Syracuse Pale Ale - Middle Ages Brewing Co., Ltd.

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

An excellent British-style ale, but classed as "American" I’m unable to rate it as highly as I'd like. It's balanced and very well brewed, but extremely malt forward and completely lacking in any of the hop notes that are crucial (in my mind) to an APA.

Good looking golden colour with amber tones, decent white head and attractive lacing. Aroma of pale malts, breads and grains. The flavour is also very malt-forward, biscuits with bittering hops to round out the finish. Unfortunately no citrus, fruit or "c" hop or other "west-coast" elements - but a decently dry and lingering finish.

All in all, a great SPA, but not a beer I'd recommend to someone seeking an APA.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2012 02:12:36 | More by hopsolutely

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at Barcade in Jersey City, NJ

A: Pours a hazy to cloudy dark golden yellow in color with some hints of orange when held up to the light. The beer has a half finger tall creamy white head that reduces to a thin film covering the entire surface of the beer and a slightly thicker ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Very little discernable smell to this beer - quite mild. Very light notes of pale malts with a touch of caramel sweetness and some floral and grassy hops.

T: Similar to the smell, the overall flavor of this beer is quite mild. There are notes of pale and caramel malts with some floral and grassy hops. Light amounts of bitterness that fades quickly.

M: Slightly heavier than light bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Easy to drink and sessionable - perhaps a more enjoyable beer for a hot summer evening than a cooler fall one.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 20:27:21 | More by dbrauneis

metter98

New York

3.5/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at Barcade, Jersey City, NJ

A: The beer is yellowish amber in color. It poured with a half finger high head that eventually completely faded away.
S: There are light aromas of lemony and grassy hops in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste is lemony and has flavors of grassy hops. Not much in the way of bitterness is detectable.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: Nothing really stands out in this beer as being very interesting, but it is a beer that goes down quite easily.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2012 13:02:09 | More by metter98

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On-Tap

Appearance - Clear amber/copper colour with an average size fizzy off-white coloured head. There is a low amount of carbonation showing and there is some poor lacing. The head lasted for 3 minutes before it was gone.

Smell - Malts, caramel, grapefruit

Taste & Mouth - There is a low amount of carbonation and I can taste malts, caramel and some hops. There really isn't a whole lot of flavour going on here.. it definitely doesn't have the citrus/hoppy punch that most APA's have. It really tastes like a poorly made amber if anything. It ends with a malty slightly sweet aftertaste.

Overall - Other reviewers are saying how this beer is better from a bottle. Perhaps I'll give a bottle a try if I happen to see it. As far as my glass from on tap goes, it was a really poor brew.

Serving type: on-tap

12-08-2011 20:07:04 | More by spinrsx

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a better than average pale ale. pours a little darker than most, with a redish tint and a small white head. fruity hop aroma and modest malts in the nose, certainly more american than english in nature. taste remind me of a magic hat number 9, save the apricot. its a little bit sweet, and well carbonated. not my favorite pale ale, but a good local product. i should mention that the bottled version differs significantly from the draft, and is often much crisper and fresher. i have has some really lousy pints of this, but every bottle is good. not sure why but its true.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2011 21:25:54 | More by StonedTrippin

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had this at the Dinosaur Barbeque 10/5
Served in a pint glass

A: This beer pours a clear copper color with a 1/4 inch of white head. Head recedes immediately leaving minor lacing on the glass.

S: Nose is pale malts, grain, and slight floral hops.

T: Taste starts with caramel malts that fade in to a nice lighter pale malt flavoring. Grain comes through and then a floral note punctuated by citrus hops.

M: Medium body, medium carbonation, nice and crisp with an oily finish.

O: Goes down easy, tasty, not too filling, easy kick, decent representation of style. I prefer more hoppy APA's but this is a nice easy drinking APA that I would easily hit up again out at a bar.

Serving type: on-tap

10-07-2011 03:45:35 | More by Jayli

soju6

Missouri

3.53/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at Maggies on the River in Watertown, NY.

A: Served a clear light copper color with a nice head that slowly fades to some lacing.

S: Fresh grain with a light malt & citrus aroma thrown in.

T: Clean & crisp. Some sweetness & citrus flavor and a light bitterness.

F: Fairly light body, quite smooth & nice balance.

D: Good drinker, not overpowering. Worth a try.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2010 19:47:11 | More by soju6

thekevlarkid

Maryland

3.43/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Off tap at a local joint in Manlius, NY while visiting my gorgeous, Russian gf, this beer was an orange-ish color with a slightly pink head. The retention was good and the lacing was consistent. The aroma was of light hops with a pleasant crystal malt and caramel malt background. The flavors were well-balanced but uninspired. Caramel malt, slightly fruity hops notes and a touch of yeast. The hoppy aftertaste lingered on the finish. The mouthfeel was smooth and semi-creamy, the body medium and the carbonation good for the style. An American Pale Ale in every way, but very generic in every way.

Serving type: on-tap

06-01-2010 03:36:13 | More by thekevlarkid

JustinJTisdale

New York

3.75/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer is for the person who LOVES hops. Its more or less the only thing you can taste on top of a little citrus in the mix. It is a very very bitter pale ale.

