Aiken West Coast Pale Ale

Brewed by Aiken Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Aiken, South Carolina USA

Date: 12/16/2006
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

slightly hazy dark yellow, creamy cream colored head, lots of lace, creamy body, good citrus hop flavor well balanced with caramel malt sweetness, a nice yeasty biscuit character appears upon warming, nice long bitter finish, makes a nice flavorable session pale ale
-------- /> Date: 11/19/2007
Score: 3.1 to 3.2

big sweet crysal malt aroma wilt lots of citrus hops, sweet crystal malt flavor balanced by lots of citrus hops, lasting bitter finish,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: *4

Tap @ brewery. I think they were trying for a Sierra Nevada-esque ale but failed. Still, not too bad. Aroma had a decent piney, honey scent. Color was a wheat penny copper. Lacing held out throughout the session. I was expecting more, but still not a bad brew overall, In fact, of the three brews I tried at this sitting, this was the best of the bunch.

Tap at brewery. Honey and orange blossom hops aroma - light malt. Amber color with small head and high effervescence. Honey and orange flavor up front with the nice citric hops finish with bitterness lingering long after swallowing. Apparently this was a much better batch than 2 years ago - the beer I had was well blended and tasted great - no old flavors at all.

I thought this was a terrible example of a pale ale. Wet cardboard mustiness, like that rug that the dog sleeps on and has been left outside and rained on too often. That is how I describe the aroma here. Just tasted old and out of date, but it was not.

Light hazy gold color with white head & lacing. The aroma is musty with some citrusy hops (aged?) not very fresh with a bit of caramel. Finishes dirty and wet, like a wet dog.

(Draught) Pours an amber color with orage highlights and a small white head. Has a hoopy flavor, but not does not have much complexity or balance.

Nice orange-amber wth small head. Hops aroma. Well balanced American Pale Ale with moderately hoppy body.

Fruity, cascade aroma. Nice ruddy gold, webby head. Woody, hoppy, very drinkable without much complexity. Tingly, hoppy finish with trailing caramel. Medium body. A little tart and astringent, perhaps a bit overbrewed.