Classic Pale Ale - Whistler Brewing Company

GrimmReaper

British Columbia (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Variety pk,pours a copper with orange tinge,decent tan head and nice lacing,Nose is floral,caramel,mild grass and spices.Taste is hoppy,citrus,tangy and bitter,caramel and earthy tones coming through,medium mouth,very easily to down,not a bad brew at all,well worth a try,will buy again but not the variety pk,just cause i don't care for the weisbier.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2008 23:32:07 | More by GrimmReaper

SmashPants

Australia

1.93/5  rDev -41.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Bottle: Decent old-school bottle, cool 'Canadian' label. Clear bottle is a bit of a worry though - hope it lasted the trip over from Canada to Australia...

Appearance: Pours a clear copper orange, 2-finger tan head that fades to a light film on the top of the beer. Decent lacing.

Smell: Smell is of malt, wheat germ, and cereal grains. Pungent and somewhat unpleasant.

Taste:  Taste is horrendous, with an acidic, astringent metallic taste. Poured most of it out. I have the impression that it may have suffered from a bit of light strike on the journey over.

Aftertaste: Better, primarily because it diminished quickly. Some malt in the aftertaste, but not enough to salvage this awful beer.

Mouthfeel: the mouthfeel was reasonable - decent carbonation, but not soda-pop style.

Overall: Pretty nasty, funky malts. I will have to try this one again - I think it may have been affected by light strike on the way over from Canada. Not sure it would be worth AU$70 a case anyway.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2012 01:49:51 | More by SmashPants

creez

California

3.75/5  rDev +13%

03-20-2012 01:46:02 | More by creez

shagal

Alberta (Canada)

2/5  rDev -39.8%

01-26-2012 16:15:44 | More by shagal

cdwil

Texas

3/5  rDev -9.6%

12-29-2011 17:41:19 | More by cdwil

UCLABrewN84

California

2.08/5  rDev -37.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Part of the Summer Brews pack from Cost Plus World Market.

Pours a clear copper orange with a 1 inch bone colored head that fades to a film on the top of the beer. Nice foamy rings of lace form on the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt, wheat germ, and cereal grains. No other smells whatsoever, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Taste is horrendous with an acidic, astringent, solvent, metallic taste. Some malt pops up in the aftertaste but not enough to salvage this beer. A good level of carbonation with a crisp yet smooth mouthfeel. Overall, this seemed like a promising beer from the look and smell but once I tasted it all bets were off. Drain pour on this one.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 00:37:52 | More by UCLABrewN84

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle.

This beer pours a clear medium amber hue, with a stingy finger of thin foamy off-white head, which fizzes away anon, leaving some spreading, actively dissipating lace around the glass. It smells of biscuity malt, some sour fruitiness, and musty grassy hops. The taste is bready, somewhat caramelized malt, a mild baker's yeastiness, and bitter earthy, weedy hops. The carbonation is moderate, a zing or two, here and there, the body medium-light in weight, and generally smooth. It finishes off-dry, the consistent malt pushed a bit more by some peppy grassy hops.

A good example of a more hoppy English pale ale, even if those hops seem haphazard and muddled. Oh well, the result is a decent enough quaff, the sort better consumed without the burden of analysis, from my humble experience.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2011 22:50:54 | More by biboergosum

bagpiper2005

Idaho

3.58/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pour: Clear medium orange-amber in color. Two fingers of white head with decent retention and some small streaks of lacing on the glass. Active carbonation.

Smell: Very biscuity aroma with hints of pale malt and fruitiness. Light hop tang.

Taste: Sweet pale malt front end with a hint of honey. The middle reveals a strong biscuity flavor akin to an Amber Ale. Light citrusy hop bitterness in the back.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium in body with high carbonation, yet there's a certain degree of smoothness as well.

Drinkability/Overall: Good flavors going on here, and very easy and smooth drinking. Very refreshing.

