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

orfeu

New Mexico

4.03/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Bright orange with moderate carbonation and a bubbly white head that goes away pretty quickly. Mild hop aroma, yeasty fruits (apples, appricots, oranges), and that distinctive Ringwood diacetyl. Juicy peaches and orange peels ride atop a persistent butteriness. Although this isn't what I necessarily expect from a pale ale, this really wasn't bad and actually worked quite well with the vegan mac-n-"cheese" casserole I had for dinner. Super drinkability. Went over well with dinner guests, too. I'll definitely buy this again as a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2006 03:56:05 | More by orfeu

clvand0

Kentucky

3.4/5  rDev -0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to shippos for sending this my way. It pours an amber color with a small head that falls fast and doesn't leave any lacing on the sides of the glass. The aroma has a lot of citrus and it has a buttery character. Interesting. The flavor has a little of the citrus, but has a lot of the butter character ... and I don't like it so much. The body is nice and the drinkability is ok, but the flavor just doesn't do it for me.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2005 18:24:48 | More by clvand0

Stimack

New York

4.18/5  rDev +21.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Was able to try this brew on cask last evening. It was pulled to an orange/copper color with a fair sized head that had pretty good retention and leaves a nice amount of lacing. The aroma seems to be mostly hops but you can pick up hints of a buttery scent. Over all it is a good aromatic brew. The taste has a definite floral hop taste but I am also able to pick up a nice malt flavor that really is a nice accent. Also can notice an aftertaste that reminds me more of fruit, than hops? Over all it was a real nice offering. Would get this brew again. Will have to grab some in bottles for a evening.

Serving type: cask

03-26-2005 15:59:34 | More by Stimack

kmpitz2

Tennessee

2.93/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to shippos and clvand0 for sharing this with me. It pours a nice orange to golden color with a finger of head that falls to coat the beer rather well. The nose is almost like fresh orange peels, very citrusy, slightly buttery and caramel. I think it smells pretty nice. The flavor is nowhere near as nice as the nose. There is a big butteryness/diacetyl, that hits well in the initial flavor, but really drives hard on the finish. There is a little residual orange sweetness on the finish, but no real hop blast, or hop at all, that I would expect. The feel is moderate to slightly less. I was really let down on the flavor. Not only do I not like the buttery notes, but this Pale doesn't even have a hop character to balance things out. One of the first beers from Middle Ages that has been average.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2005 23:55:44 | More by kmpitz2

kbnooshay

New York

3.85/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

nice orange color with a nice sweet aroma. Not much of a head. The taste is different. Really sweet and fruity and therefore reallly easy to drink. Intruiging flavor. The mouthfeel is almost sticky and smooth. Nice non-amazing Pale Ale. My first Middle Ages.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2005 02:00:11 | More by kbnooshay

canoehornpoint

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice light amber with a white medium head that dissipated quickly. The aroma is there but sort of obscure and earthy. I see why when I took my first sip. Earthy really stands out. The body is pretty light and finishes with the long earthy taste. Nothing else really stands out here. The bitterness is consistent early on and is not unpleasant but not overly satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2004 01:22:20 | More by canoehornpoint

waughbrew

Massachusetts

2.78/5  rDev -19%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This is a strange one. A clear light orange with a small creamy white top. Aroma is that distinct Middle Ages ester that combines strawberry seeds with some maraschino cherry and spicy herbal hopping. Flavor is buttered toast with an uncomfortable dirty finish that twinges and twangs and makes me raise an eyebrow. Watery caramel finish disappoints and doesn't ask for another taste. All Ringwood beers need yeast present to help the finish, otherwise it tends to be not good. This wasn't horrible, but it isn't anything that I want again.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2004 00:18:33 | More by waughbrew

francisweizen

Australia

3.8/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

MUCH different in the bottle than it is on cask. Dark light golden/amber colour with a head of white foam that dies down quickly, but stays, and leaves some lacing. Carbonation is here, but not in your face. The aroma is fruity, estery, and really showcases this breweries use of their house yeast strain (ringwood). Buttery aromas come into play as well, but they are not too intense. Hops are definately more in the background here, and I find myself asking the question, "is this a magic hat brew?" The taste is good, but where are the hops in this bottled brew? This stuff is buttery, and fruity up front with a ton of yeast flavor, unfortunately the citrusy hop flavors that were so prevalent in the cask version of this brew just fade to the background here. Mouthfeel is light and cask-like, and drinkability is good, but this is such a different beer on cask. The lightness in flavor of the bottled version just doesnt really do it for me. Sorry guys!

