Pisgah American Style Pale Ale - Pisgah Brewing Co.

rangerred

Tennessee

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bomber

Pours a slightly hazy light copper with a half finger head. Good head retention.

Slight aroma of citrusy hops along with some caramel malt. Not as strong as I would have liked.

Earthy hop flavors come in first followed by a moderate bitterness that lasts throughout. Biscuity malt flavors balance out the hoppyness quite nicely. Finished relatively clean leaving a slight earthy taste.

Overall a nice pale ale that I could easily drink all day long. Nothing too special about it but a solid enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-16-2012 02:44:28 | More by rangerred

mikem0487

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz beer pored into standard pint glass.

Appearance-Pours a golden brown with an orange hue. About a fingers width head with great lacing and good head retention.

Smell-Initial smell is a malt sweetness with a slight caramel notes. Not getting to much hop aroma at all which is disappointing considering the beer style. Even though it has a lack of hop aroma it still smells appetizing.

Taste-Taste is good. Get some sweet malty notes with slight orangey zest in there. Do not get really any bitterness until the swallow but is only there slightly.

Mouthfeel-Medium body with slight carbonation. Good overall for this style.

Overall-Very drinkable pale ale. Not my favorite but could enjoy drinking this all day. Would like a more aggressive hop taste and aroma to balance out the malt character this beer contains. Good but not as good as its IPA sibling.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 00:00:31 | More by mikem0487

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle split and poured into a Central Waters tulip.
31.8 IBU, Organic, no date.

Thanks to Beerwolf for giving me my first Pisgah. Boy that sounds awkward.

A - Pale golden yellow and hazed over with a low but dense cream-colored head. Good retention with an arch of lace reaching skyward.

S - Almost wheat-like pale malt behind a good floral hop nose, mild notes of resin underline the citrusy aroma hops. A bit average though.

T - Toasty caramel malt underlines the subtle hop flavor. Faint floral aspects pop out with a dab of honey and a pinch of lemongrass on top.

M - Malt balanced, hops don't add much more than dryness to the feel. Medium-light bodied and grainy-finishing.

O - Bland but not entirely without flavor, Pisgah's Pale is understated. The one-dimensional hop profile could use quite a bit of tweaking and additional dry-hopping. This one's an easy drinker though!

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2011 12:07:30 | More by BeerFMAndy

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

3.28/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottle received from several BA's reviewed using old notes. Split and poured into tulips.

A: Hazy golden orange hue. Small white head fades leaving soapy lace.

S: Sweet and fruity nose. Hints of grapefruit and pineapple. Mild maltiness in the background.

T: The flavor is much malt forward. The hoppiness of the nose is much more subdued. Hints of hops but nothing big and substantial.

M: Medium to light body. Modest carbonation.

O: Nothing horrible but not really something I would reach for again.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 23:03:58 | More by beerwolf77

PDXHops

South Carolina

3.15/5  rDev -17.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber poured into a Duvel tulip. Slightly hazy orangish amber. Smallish head, lazy streaks of lacing.

Smells and tastes pretty much like a scaled-down version of the Pisgah IPA and, much like that beer, I think this might better be categorized as the English version of the style rather than the American. Light floral notes weave in and out of the husky, grainy nose. Tastes pretty grainy, too, toasty and a touch nutty. Modest earthy and tealike hops. A fairly dry beer with a slight juiciness at the swallow.

Overall impression: Pleasant and easy-drinking, but would be more noteworthy as an English Pale than an APA.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 01:55:45 | More by PDXHops

AlexanderSelby

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Smells citrusy, but there is a little armpit-like twinge in there, as if it were a touch stale. Thiis the only turn off of this brew. Beer is well filtered which yields a handsome tangerine/burnt orange color. Flavor is rather malty, with hops mostly for flavor and not hitting too hard with bitterness. Slight citrus in the finish, but mostly a sweet, balanced malt flavor throughout. A touch biscuity. Goes down smooth, but never lacking in flavor. Not a big excitement, but incredibly pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2011 00:51:53 | More by AlexanderSelby

jpro

South Carolina

3.43/5  rDev -10%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Bomber from Peabody's in Boone, NC. Poured into a shaped imperial pint glass...

A: Light amber; slightly off-white, one finger head fades pretty fast leaving some specky lace.

S: Orange rind; biscuit malts; some sweetness / light notes of caramel malts.

T: Some citrusy hops; orange rind; light grapefruit pith; very bready towards the finish; nothing too crazy... simple and good.

