Middle Ages Syracuse Pale Ale

Brewed by Middle Ages Brewing
Style: English Pale Ale
Syracuse, New York USA

Date: 06/08/2005
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

dark yellow, thin white head, sweet citrus hop aroma, nice sweet carmel malt flavor with a balancing hop character, pleasant bitter finish,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 5/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 5/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Score: **+/4
-------- /> I would like to rerate this beer.
The score was calculated based upon the notes and an old scoring system.

(12oz bottle) Clear amber body topped by small white head. Aroma is medium sweet, bread/caramel, earthy/floral. Taste is medium sweet, earthy, caramel, some orange. Watery light-medium body, light stickiness, acidity.

(Bottle) Pours a clear copper body with a small white head. Aroma or orange, florals, and biscuit. Flavor of flaxseed, toasted malt, caramel, grassy/citrusy hops, and some tea as it warms to close to room temperature.

Headless light clear amber. Diacetyl and soapy buttery hops come out rather orangey. Diacetyl once again is overbearing in mouth, floral, peachy and weak. light bodied, bready malty finish.

Crystal clear, copper/golden ale with a small, creamy, off-white head. Good retention with ink-blot lacework. The aroma is of a light, apricot-peach blend, bandage and sweat. The flavor is almost totally nondescript. Not offensive. Perfectly balanced, but extremely thin and watery like seltzer water. Very light bodied and fizzy. Short, crisp, clean finish.

Tap at Barcade. Slightly hazy, pale golden beer topped by a thick fluffy head. Aroma is quite orangey and honeyish with a bit of sweet macintosh apple and pear esters. Quite fruity-smelling with a light pale ale malt underneath. Only moderate bitterness. Some fairly prominent peach/apricot flavour as well.

Lightly hazed gold amber ale with a thick big bubbled white head. Strong diacetyl nose giving way to a sightly perfumey light hoppy aroma, with fruity ester apple notes. More malty than hoppy, with sweet fruity finish, and a solvent like mouthfeel. Lighter bodied. Bought in November 2004, at the brewery.

Very rare that I’d give an APA or IPA a "5" on appearance, but this gets it; bit lasting head, beautifully creamy, gorgeous bright orange/red color, lovely pour. Nose is all caramel, just heavenly for malt lovers. No, it’s not that fruity or hoppy, but style be damned! I could smell this all day, if I couldn’t sit near an oven baking crem brulee instead. Flavor doesn’t quite live up; I didn’t expect it too so wasn’t super disappointed. Still a lot of caramel/butterscotch, more malty than usual, but the sweetness is definitely undercut but a fair contingent of hops warriors thrusting through the malt lines and trying to bring us to a bitter conclusion. In the end its a stalemate, but a messy one; rather than complementing the sweetness, the hops rather ruins and dissects it, leaving a weird somewhat disjointed finish and a perplexed drinker. Balance, anyone? Still worth a big nod for the nose alone...