This beer has little to no taste of malt and no hint what so ever of alcohol content so be careful. Although its only 5% its easy to put back quite a few of these and find yourself in some trouble.

Overall its great for a summer afternoon on an outdoor patio.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2010 23:05:44 | More by JustinJTisdale

Brianmerrilyn

New York

2.9/5  rDev -15.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into pint glass at Dinasaur BBQ on 125th/Hudson River in Manhattan NY. Havingliving in the area for some time, Iwas more than happy to order our of curiosity alone as well as to try my first middle ages creation.

A: Off golden with half finger head,coated the glass rather well.

S: Nose was heavy citrus with some caramle perhaps.

T: Dissapointing flavor big diacetyl, with almost no hops and lacking body.

M: Light and watery to add to the list or problems this one had.

D: Not good at all, too sweet and not enough hops and body.

Serving type: on-tap

07-05-2008 03:06:38 | More by Brianmerrilyn

HopDerek

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

On tap at the Blue Tusk 5/24/08.

Poured a clear golden amber with 1 finger of bubbly off-white head, good retention and lacing. Smells of honey, buttered biscuits, floral hops, lemon, fruit. Tastes of floral hops, grapes, lemon, biscuit, and a big buttery finish. Medium in body with good carbonation. Smooth and fruity with an acidic and buttery finish. Not something I would go out of my way to drink again, didn't taste very pale ale-like, though maybe I just had an off-batch.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2008 23:47:17 | More by HopDerek

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Shared a pitcher at Kelly Cole's. Looks a pretty amber with a short head. Smells of estery fruit. Tastes of ringwood with a mix of fruit and creamy butterscotch over lightly carmelized grains and grassy hops. This isnt an amazing-tasting beer, but its very nice and one of my favorite local session beers.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2006 18:00:09 | More by tempest

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.48/5  rDev -27.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

On-tap at the ALe House in Syracuse. Bland, watery, nothing much here. Unoffensive at best. Some faint floral hops and bit of citrus flavour on end. On malty,sweet side but an Ontario brew. Like their hoppy beers and their stouts much better. Something for the Ladies and Canadians perhaps.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2004 16:46:37 | More by northyorksammy

beernbbq

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tastes like Bass Ale only fresher and better than what you get from Bass in the U.S. Mild malt flavor backed with earthy woody tones of Fuggles. Easy drinkability for a session or goes great with food of various origins. Well crafted beer once again from Middle Ages.

Serving type: on-tap

12-04-2003 14:36:21 | More by beernbbq

Brad007

Vermont

3.26/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Pours a mild golden color with a frothy white head into my glass. Not sure how I missed out on this one but glad I finally picked it up.

Sweet with buttery malt and some pine from the hops in the nose. Clean. Simple. But refreshing? Time to figure it out.

Ditto on the taste. Sweet, buttery malt with not much else. Resembles an English IPA more than an American IPA.

Lingering sweet, buttery malt dominates the finish. Very clean otherwise.

Middle-of-the road but still manages to quench the thirst.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 06:10:05 | More by Brad007

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev +16%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

We pour a brew of robust golden yellow. It holds a two finger head of creamy whitish bubbles. This shows great retention, leaving thick sheets of lacing down the glass. There is a chill haze to it, with no sediment noted. Carbonation is robustly active. The nose shows metallic pale malts, and lightly adjuncty chalk. The hops to balance are floral and lemony, giving a slight pucker. With warmth comes plastic phenols, adding bitterness, and a chalky grassiness. Our first impression is that the flavoring is refreshing, but a bit on the light side. As we sip, cleanly toasted pale malts hit first, mixing with soft citric malts, and light wheatiness. Lemon juice bitterness works in, with moderate chalky dryness. The peak comes with metallics, pale malts, baker’s yeast, citric fruitiness, and bittering mineral. We finish the swallow on notes of sweeter malts, with flashes of white sugar, floral and citric hops, more chalky, plastic phenols that bounce off the ethanol, and muddy pale malts. The aftertaste breathers of booze, those muddy pale malts, chalk, plastic phenols, light metallic adjuncts, and black pepper. The body is medium, and the carbonation is full. The latter gives big froth and cream to the sip, whereas there is nice slurp and pop on the back. The mouth is wet and happy, with slightly puckering astringency by the final drop. The abv is appropriate, and the beer glugs easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was the cleanliness of flavoring, and the drinkability. The flavor starts freshly, with nice pale malts, and a citric hop blend. This stays true to the very end, where the malts become a bit more muddy and bittering. This really doesn’t affect drinkability that much though. Coupled with the nose and slurp, this is a great go-to pale ale, and a well-kept local secret.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2012 23:30:25 | More by TheBrewo

jtd1969

North Carolina

3.18/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - golden yellow with a tint of amber. Good carbonation with a good amount of lacing.

S - slight sweet malt, light caramel/citrus

T - Caramel, slight bread and rather light hop character (clean grassy/herbal in character)

M - Moderately high light bodied, good carbonation

O - Good drinkability. Definitely a session beer in my opinion. In regards to overall, I can't say it's bad, but not the pale ale I am going to reach for. I would drink it at a bar.

