features a merengue-like head, a copper color, and a hoppy nose, thanks to a big post-boil addition of Centennial hops. To complement its hoppy first impression, Dale’s also sports a rich middle of malts and hops, and a bracing finish. Dale’s is 6.5% alcohol by volume, and features 65 International Bittering Units.

We think of it as the perfect, everyday beer for hopheads like us. Dale’s Pale Ale’s rich flavor has helped us make many new fans, and its numerous honors have helped us kick huge holes in the misconceptions regarding cans.

Dale's Pale AleMuddy amber with a little haze; off-white head with lots of lacing. Nice big piney and resiny aroma from the hops. Nice “backbone” and plenty of bitterness in the finish. A glorious beer for my fellow hop-heads.

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog Ale

Beer-a-Day #310 smuttynose-old-brown-dog-ale

Old Brown Dog has been cited as a classic example of the “American Brown Ale” style of beer. Compared to a typical English Brown Ale, Old Brown Dog is fuller-bodied and more strongly hopped.

It’s the color of a strong tea, with an off-white head. Smells very “bready”. Malty, with a bit of roastiness and a bit of hop bitterness. I’d gladly have this again.

Smuttynose Old Brown Dog

Anchor Liberty Ale

Beer-a-Day #309 Anchor Liberty Ale

A special top-fermenting ale yeast is used during fermentation and is responsible for many of Liberty Ale’s subtle flavors and characteristics. Carbonation is produced by an entirely natural process called “bunging,” which produces champagne-like bubbles. Dry-hopping (adding fresh hops to the brew during aging), imparts a unique aroma to the ale. It is a process rarely used in this country today.

Dry-hopping is rare? I don’t know about that.

Pale yellow with a creamy white head. I smell some fruitiness (apples perhaps) and some spice. Maltiness in the beginning but plenty of hops in the finish. That’s darn good.

Anchor Steam – Liberty Ale


Newcastle Brown Ale

Beer-a-Day #308 Newcastle Brown Ale

It’s the color of weak coffee and clear. I get a little caramel aroma and maybe a little chocolate. Balanced sweetness with no bitterness in the finish. In spite of being imported in a clear bottle this is fresh and delicious (unlike the one I tried for O-fest 2009). This is really good, and I wish I had more than the one.

Newcastle Brown Ale (UK)
Newcastle Brown Ale (US)


Brewer’s Alley Pilsner

Beer-a-Day #307

A very pale beer brewed as a lager and which has a crisp, assertive Czechoslovakian Saaz hop character. This beer took 6 weeks to produce because the strain of yeast we used has a slow and cold fermentation, which results in a very smooth beer. 4.3% alcohol by volume.

This was the first Brewer’s Alley beer I ever saw in a bottle. (They’ve recently changed the label to match their other bottles so I don’t have a picture.)

Pale straw with a white, fizzy head. A slight nuttiness and fruitiness in the aroma. Pleasant malty sweetness with nice bitterness. One of my favorite beers to have after a rough day of yardwork.

Brewer’s Alley

Smuttynose Star Island Single

Beer-a-Day #306Smuttynose Star Island Single

Visitors to Smuttynose Island, peering across the dark waters of Gosport Harbor towards the ragged rocks of neighboring Star Island, are sometimes startled by the fleeting sight of mysterious, alluring creatures swept up from the Atlantic’s cold, inky depths. Or so they tell us.

Our Star Island Single is an eminently sessionable, abbey-style ale offering a beguiling mix of flavor and refreshment. This medium-bodied golden ale features a slight residual sweetness from Honey Malt and hints of citrus and tropical fruits from the unique Belgian yeast it is fermented with, leaving a crisp dry finish. Enjoy it sociably while you savor good times, tall tales, friendly company & life’s unexpected pleasures.

Sounds really interesting, plus both my girls are fascinated by mermaids.

Light yellow with a little chill haze. Aroma is light and vaguely reminiscent of soap. (Uh-oh.) Taste is fruity and dry. I’m not liking it much, though.

Smuttynose Star Island Single

Brewer’s Alley Kölsch

Beer-a-Day #305

Our Kölsch is pale gold with light body and a slightly dry palate. It has a mild bitterness and delicate hop aroma. This beer is a clean and pleasant thirst quencher, which earned a Bronze Medal at the 1998 Great American Beer Festival. 4.6 – 5.0% alcohol, by volume.

Brewer’s Alley Head Brewer Tom Flores calls this (which happens to be their most popular brew) a “gateway” beer.

Pale gold with a fizzy head. Aroma is slightly floral. Light without being too light, with just enough bitterness. I like it.

Brewer’s Alley

Beer-a-Day Project: October recap

Only. Two. Months. To. Go.

  1. Blue Point Oktoberfest
  2. Atwater Block Vanilla Java Porter
  3. Atwater Block Dirty Blonde
  4. Kona Brewing Longboard Island Lager
  5. Victory HopDevil
  6. Leinenkugel’s Oktoberfest
  7. Victory Storm King Stout
  8. Boont Extra Special Beer
  9. Trois Pistoles
  10. Captain Lawrence Smoke From The Oak – Apple Brandy Barrel Aged
  11. Southern Tier Crème Brûlée Imperial Milk Stout
  12. Brooklyner-Schneider Hopfen-Weisse
  13. Clipper City MärzHon
  14. Stone Brewing Levitation Ale
  15. Goose Island Honker’s Ale
  16. Sierra Nevada Torpedo Extra IPA
  17. Flying Fish Imperial Espresso Porter
  18. Sierra Nevada Kellerweis
  19. Ithaca Cascazilla
  20. New Holland Brewing The Poet Oatmeal Stout
  21. Oskar Blues Mama’s Little Yella Pils
  22. Barley and Hops Annapolis Rocks Pale Ale
  23. Paulaner Oktoberfest Märzen
  24. New Holland Ichabod
  25. Flying Dog Horn Dog Barley Wine
  26. Great Divide Oak Aged Yeti
  27. Tröegs JavaHead Stout
  28. Smuttynose Robust Porter
  29. Wild Goose XPA
  30. Stone Oaked Arrogant Bastard Ale
  31. Stoudt’s Double IPA

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