Buzzards Bay Pale Ale

Formerly brewed at Just Beer (fka Buzzards Bay Brewing)
Style: English Pale Ale
Westport, Massachusetts USA

Pretty pleasant brew. Thin head. Caramel in color, and very good. Hoppy and malty, well balanced. Full bodied beer. I liked it.

First off: Do Not drink cold and Do Not assume this an ’American Pale Ale’. This is British to the gilt and should be drank at room temp. Clear light copper with a thin off white head. Aroma of toffee and hay and grassy hops. Crisp and sharp at first but then it mellows and a marvelous toffee/carmel malt backbone shines. A little cloying but a nice English style brew.

The Buzzard’s Bay page is so messed up on this site, I don’t even know to which beer this refers.
But the beer that Buzzards bay is currently producing called "Pale Ale" with a green label is the one I’m reviewing. Bottle, sampled July 2005. Golden, honey-amber pour, clear and filtered, but has some white head, which lasts for a few seconds. Clings to the side and finally disappears completely. Smells of thick, juicy, strong English hops. Moderately bitter and very fruity, with caramel and toffee. Flavor is tons of hops flavor, limes, bananas, pineapples, apples, peaches. Some vanilla and grainy, pale malt with light caramel on the end. Very thick and satisfying body, for how filtered it is. Carbonation is too much to start, being forced, but eases off nicely. Moderately acidic on the end, from the hops. I’m surprised they got this much bitterness from only English hops, it’s almost like there are amarillos in here, yet I don’t really taste the signature grapefruit and I dont really think they are in here. Anyways, it’s very well-hopped, and well balanced with a creamy, honey-caramel consistency and solid body.
Earlier Rating: 5/11/2004 Total Score: 4.1
AOBF 04. Draught. I never really saw anyone get in line for this one, and not being a big name, or an exciting style I suppose I see why. But it’s too bad no one did. This stuff was delicious. Pours a typical light yellow-amber with a firm white head. Aroma is very engaging, dry and sweet at the same time, with a grassy, herbal nature almost. Crisp and bitter on the nose. The flavor is very well balanced of light caramel malt, lots of barley and a smooth, even texture. Hops flavor is phenomenal. Subtle, with floral qualities (light blossoms, flowers, dry mowed grass clippings) and some lightly spicy herbs in there as well (lightly peppery, hints of vanilla). Wow. Great stuff and just shows that you don’t have to brew a difficult style to showcase your talent.

A very good beer. The appearance was excellent. Clear golden amber color with a minimal head and rather unimpressive lacing. Crisp and light flavored brew that needs a little more body and character, but overall a rather nice and easy beer to drink.

Neon orange ale with a small, fizzy, white head. The nose has lots of caramel in it... along with sweat, pear and red apple. Well-balanced and nicely bittered. Medium-bodied with a syrupy mouthfeel and soft carbonation. Lengthy, moderately bitter, then bone-dry finish. I was pleasantly surprised by this one.

Nice carmel/malt aroma and pleasant.Carmel color with thin head. Pleasantly drinkable carmel malty beer. Some lite hops in the background, but overall well made and enjoyable. I would be able to drink several in one sitting if so inclined.

Beautiful clear red-amber, orange shine; slim orangey head, creamy, slightly irregular - the perfect glass of ale. At first only malt in the nose, like in a malt silo, grain, worts, but there are noble hops hiding. Some caramel & biscuit. And then the hops come out of the hiding, in the taste. No doubt, there's plenty of cookie malt present, but the hops exert domination in bitterness and hopflavour. Hoppiness even verges on the edge of adstringency. Well-bodied. Hopheads might be put off by the very malty nose - they would be very sorry if it led them to pass this beer. 't Is a very hoppy and pleasing beer - and a very hopped beer needs some good malt underbuild, IMO.