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2004 02:00:29 | More by francisweizen

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.35/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pure, bright, tangerine peel orange topped by a pastel orangish, cream colored cap of stiff foam. Since it's making no moves toward deflation, even at the several minute mark, I'll give it high marks for persistence. Scraps of chunky lace are visible in the (eventual) aftermath.

In terms of hoppiness, the nose definitely favors English varieties over American ones. The nose is really nothing special however. Underpowered is the first strike and uninteresting is the second. There's a hint of orange peel, but otherwise I detect nothing more than a muddled earthiness and very little malt.

There's a bit of a comeback once beer enters mouth, but not much of one. The beer is too lightly malted with a befuddled hop profile that lacks power and personality. I know that it's an APA and isn't meant to be excessively hoppy, but moderately hoppy would be nice. Although a bit more bitterness is apparent on the finish, the hop flavor still doesn't impress.

The body is strictly medium in heft and the mouthfeel comes dangerously close to flat. Carbonation is on the low end, yet I get the impression that the 'flat' sensation comes as much from the two-dimensional flavor profile as from the relative lack of bubbles.

Syracuse Pale Ale doesn't do much for me. It shouldn't be that difficult to brew an acceptable APA, but Middle Ages comes close to falling short of even that low bar. I'm still looking forward to trying the other MA brews that I have in my possession, all courtesy of HappyHourHero.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2004 21:18:07 | More by BuckeyeNation

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

jdhilt

New Hampshire

2.25/5  rDev -34.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a one-fingered white head that stays leaving some lace. Ugly cloudy amber color. Light carbonation. Hoppy nose. Starts and finishes with a sour apple taste, not typical of a pale, MA's Impaled Ale is better. $1.85 for a 12oz bottle from Hoosick Street Discount Bev. Troy, NY.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2004 23:59:59 | More by jdhilt

necoadam

Connecticut

3.13/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours out an orange color with some amber highlights and some carbonation visible. Smell consisted of hops and some citrus aromas. Some yeast also could be detected. Some malts are way in the background, but not out of the picture completely. The simple malts and hops mixing in for the taste department with nothing really shining out. The Grail Ale didn't have this, but I noticed this one has some alochol bite at the very end. Just the average pale ale that's good to wash down some food. Worth taking a look at one of these beers at least.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2004 23:30:53 | More by necoadam

Southernbrew

Georgia

3.45/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Dark orange with a medium bubbly head.

Flowery hops with a grassy element and sweetness dominate the aroma. That Ringwood also comes in.

Full bodied, smooth with light carbonation. Light fruit flavors blend with bitter hops and caramel sweetness. Flowery hops show up midway through and then leave a bitter-sweet aftertaste.

A very easy drinking pale ale. That Ringwood is starting to become more apparent with every Middle Ages brew I enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2004 03:58:53 | More by Southernbrew

wailingwench

New Mexico

2.13/5  rDev -37.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

I was excited about trying this beer as I am from Syracuse. I bought a sixer to drink while on "vacation" in the 'Cuse to bring back to Buffalo. Could hardly wait to drink this and saved it for a special occassion. Finally, a sunny Sunday afternoon, perfect for porching it and grilling some meat. The excitement had built up to a feverish level and then, I was unimpressed with this beer. It did not taste like a pale ale to me.

I attempted to rectify the appaling situation and poured it into a pint glass. Failed to improve the situation.Ended up drinking Canadian and finishing this off at the end of the night. One of my buddies liked this. It certainly was a drastic improvemnet over his Red Dog. Nonetheless, Middle Ages IMpaled is top of the line and the Syracuse Pale Ale does not compare. It breaks my heart to be mean to this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2004 17:03:36 | More by wailingwench

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12ozer, purchased at Oliver's Beverage, Albany, NY, as part of a group of Middle Ages singles.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, 1/2" slightly off-white head formed, and held it's own with excellent foamy lace. Brew is a light copper tone and has a hoppy aroma which has yeasty undertones. Taste is initally of the light malts, crosses over to bitterness for the main attraction, and then fades with a crisp, somewhat fruity aftertaste. A nice respresentaion of the Pale Ale style.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2004 15:45:04 | More by ppoitras

CRJMellor

Arkansas

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

Pours a crystal clear orange amber with some wispy white lace that is retained
Aromas of sweet floral hops, some darker malt and fruit.
Flavor is smooth with a crisp malty and biscuity taste. Bread and butter aroma notes come to mind.
Mouthfeel starts with a malt sweetness and then shifts to a bitterness with some citrus notes.
Drinkability is very pleasing, nice solid beer from a great NY brewer.
Thanks to PPoitras for the Middle Ages sampler.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2004 04:32:25 | More by CRJMellor

RoyalT

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance – Nice, hazy orange in color with a decent head.