M: Almost medium-bodied with a moderate carbonation level; smooth.

D: Very drinkable... perhaps sessionable pale ale; kind of a standard APA (perhaps on the average side, though).

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 20:17:40 | More by jpro

nlmartin

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big thanks to Cuzco for sending this beer to me. The beer was chilled and served in an Imperial Pint glass.

Appearance: The body of the beer has a bright coppery coloration. The head is thick white but fails the mustache test. Nice webs of lacing mark this beers quick passage from my glass.

Smell: Nice caramel malt leads the aroma. Then the next wave of aroma goes to citric hops. Very nicely done.

Taste: The beers flavor leads with a slightly toasted caramel maltyness. The sweetness is put in check by grapefruit hops. The hops and malts ebb and flow very nicely done.

Mouthfeel / Drinkability: The body of the beer is light very gentle on the carbonation. This is a very satisfying throw back beer that I would revisit frequently if it was available in cincinnati.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 10:07:19 | More by nlmartin

jsanford

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into my New Belgium globe

A - Pours a dark orange with a 1-finger white head and nice lacing.

S - Caramel malt, light pine resin, orange peel hops. Pleasant, but subdued.

T - More light caramel-ly malt, pine resin and orange citrus. Very nice level of bitterness towards the end, really balances this one out.

M - Crisp and refreshing with a medium-light body and effervescent carbonation.

D - Extremely drinkable, quaffable even. A great example of an APA, very nice for the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2010 04:00:13 | More by jsanford

Arenbeer

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle recieved from Mikesgroove. Thanks alot man!!!

A- Pours a golden honey orange with a thin white head that leaves decent lacing.

S- Sweet caramel pale malts with a slight earthy hop presence. Not to much there.

T- Floral earthy hops up front with a solid pale malt base. Some lemon and citrus in there as well.

M- Medium body with moderate carb and a slight bitter dryness in the finish.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2010 19:28:17 | More by Arenbeer

Walken

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pisgah: Pale Ale (No bottling date) (Tasted 06/16/10)
22 oz. bottle, poured into a dimple mug.

Appearance: Unfiltered hazy light amber, verging on brown beer with a healthy two millimeter head of frothy off-white foam, good retention, ok lacing.
Odor: Fresh white bread crust malt aroma with hints of toast leads off mild floral and spicy hops.
Consistency: Full end of light bodied, smooth, mid to high riding carbonation.
Taste: Cracker & raw grain malt flavors with a mild flower and spice hop bitterness punching holes now and again. Malt flavors go toastier into the finish, smooth and crisp with a bit of toast and spicy hop lingering for a few seconds.

Very pleasant pale ale, synthesizing aspects of early American pales and their English counterparts into a nice, drinkable beer!

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2010 21:25:45 | More by Walken

farrago

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Finger plus of larger bubbles, delicate, eggshell white, razor thin streaks of lacing, decent retention given the larger size of the bubbles. Opaquely cloudy burnt orange color, slight yellowing at the outer edges, looks dense. The nose has a muted character, pine, tree leaves, straw, white grapefruit peels, peat moss, very light glance of toffee and potato bread, comes across as somewhat "closed" in wine terms. Full-bodied, not bottom heavy, heavy from top to bottom. The carbonation doesn't overtly appear active but elicits a few burps with ease. Orange, lemon citrus, forest floor matter and earth, slight metallic ring. Doughy, country style bread aspect. Apricot and peach pit, some pear as well. Very little sweetness, the malts don't coalesce into a recognizable whole, cocoa and mocha there most. Flat-footed finish, plays it close to its vest when it needs something sparkly to catch your eye.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2010 02:18:19 | More by farrago

beertunes

Washington

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Jpwv for this. Poured into 10oz glass. Poured an attractive orange color with less than 1 finger of slightly off-white head that dissipated quickly and left moderate lacing.

The aroma was pleasantly balanced, with nice floral hop notes blending with a solid, but not thick, malt foundation. The flavors were, as well, nicely blended. Nice hops and smooth maltiness combined for a tasty brew indeed.

The body was full and crisp, while remaining manageable. Drinkability was very good, I could see an afternoon of these with no trouble.

Overall, a very good example of the style, if it were local for me, it would be in my regular rotation. Try it when you can.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2010 20:30:19 | More by beertunes

cbros

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Serving type- 22 ounce bomber poured into a Pisgah pint glass.

