Clipper City Pale Ale

Brewed by Clipper City Brewing Co.
Style: American Pale Ale
Baltimore, Maryland USA

Golden amber out of the bottle with a foamy egg-shell white head. Light, malty aroma. Soft mouthfeel. Citrus rind hop presence. Seems a little light in body and watery, but the basic flavors are all there.

Having tried the Raspberry, McHenry and Gold ale from Clipper City I grabbed the Pale Ale with a definite note of trepidation. But as I rather like pale ales in general I thought that here at least was an opportunity for redemption for the brewery. It came again in a 12 oz brown bottle. It poured a nice dark golden color with a medium sized tan head. Ok so far, but now for the nose. The aroma was by no means overwhelming, but it did contain a reasonably strong scent of grapefruit. Hmmm, ok this should be my type of pale. The flavor revealed a light, flowery grapefruit element that gave some justice to my hopes. There was a hint of malt balance, but really this beer is for the hophead, or should I say the person who will eventually be a hop head. A good intro IPA for those not yet corrupted to the cult of the hops, but for those of us who have sold our souls to the liquid glory that is alcoholic grapefruit juice, this beer can do nothing but make one long for a beer with a "Real" hop dominance. But still, I can not complain. This is a decent if slightly mild pale ale and as such does redeem the brewery some in my eyes.

Long-lasting head, beautiful caramel color. Just enough hops in the nose, to let you know this is a real American pale ale. Goes down smooth, without biting your head off like some over-hopped pale ales. My favorite in this style, I only wish it was available locally on tap.

Pours reddish gold with a fizzy head that laced very thinly. Nothing notable about the aroma. Crisp and refreshing flavor with just the slightest hint of hop bitterness. Not nearly hoppy enough for my taste, but it beats a macro any day of the week. A good session beer on a hot summer day, perhaps?

Crystal clear, amber/deep golden ale with a small, creamy, off-white head. The nose is of honey, citrus fruit peels and juniper. Well-balanced flavor... malty, but perfectly hopped. Notes of caramel and English toffee. Lengthy, astringent finish.

Nice and hoppy pale ale. I like how this brewery uses the hops (especially fresh). Coppery pour with nice floral notes, clover. Decent malt and nice crisp hop finish. A good beer.

Medium sized offwhite head, good hang time. Clear amber color. Slight, malt, fruity nose. Medium body. Good malt flavor, crystal malt sweetness with a light bitterness. finish is dry. Good intro APA.

Pours a light amber with a thick white head. Nice floral hop aroma. Citrus fruits, lemon zest on the tongue. Nice bitter hop finish. A really good APA.