Final Notes: This beer won't knock your socks off but it'll definitely hold its own. Great summertime beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 22:08:52 | More by bagpiper2005

Bookseeb

Washington

3.05/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance has a nice cloudy amber with a thick off white head with light lace. Smell of pale malts, a lite note of dark fruit and spice. Taste is lightly sweet, spicey with a cloying malt earthiness having moderate hops. Mouthfeel is light with a good spike of carbonation. Not all bad of a brew, just one I wouldn't reach for readily.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 00:04:38 | More by Bookseeb

zoolzoo

Connecticut

3.9/5  rDev +17.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thanks to a good friend who picked this up for me while rambling around the continent...

A: Modest off white head, hazelnut like color. Pretty good retention, sticky.

S: Earthy notes and spicy, almost Belgian... yeast. The aroma is certainly not offensive, but lacks a strong presence.

T: Sweet and biscuity malts, candi sugar, and once again a perceived Belgian yeast character which took me by surprise. Finishes with grassy/bitter hops, accented by peppery spice. Crisp and refreshing all around.

M: Slightly chewy with ample carbonation. Smooth.

D: Drinkability is excellent - pleasing flavors, refreshing, only 5%!

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2010 22:05:57 | More by zoolzoo

donniecuffs

New Jersey

2.55/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had this on tap at The Keg, on a recent business trip to Vancouver. Poured copper with literally zero head into a pint glass. Possible soap residue issue? Well, maybe, but given the fact that my two buddies' pints of other beers both had nice heads (that lasted), it was not a good first impression. Literally no aroma aside from basic biscuit, but this was likely compounded by the lack of head. The taste was only modestly better, with only an additional hint of nuttiness to speak of. The texture was very thin, but obviously sessionable. Maybe I'll give this a second try on my next trip.

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2010 21:23:29 | More by donniecuffs

RJLarse

Washington

3.48/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I bought a six-pack of Whistler Classic Pale Ale in a grocery store. Poured in to a pint glass.

Pours a nut brown/bronze color and is clear. A moderate foamy whit head tops the brew, and leaves some dainty lace on the glass.

Smell is an earthy scent, with some moss and vinegar notes. It;s a little bit acerbic and sharp.

Taste is a malt flavor with a peat flavor, and an acidic bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is light and clean. No cloying nature at all.

A drinkable beer, and very much in keeping with the English style pale ale. If you like the English style give this a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2010 02:27:01 | More by RJLarse

chickenm

British Columbia (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear copper color with an average white head. The aroma is mostly malt with some smokiness to it. The taste is more malt with some bitter hops in the finish. Medium-light bodied with light carbonation and a smooth mouthfeel. This beer is actually pretty good - although it could use a bit more hops. Still, its very drinkable and makes a nice session ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2010 02:13:06 | More by chickenm

DoctorStrangiato

Alberta (Canada)

3.18/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured a 330-ml bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance - copper-amber colour with a decent 1-inch head, lasting minutes, then deteriorating to a frothy-foamy-sudsy uneven 1/8-inch head. Very nice lace to show for this reduction.

Smell - nothing but cream on the nose. Creamy malt, sweetness below... this worries me for a pale ale.

Taste - soft malt on the palate with abundant subtle creaminess, virtually no hoppiness to speak of. Very even flavour however, perhaps a redeeming quality.

Mouthfeel - although very smooth, this lacks some of the character one would expect from a pale ale. Borders on boring.

Drinkability - I wouldn't get this again, or the variety 12-pack I picked up. Expensive and not really engaging... just not what the doctor ordered.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2010 04:13:51 | More by DoctorStrangiato

Shadman

Alberta (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Nice bright copper brown. Decent head and lacing.

Toasted malts and a hint of floral hop. Nice balance.

Ditto on the taste. Tasted malts, hint of butter toffee, and enough hop bitterness to keep it from being a one trick pony. Touch watery, but all-in all a nice taste experieince.

Smooth, carbontion seems to fit for the flavours.