A- Pours a dark orange, almost amber color. Initally there is a massive head but it gradully falls away to a nice even one; this head produces a nice white lacing that sticks around to the end of the glass. There is a lot of carbonation activty after the pour as well. Overall a good looking pale ale.

S- I am picking up only subtle hints of pine and hops in this one. In my opinion, there seems to be little, if any smell notes coming off this beer.

T- This is a very tasty APA. I taste the bitter hop notes from start to finish. Nothin overwhelming but a nice even taste that is strong enough for an APA but not teetering on the IPA style. Overall a very good APA offering that I could easily see as a session beer if it were available to me on a regular basis.

I had previoulsy had this before at the brewery on tap but I was unable to take notes. I did remember that it was a good beer and that if given the chance I should try it again. Once again Pisgah has made good stuff and I definately will be having any chance I get.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2010 23:27:09 | More by cbros

ncvbc

North Carolina

3.85/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours golden copper with steady carbonation and medium frothy head. Good lacing, good retention. Smell is somewhat muted but of fresh, earthy hops for the most part. Subtle, yet inviting. Taste is basically the same bag but steps it up a notch. Rich, earthy hops. Light citrus. Light balancing sweetness. Biscuity and a touch of caramel. Carbonation is just a tad high but aside from that smooth and creamy. Light, simple, approachable. Not quite in the realm of Terrapin Rye Pale for a session beer but up there. I likes it.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2010 04:51:34 | More by ncvbc

jpmclaug

South Carolina

3.93/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bomber into a pint glass

A - Golden color with what started as a thin white head and quickly gave way to no head at all

S - Balanced smell, caramelly, sweet malts with a light hop aroma

T - Crisp, fresh, balanced taste with a faint wood flavored finish, has a decent amount of flavor but neither the malt nor hops stand out

M - Decently carbonated with a light to medium body

D - Easy to drink and is a good representation of the style. If this beer was easier to obtain I would probably pick this up more often and drink when I just wanted a simple beer that I didn't have to think about. I am a little disappointed though, I was expecting something magnificent due to the reputation of the brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2010 00:25:46 | More by jpmclaug

callisbeers

North Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a copper, orange color with nice inch of head and good lacing. Nice smell of hops
(citrusy, piney). Very disappointed in taste after such a great aroma. Just a bland average taste that doesn't match the hoppy smell. Mouthfeel is fine and would be a good session beer if the taste was a little bit better. I would have again only if I had few other options.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2010 03:40:47 | More by callisbeers

nickfl

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - One finger of white head on a slightly hazy, copper-orange body. The head settles slowly and leaves little lace.

S - Light aroma of citrus hops with a bit of pine. Some caramel malt and bready notes.

T - Sugary malt up front with some sweet orange flavors. Bready malt in the middle with some toasted notes. Citrus hop flavors in the finish with some pine and moderate bitterness.

M - Medium body, moderately high carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - A nice drinkable pale ale. Not much to write about, but it is a good sessionable beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2010 04:38:46 | More by nickfl

maleman

Mississippi

3.18/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

poured from a 1 pint, 6 oz. bomber into a pint glass.

A - poured a medium amber, with a one-finger creamy head that quickly receded into less than a tight cap. thin lacing.

S - clean hops, piney resin.

T - very resin-like, quite pronounce phenols

M - medium toward heavy-bodied taste. tasted in very back of mouth. a tinny aftertaste/finish.

D - i'm a pale ale fan, but not of this one. the tin/alcohol taste kept it from being overly enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2010 21:25:19 | More by maleman

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.35/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Fuzzy orange rind with banana peel highlights. A louder than usual escape of CO2 was followed by the creation of four fingers of eggshell colored foam that is on the stiff and rocky side. The glass isn't covered with fine lace so much as small chunklets of suds.

American pale ales (incidently, the brewery dropped the words 'American Style' when they bottled this brew) need to be hoppy for me to enjoy them. Unfortunately, the Chinook and Mt. Hood whole hop flowers don't come through in the aroma like they should. If the flavor follows suit, my first Pisgah brew might be a letdown.

Pale Ale is an okay version of the style that barely squeaks out an above-average score. I'd hate to the think that organic ingredients have anything to do with the lack of 'palate pop', but I've tasted it too many times before. More (and better) hop flavor would have gone a long way toward covering up an off-flavor that is best described as woody.

