Olde Towne Pale Ale

Brewed by Olde Towne Brewing Company
Style: American Pale Ale
Huntsville, Alabama USA

Man, the more reviews on Olde Towne I read, the weirder this gets. Maybe there are some quality issues with the bottles? The Pale ale I had is crisp, clean, clear, hoppy, nice color, nice flavor and just enough bitterness for me, I really don’t like the over-the-top bitter pale ales but this one was a very good pale ale.

Not a bad brew. Reminds me more of an IPA. The hoppiness kind of overshadowed the other flavors, but it was a good brew. I liked that it was from right here in Alabama. I am hoping that AL will get more microbreweries.

Keg for a July 4th party. I had this in a bottle before the brewery burned down a year ago and found it lame. This keg has changed my mind. Very hoppy and bitter. Reminded more of an IPA than just a pale ale - enough that I asked the party host at least 3 times to make sure it wasnt the new Olde Towne Double IPA. Only complaint is that flavors were muted by the hopiness. It is astringent but tolerable.

<P>Rerate 3/22/05: Once again after quality control issues were fixed, the off flavor are absent and you get a better view of the malt and hops. The old recipe is fairly dry and has a crisp bitterness in the back. The recipe coming out in a few days has a bit more floral/fruity hop character in the aroma and flavor. <P>1/5/05: So I’m the first person not from Alabama to rate this beer. Cool. It’s also my first Alabama beer. This on is kind of hard to rate, though. Personally, I kind of liked it, but something tells me it would be considered flawed according to style. It’s pours a pretty amber that takes on a slight haze from the bit of yeast in the bottle. The aroma has a touch of peppery hops with a little lemon zest. The odd thing is a huge bubblegum ester aroma that would be right at home in an authentic German hefeweizen, except this isn’t supposed to be a hefe. Personally, I think it’s kind of a cool twist, but not what you expect from a hefe. Solid carbonation and a nice maltiness make for an interesting beer with a bit of a weak finish.

Originally reviewed back on 12/14/04. Received 3.5 score. Added to my RB list to check "Alabama" as a beer state consumed. Looks sloppy, but the taste tries its best to make up for it. Aromas of some grapefruity goodness with a touch of crisp earthy hops too. Nice flavor, but a thin feel.

Pours copper with a thin white head. Smells of caramel, earthy hops, some pepper. Tastes citrussy with a crisp finish. I’m happy to see these guys back in business.

Date: 09/25/2007
Mode: Bottle
Source: Trade

hazy orange, wispy beige head, sweet citrus and crystal malt aroma with a light fruityness, rich crystal malt flavor, nice fruity sweetness, lots of citrus character, big bitterness kicks in to balance the sweetness and leave a long bitter finish, sweetness comes back in a second wave to balance the bitterness,

Aroma: 7/10; Appearance: 6/10; Flavor: 7/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 14/20
Rating: 3.4/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: **4

Wow...this is a delightful beer. It has such a complex flavor--yeast, malts, hops, and a strange grassiness...it’s just so good. Go buy it and try it. You’ll thank me.