Serving type: bottle

10-19-2012 03:17:28 | More by jtd1969

rlee1390

Indiana

3.58/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-Cloudy orange, thee finger head head, some carbonation, good lacing.

S-Some citrus and grassy hops, malt is present. (bottle did not have a date so that maybe the cause)

T-Start with a mix of malt an citrus hops, ends with a slight bittnerness, the meshing of the malt and hops makes me think the bottle is "fresh"

M-Medium bodied, well carbonated and smooth.

O-A nice local APA, nothing out standing but I figured it was time to try some local beers before I move.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 16:17:44 | More by rlee1390

yesyouam

New York

3.5/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Syracuse Pale Ale is a clear, sparkling golden ale with a sandy colored head that fades to dense, bubbly blotches that cling to the glass in thick sheets. The aroma is light, fruity and grassy; nothing overtly hoppy. It's light bodied and pretty slick. The finish is dry and crisp. The fruitiness from the aroma is kind of the main flavor here. The flavor is very light, but the malt, hops and yeast seem to contribute equally to form a single, tight taste. There is a touch of mintiness at the finish. This tastes less like a pale ale and more like an alt or maybe an Irish ale. This is an inoffensive session ale or lawnmower beer, good for drinking without thinking.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 14:17:38 | More by yesyouam

AgentZero

Illinois

2.7/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A - Golden color beer with some amber notes and a small bubble head that faded to a full cap after a few moments.

T - Actually seem to smell a decent amount of yeast on this one, some grassy and herbal light hops, and toasted malts. Almost a little like an English IPA.

S - Some caramel, herbal notes, yeasty, some hop bitterness. Really reminds me of a slightly hoppy adjucnt lager, not really a good thing.

M - Lighter bodied, active carbonation.

O - Not a great beer, not a good take on the style and the taste just isn't that good either.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 01:08:19 | More by AgentZero

vande

Illinois

3/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A ~ a slightly cloudy golden yellow/golden rod color, somewhat similar to the color of the Piece Brewing coaster my pint glass is sitting on

S ~ musty, lemon grass, citrus hints....very l ight

T ~ malty, lemony brew...blend of some malty flavors, light breadiness...

M ~ tarty light-to-medium bodied ale....

O ~ an interesting flavored beer....a decent extra in a trade, but nothing I'd search out for directly...Glad I tried it...

Serving type: bottle

06-10-2011 05:43:19 | More by vande

jzeilinger

Pennsylvania

3.33/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a clear gold color with no head and carbonation that all but fizzled out after the first (5) minutes.

S - Light lemon and slightly herbal aroma Smells a little grainy.

T - Slightly buttery, a little lemon grainy flavoring, and a very slight citrus bitterness tries to surface but the malt beats it back down. Balanced, evenly blended across the sip, and a crisp dry finish. The overall flavor is light and not alot going on.

M - Thin, heavier side of light bodied, very gentle carbonation on the tongue that is almost slippery in texture.

O - SPA is an ale that drinks like it's more from the lager side of the beer tree. It's O.K., maybe a really good lawnmower beer on a hot summer day which isn't such a bad thing.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 02:43:06 | More by jzeilinger

Franz4

Ohio

2.68/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle
A- Clear golden color, nearly no head
S- pale malts and slightly musty
T- Slight mustiness has turned into a powerful caramel flavor that's just not right, there's really no hop flavor to this at all and the malt is weak.
M- watery with very little carbonation
O-Not a fan, I've had other Middle Ages stuff that has been quite good, but this stuff missed the mark. No freshness info, so I can't speak to how fresh it was, but I picked it up from the store last week.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 00:25:31 | More by Franz4

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.48/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Very large, slowly fading head. Recedes in a chunky fashion leaving some spots of lace. The brew is cloudy (although one can read through the glass) and light amber in color.

First impression on the smell: honeydew melon--sweet without being sugary. Relatively mild with a light hop and even lighter alcohol.

Strong yeast bite, like a homebrew. The beer seems a bit watery to me. The aftertaste is an improvement with a mild hop bitterness showing up. Overall, it's drinkable but not special.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2011 22:06:44 | More by smcolw

neorunner

Virginia

3.43/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Blind Beer #2 - http://flic.kr/p/9nF26s

Thanks to Kevin (shrek806) for sending me this in Round #4 of the Blind Beer BIF.

Back in the groove, at least for a moment. Popped this 12 oz. and tried to get a sniff but the xmas scented wax kept me from prying any secrets from the bottle. Poured into a Triple Karmeliet glass.

Golden yellow in color with a very thin head. Slightly perfumy in odor. Body is very light and mellow. Taste is between a pilsner and adjunct lager. This has a macro backbone with a bit of a corn creamy touch.

The reveal - Syracuse Pale Ale. More a pilsner than a pale ale in my book. Then again I found their last beer to be a bit under hopped. The beer is light and very poundable, a great lawnmower / hot day beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 03:11:24 | More by neorunner