Smell – The soft, citrus hops mix well with the substantial yeasty profile. This is similar to the ImPaled Ale aroma.

Taste – The malt base is big and creamy, full of caramel and mature sugars. The citrus hops are almost an afterthought.

Mouthfeel – Lighter than medium in the body and very smooth. There was a subtle touch of carbonation to this one as well.

Drinkability – I thought that this was the ale’s strong point. It is truly a fantastic session ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2004 04:27:31 | More by RoyalT

Gavage

New Jersey

4.08/5  rDev +19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a clear orange color with a 1/2 inch head. The head lasted through half the drink. The aroma had floral, orange, and malt tones. The flavor was nicely balanced. The malt was slighlty sweeter than in other pale ales and there was a decent hop bitterness. Orange was also detectable by the tongue.

The mouthfeel was smooth and carbonation levels were lighter than expected. This is a medium bodied beer, and I found this to be quite drinkable. A decent session beer and a good offering in the pale ale arena.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2004 23:12:54 | More by Gavage

GeoffRizzo

Texas

3.48/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very clear orange, with a thin wispy white head. A decent nose of floral hops and some fresh fruit. Up front, rather thin, yet quite refreshing; floral hops backed by some malt sweetness. Tender, very crisp, flavors emerge as she warms. Sticky, ever-lasting bitterness, overall not the tastiest of pale ale's available, but one that could serve as a decent session brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2003 02:34:15 | More by GeoffRizzo

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

HappyHourHero

Indiana

3.83/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured an off white head that disappeared pretty quickly, leaves just a bit of lacing. It is copper in color, with an orange hue, very tranparent. The smell is faint, the malt and hops are balanced. Not that hoppy for a pale ale, maybe a slight citrus note, but combined with the yeast flavor its hard to detect. This is a very drinkable beer, no strong flavors, kind of reminds me of a more flavorful mild ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2003 03:40:21 | More by HappyHourHero

UnionMade

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev +5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Hmmmm....the beer is a beautiful bright coppery gold, with a thin ring of head lining the top. A bit of lacing, with a few sparse blobs sticking to the glass.
Aroma is sweet and estery, with a little bit of hoppy tang. Ringwood esteriness, with a touch of nuttiness. Malts are solid, balanced with the hopping perfectly.
Flavor is fruity, with a touch of sourness in the finish, and a bit of orange. Malts are subtle and well done. Hops are mild, with a slight citric piney flavor. A slight buttery slick feel in the mouth. Body is lighter than i expected. This beer tastes more like a blonde ale in my opinion. Not enough weight to it. I think it would be a much better beer with a bit more gravity.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2003 05:34:11 | More by UnionMade

WesWes

New York

3.45/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a golden color with a nice white head that fades to a thin lace. The aroma is of pale malts and Ringwood yeast. No trace of hop aroma here. The taste is good, but nothing special; A typical golden ale. The mouthfeel is good; a low body. It drinks easy. This is a fine beer, but one they should work on a bit. The label does nothing for me. Yeah, I get the whole Orangeman colors, blue and orange, but really this falls outside the quality they are known for. Not their best, probably their worst.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2003 16:05:26 | More by WesWes

stegmakk

New York

3.65/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice orange in color (cuse connection?)...little white to no head...
Smell of floral hops, malt...
Taste...malt, butter, slight bitter hops...a real nice mix but nothing to stand out and say hey you love my taste
smooth and slick feel...and I could drink many of these watching cuse lax...

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2003 18:43:26 | More by stegmakk

sponberg

New York

4.1/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

One of the staple beers in my fridge - rarely is there a time when there aren't a few bottles of this kicking around in there. If there aren't, it's because I went to the brewery and they had MacGregor's Ale (similar, but single varietal hopped with Centennial - mmmm!) for growler fills.

Bright amber, an offwhite head that lasts for a little while, and a nose of hop flowers, sweet malt, and a hint of diacetyl (hey, it's a Ringwood yeast brew...) that works in tying it together.

Ahh, the balance. Hoppy (bitter and flavor) but not overly so, a firm yet slightly caramelly, fruity maltiness, a diacetyl hit mid-sip that plays off the hops and rounds out the flavor profile, with whiffs of alcohol and grain as the sip finishes, leaving a dry, slightly bitter green apple and butterscotchy finish. Ever so quaffable.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2003 19:00:44 | More by sponberg