Grizzly Peak Pale Ale - Grizzly Peak Brewing Company

ChrisKayler

Virginia

4/5  rDev +6.7%

02-15-2013 20:22:27 | More by ChrisKayler

duceswild

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

05-02-2013 02:27:19 | More by duceswild

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

10-08-2012 02:10:20 | More by t0rin0

ucsbmullet

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +13.3%

09-08-2012 15:36:31 | More by ucsbmullet

BMMillsy

Florida

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%

08-01-2012 16:28:23 | More by BMMillsy

AgentZero

Illinois

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Golden yellow beer with two fingers of white head. Nice stick on the sides of the glass with some good looking lace.

S - Caramel malts, some grassy hops on the end, bit of grapefruit that is lacking in citrus bite.

T - Taste is not bad. Not a ton of bitterness, some fruity grapefruit, decent malts. Solid.

M - Softer carbonation, lighter side of medium bodied.

O - Not a bad beer, pretty easy to drink, decently hopped with some grapefruit and some solid malts. Easy drinker.

Serving type: on-tap

12-13-2011 00:13:57 | More by AgentZero

FightingEntropy

Minnesota

2.28/5  rDev -39.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Extremely light, watery pale ale that was a straw colored, translucent and had a bubbly, irregularly bubbled almost white head. Grassy nose with light citrus--stale, off aroma. Some grass in the taste as well. Watery and flat off the back of the tongue. Very week on taste. Reminded me of my underattenuated early attempts at homebrew. Disappointing brew overall.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2011 21:59:00 | More by FightingEntropy

schmidtn

Michigan

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Slightly cloudy and Amber in color.

Aroma difficult to detect, as the bar has a slight bleach smell to it. Hop-bleachy.

The beer has a nice, but mild bitterness. After making someone into a craft beer convert, this would be a good beer to introduce someone to a pale ale.

This has a nice mouth feel, its not overly filling, which begs another glass.

Very drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2011 00:45:13 | More by schmidtn

jrallen34

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap as part of a sampler at the brew pub. This was one of the highlights of the sampler, which wasn't saying a ton...Pours a copper gold with a little head...The aroma is really nice and balanced, very nice caramel on the front with grassy hops, its nice but a little too sweet...The taste is really nice because it losses a lot of the sweetness so its even more balanced the aroma as the caramel and grass play really nice off each other. A really nice dry grassy finish.

One of the only beers worth getting at Grizzly.

Serving type: on-tap

07-24-2010 14:54:36 | More by jrallen34

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On-tap at the brewpub.

This is an all-cascade pale ale, and maybe it's me or maybe it's the hops this year, but I'm not wild about the taste. Don't get me wrong, this is a decent beer. I'd really only knock it for not having a crisp bitterness, like a good APA. Otherwise it has a mix of citrus, orange peel, and flowery herbs, with like biscuit malts backing it all up.

Serving type: on-tap

08-28-2008 11:10:50 | More by tempest

Dogbrick

Ohio

3.65/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Sample at the brewpub: This beer is a clear gold/amber color with a medium thin off-white head that dissipates steadily. Patchy lacing throughout. Cascade hops are easy to detect in the aroma in this one since they are the only kind. There is a touch of zesty citrus in the nose as well. Medium body with a citrusy hops flavor and a good malt base. The finish is moderately bitter hops and lingers awhile. A little one-sided at times, still a solid APA.

Serving type: on-tap

10-05-2007 19:52:59 | More by Dogbrick

oberon

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a slight hazed medium golden with a bit of peach hue a very modest head atop.Appetizing hop accented aromas quite floral some citric notes as well a light toasted faint sweetness creeps up underneath the hops as well.Very fresh tasting with grassy,floral hops hitting up front with a bit of citrus as well a bit of malty sweet depth gives the beer a very nice drinkability,my favorite beer from GP that I have had yet.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2007 23:21:57 | More by oberon

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.45/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Lightly fogged rich amber with a splash and a half of orange juice. Slow, steady streams of carbonation can be seen plunking into the underside of a gorgeous, vanilla milkshake creamy, alabaster cap. The beer's best feature may just be the abundant, fine, filagreed lace that puts the appearance into the APA Hall of Fame.

