San Marcos Pale Ale

Brewed by San Marcos Brewery & Grill
Style: American Pale Ale
San Marcos, California USA

On-tap at the place. Listed as California Pale. Pours amber with a small white head and good lace. Smells of sweet caramel malt and just a dash of hops. Tastes the same. Mostly caramel malt flavor with a hint of hop bitterness. Medium body, vibrant carbonation.

Sample at the brewpub. This brew is a clear dark orange-amber color with a medium thin and foamy off-white head that diminishes steadily. Top patchy ring of lacing on the glass with spots underneath. Citrus hops aroma with touches of earthy malt. Medium-bodied and moderately bitter with a citrus hops character. Notes of spices and malt as well. The finish is hoppy and lingering. Slightly above average overall.

At the brewery--Poured an orange-goldne body with a minuscule head. Possessed a creamy, caramel nose like most dull English ales. Kind of boring beer.

22 oz. bottle, from Brewpub. Pours medium copper and clear, with very little head. Aroma of toasty malts, citrus fruits, lightly spicy floral hops with earthy notes as well. Brash citrus hops follow close after the toasty and biscuity malt flavor, then juicy grapefruit and hints of pine, dust and flowers - much better as it warms. Medium body and assertive carbonation.

Date: 11/29/2007
Mode: Draft
Source: Brewpub

clear copper, fine dirty white head, drippy lace, sweet crystal malt aroma with light floral and citrus hops, sweet crystal malt flavor, touch of candy sweetness, plenty of complex hop flavor to balance the sweetness, lingering bitter finish,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 13/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: *4

Tasted at San Marcos. Clear orange brown with fizzy white ehad. Aroma of malt and yeast. Bright palate. Slight malty sweet taste over shadowed by a big bitter bite and a lingering hoppy perfume to the finish.

Tap at San Marcos Brewing
Gold bronze color, light head and lacing. Nose of all diacetyl, hops and everything are here, but the diacetyl is just WAY overpowering. I can see the glory in what’s underneath this butterscotchy concoction of doom, and I like it, but I’m not in the mood for caramel corn today.

Pours to a deep golden body with a thin white head that’s pretty dense and leaves a nice lacing. The flavor is awful. Full of corn adjuncts and no hops to be found. The aroma is light, stale cardboard. An awful beer.