As far as I can tell, this beer was released in April, so it should be fresh. The malt tastes mostly pale, though there's a lightly toasted grain-like earthiness that is probably coming from a small percentage of Munich. The hops are moderately bitter and are only mild to moderately flavorful (citrus zest primarily). There's no flavor hook here at all.

The mouthfeel is bordering on too light and is slightly too harshly bubbled. With less and higher quality carbonation, I see no reason why this attribute couldn't keep pace with all the others.

Pisgah has a reputation as being one of the South's finest craft breweries. One beer isn't enough of a sample to make me lower my expectations, but Pale Ale could use some major renovations. Suggestions: forget the organic ingredients, find a way to unlock better hop flavor, add more hops, and get the kinks out of the carbonation. I didn't say it would be easy.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2009 12:12:43 | More by BuckeyeNation

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a coppery gold and initially has a pretty foamy pour to it. It takes a bit (but not too long) to get a good amount in the glass and settles into several fingers of poofy eggshell colored white head. Retains with a robust finger or so that leaves thick patches of foamy lacing back. The aroma is deeply floral, herbal, and citric. Underlying nots of spice and Pale malt gives the bouquet an extra layer that nicely compliments the herbal and fruity sweetness of this. The aroma just has an all around crisp freshness to it that I'm really digging.

The taste also possesses that nice crisp quality to it. Leafy hop bitterness and fresh citrus character with just the right amount of bready tasting lightly toasted malts. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a smooth and creamy carbonation and also an all around crispness to the feel as well that lends this some good drinkibility.

Very nice, this was one of the better American Pale Ales that I've had in a while. Great fresh quality to this that made the flavors pop. I shudder to think how this is on draft. Tasty!

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2009 17:02:17 | More by Kegatron

tastybeer

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dirty amber color filled with darker hazy clouds throughout. Head is giant at the pour and in due time becomes a frothy + spongy 1/4" pile. Big foamy patches are all over the glass and up to the rim initially, but by the end of the glass there are only a few sparse spots that remain. Smells refreshing, with an assortment of lemon, orange, granny smith apples, green grapes, leaves, lemon grass, and some lightly buttered pizza dough. Oddly enough, all the smells combine bringing milky cocoa to mind. Taste is more grassy, doughy and earthy than fruity. Fairly calm overall. Briskly bitter with seltzer water-like carbonation that is a little assertive. Thin, approaching medium body and fluid, slick texture.

Interesting, easy going but fairly bitter brew. An alright option. I think I would prefer it a lot more, fresh via the tap.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2009 21:53:34 | More by tastybeer

Reagan1984

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Big Thanks to Bhalter8 for providing this as a great extra in a recent trade. Great Trader! Nice beer.

Pours with a slightly aggressive foamy white head that takes on a bit of a shaving cream texture. Lots of retention and lace. A light amber color with a touch of orange highlights. Nice clarity and a touch of visible carbonation.

Aroma is of fresh bread, a touch of spice and the hint of hops (citrus)

Flavor is very nice and quite bread like. Tastes like a nice crusty bread with some light fruit notes and a mild hop bitterness towards the end. A touch of caramel sweetness but very subtle. The bread is the star of the show here and I find it quite interesting. A scant note of phenolic flavors. They don't get in the way, but a touch is present.

Mouth feel is fairly light bodied and the carbonation is quite subtle.

Quite drinkable.

Glad I tried this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2009 00:18:34 | More by Reagan1984

Avlbrewer

2.78/5  rDev -27%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pisgah is a favorite stop while touring asheville, the pale ale (flagship) was a little underdeveloped or green. It's a great beer to enjoy with dinner but I'd prefer something fresher and refined for a daytime brew. The recipe seems to have changed in the years I've been drinking it, but it's always a good standby.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2012 20:46:48 | More by Avlbrewer

cosmicevan

New York

4/5  rDev +5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to my bro in law for nabbing a growler of this for my visit. I am assuming this is the same as their pale ale currently on tap. Enjoyed from a pint glass.

a - brew poured a soft brown orange that was semi transparent when held to the light. Head was thin and fizzy.

s - nice pale malts, some earthiness, but very appetizing.

t - extremely balanced pale ale. Not hoppy at all, just a classic American pale. Fresh and crisp. Clean and malty. A bit grainy, but nice overall.

m - crisp and light bodied. Could toss them back all day.

o - overall a really nice American pale ale. Malt forward and not hoppy. Classic. Solid.

Serving type: growler

11-10-2012 22:05:20 | More by cosmicevan