For a beer brewed with (and dry-hopped with) 100% Cascade hops, Pale Ale doesn't smell like it. The grapefruity hops are nearly overcome by a funky, phenolic (Band-Aid-like) aroma that better go into hiding on the palate if this beer hopes to impress me. If I tell myself that I'm smelling a Belgian pale ale... nah, that won't work.

Things are a little better on the palate. For some reason, my taste buds are better able to (not completely able to) ignore the off-flavors and concentrate on the usual ones. The usual ones include a decent amount of pale malt and a more than decent amount of bitter orange, peach and grapefruit zesty American hops.

I have to believe that some whacked-out yeast strain was used to get the beer to taste this way. Since Jolly Pumpkin brews the beer that Grizzly Peak BC chooses to bottle, at least this one, maybe they decided to mix things up a little and throw us a curve ball. I prefer high, hard fastballs when it comes to hoppy beer.

The mouthfeel is on the medium to slightly full side for an American pale ale. It comes together nicely and becomes at least slightly creamy as it sits. I don't really mind the more vigorous than usual carbonation since it adds to the mouth interest more than it annoys.

Grizzly Peak Pale Ale is a distinctive offering, even if it isn't an amazingly delicious one. I'd be interested to see if the phenolic qualities of this bottle are present in all batches, or if they're unique to this one. There's potential here, but the beer needs a funkectomy before I'll be fully onboard. Sometimes simpler is better.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2007 13:05:23 | More by BuckeyeNation

alexgash

Connecticut

4.43/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Brewed and bottled for Grizzly Peak by Jolly Pumpkin. Wonder if any of the wild microbes got in this batch?? One can hope!

Pours a brilliant deep golden with a faint haze. Solid two fingers of thick, creamy, off-white head that crawls the sides of the glass effortlessly. Nose is an intoxicating mix of buttery biscuit malt, apricot, floral perfume, lavendar and herbal, minty bitterness. I swear there is a slight tart twang too. The mixture of all these aromas is incredible!

Lemon-citrus bitterness up front. Biscuity malt, shortbread cookie, and tart fruit follow. Floral, herbal, and lemon hop bitterness cleans up sufficiently with vaguely tart overtones. Overall, a very perfumey, floral, lavendary tasting pale ale. Moderate body, with a soapy feel that turns dry and acidic and refreshing in the finish. A very nice summer quaffer.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2007 23:42:09 | More by alexgash

hophead76

Michigan

2.7/5  rDev -28%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: A pleasant coppery color typical of style. Head was noticeably light, however this could be due to the fact that it was served as part of a sampler and it took about 10 minutes to be served.

Aroma: Pleasant cascade aroma (from the noted 100% cascade hops), However there were notes of wet cardboard and some oxidation seemed apparent. Perhaps due to bad storage or dirty lines.

Taste: I've had many pale ales in Michigan and in my opinion this one ranks near the bottom. The oxidation was present in the flavor as well, lending a dirty taste to the ale.

Mouthfeel: Nice body, carbonation was present, but didn't dominate. Overall there was a good impression of malitness and caramel, but was nicely balanced by hop bitterness

Overall: An average to below average pale ale. Many better examples exist.

Serving type: on-tap

02-12-2007 02:44:34 | More by hophead76

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reddish with good lacing. Very drinkable and good bitterness, nicely malted. Very good cask ale, the winner of this session at the brewpub.Soft carbonation, good C-hop flavour of grapefruit orange and pineapple. I hear the guest brewer on this was Joly Pumpkin.

Serving type: cask

01-31-2007 01:51:57 | More by northyorksammy

CharlesDarwin

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Originally reviewed on January 21, 2005. On tap at the brewpub. Pour of orange amber. Lacing sticky head of ivory. Cascade and orange oil aroma. Flavor is similiar, very bright, with some fantastic sweetness. This is well rounded and delicious, the malt character real plays to deftly counteract the great hops. High level of drinkability. Palate finishes with some sweet grassiness.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2006 01:18:31 | More by CharlesDarwin

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

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

Brought this back from my recent trip to Michigan.

Slightly hazy copper color with quite a bit of carbonation rising. Slight scuzz of head swirling around on top. Lacy lace with some larger quarter-sized concentrations. Nose is slightly piney.

Flavor is sweetly bitter with some solid bisctui breadiness around the edges. Some slight oaky characteristics as well. Medium body with a carbonation level that makes this beer rather refreshing. Slightly dry finish too.

Serving type: bottle

08-08-2006 00:50:49 | More by MuddyFeet

Gaisgeil

Michigan

3.28/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a slightly hazy amber in color with thin head that has great retention. Nose is nicely hoppy, slightly earthy though, kind of odd, almost out of place according to style. Taste is quite hoppy, this is almost a milder IPA really, sligthly citric, but quite bitter drinking it right after a fairly malty wannabe Scotch ale. Sligthly estery, quite good though, easily quaffable.

Slàinte!

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2006 03:41:35 | More by Gaisgeil

ypsifly

Michigan

4.35/5  rDev +16%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Undated 12oz with a green cap. Top of the label sez "Brewed and bottled for Grizzly Peak Brewing Co. by Jolly Pumpkin Artisan Ales LLC, Dexter Michigan." Side of the label sez "Enjoy this classic robust American Porter. Roasted and chocolate malts give depth and flavor to this rich brown ale. Pure American hops add bitterness and balance. A highly drinkable beer!'
"Thanks for drinking our beer." Ron, Jon & Chet www.jollypumpkin.com

So which is it? Porter or PA? Only the contents will tell.

Poured into a pint glass, hazy orange with a torent of carbonation that pushes the bone colored head way up, almost too far. Strong retention with thick chunks of lace.

The nose is awesome! Citric with orange and peach aromas mixed with a sweet perfume like floral note of lavender. Holy shit! I have never smelled any APA like this. It has some suggestions of a Witte beer that are spicy. I want to give it a five for smell, but this stretches the style. Comes off very Belgian.

No way in hell is this anything like a Porter.

The taste has a nice foundation laid by the malts while the hops come in slowly and are a bit grassy at first but then turn spicy. Nice dry and spicy finish. The mouth is appropriate for style without too much carbonation. I will be buying more for sure.

I wonder what yeast was used. I can't help but wonder if Ron was brewing one of his JP biers on this day and some yeast got into the mix.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2006 04:18:44 | More by ypsifly

Frozensoul327

Michigan

3.8/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A nice APA from Grizzly Peak. Poured out to a caramel/red color with not much head and no lace in the glass. Lower carbonation. Odors of pine, citrus and hops filled the sences as a hint of grain lingered in the background. Flavor was very refreshing for an APA, with pine and citrus flavors dominating the palate. Rather bitter and sour mouthfeel were not so powerful as to take away from the appeal of the brew. Once again, as I have noted in the past, the level of carbonation was so low, it was nearly non-exsistant. Good drinkability make this beer a good place to start when getting into craft APA's.

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2005 19:06:42 | More by Frozensoul327

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Orange/amber colour, slightly hazy, with a creamy off-white head. Excellent retention with rings of foam down the glass. Light malty aroma with plenty of citrusy, orange hoppiness. Same for flavour, along with moderate bitterness and a very hoppy finish. Med/light body and moderate carbonation. Good session beer and definitely recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2005 02:10:36 | More by DrJay

putnam

Michigan

4.5/5  rDev +20%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I think there is too much repetition and too little inspiration among small brewery Pale Ales, but this was a pleasant surprise.
Fruity, creme brulee and solid, seasoned, hardened hop aromas are the prelude to a palate rich with mild, ripe, peachy fruits, roasted, burned herbs, cocoa and green bananas on a full-bodied, creamy-textured palate. The balance is in favor of conservative, dry, creamy toffee and hop elements. The finish is miles long and balanced. Little surges of tarry, seasoned, Euro-like hops flavor occur for many minutes after the last swallow. Very nice.

Serving type: on-tap

06-23-2004 13:56:28 | More by putnam

beernut7

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew has a deep copper color and very light floral hoppy aroma. The fruity spicy hop flavor and finish make this a nice representation of the style.

Serving type: on-tap

08-01-2002 00:32:33 | More by beernut7