Their best beer out of the 3 or 4 I've tried hands down. A good take on the English style of Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-03-2010 21:22:21 | More by Shadman

wordemupg

Alberta (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle poured into pint glass jan4 2010

A clear copper with a fast falling two finger head that left lace where it existed

S sweet malts with a little toffee and nuts

T a little nuttier with some very mild chocolate and some mellow hops

M lighter then I expected but good carbonation helps its cause

D well rounded beer not lacking in any areas but not excelling anywhere either

not a bad beer but I don't recommend you go looking for it but it's worth drinking if in front of you

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2010 08:28:29 | More by wordemupg

bum732

Maryland

3.55/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy yellowish brown, decent creamy head with ok retention and lacing. Smells of mellow fruity malt, pineapple, apple, pear, plums, some grassy and earthy hops, . Tastes of much the same, fruity malt with a mild earthy bitterness. Finishes fairly neutral with a touch of dryness.

An ok beer, i like the fruitiness of the malt, i wish there was a touch more hops to bring it together. The mouthfeel is fairly thin as well bringing down the score.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2009 03:48:58 | More by bum732

froghop

Washington

2.93/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

pours semi-clear amber-orange with a thin beige head, and some lacing.

smell of of malt, nuts, and caramel.

taste is of malt, caramel, grain, a touch of corn, and some earth, ends just a little bitter.

overall just okay for a pale ale could have a better look and ending.

Serving type: bottle

11-30-2009 04:32:11 | More by froghop

Grunewald

British Columbia (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

A - poured from a 330ml bottle into a weizen glass. It pours clear amber with a foamy white head. The lace the head leaves is quite powdery.

S - smokey malt, leather and hops

T - slightly bitter malt, some coffee, smoked/roasted elements and a tannic hop finish

M - thin body, medium-light carbonation and a neutral finish

D - smokey smell and flavor, but a bit thin

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2009 02:22:19 | More by Grunewald

MAB

Alberta (Canada)

3.95/5  rDev +19%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The best beer of the three in the 12 pack sampler; there are still better pale ales out there than this one. However...

Looked great, nice color and clarity.
Smelt pretty good- I like more hops, but this was true to the style and the aroma hops were muted.

Tasted great. Nice flavors and balance. A bit of hoppiness. All was well.

Maybe it's the style that gets me. As noted, I like my hops and other pale ales have more hops so I like them better. I'd pick an IPA over a pale ale any day, and most ESBs I've had aren't especially bitter (irony!) so I like a hoppy pale ale over an extra-special bitter.

Sigh. Drinking beer is such hard work!

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2008 18:10:45 | More by MAB

canucklehead

British Columbia (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer is showing up more and more as the Olympics gets closer. Turns out this is what OK Springs Pale Ale should have been. A mid dark gold beer with a fresh hoppy nose this is full flavoured and has enough complexity to make it interesting. there is still a softness to it which is an old BC trademark on pale ales but it has enough hops to make me want to buy it again.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2008 00:36:27 | More by canucklehead

IronDjinn

Alberta (Canada)

2.98/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours out a transparent copper hue, foamy white head that slowly decends leaving some sticky lacing behind it.

Clean, sweet toffee malt on the nose, the hops really don't play through at all.

The malt becomes somewhat grainy in the flavour, almost a dry earthy note to it all by the middle. The hops do make an apprearance now, dry and grassy.

Mouthfeel is leaning towards the light side. However there is another curious phenomenon of it leaving this phantom clay-like, almost chalky texture in the mouth with the aftertaste.

Not a very memorable pale ale all things considered, it certainly has its set of kinks that could use some ironing out.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2008 01:07:20 | More by IronDjinn

elricorico

Alberta (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A pale orange with just a slight haze. A thick white head on top. More lacing that almost any of the style that I've seen.

Earthy toffee sweetness and an herbal hop aroma hit the nose. Well balanced aroma.

Caramel and some bitterness are noted right away, and the finish is a mix of citrus and herbal hopping. All pleasant. Nothing overpowering.

Has just a hint of watery feeling, but otherwise the mouthfeel is alright. Sharp but not overdone carbonation.

This is a pub beer if I've ever had one. Easy sipping, lots of balance, and overall feels light.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2007 01:13:19 | More by elricorico

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.03/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Found this on sale at the government liquor store on Vancouver. 6 pack of cans came with a small soft sided cooler. Label claims to be "Brewed exclusively with Whistler Glacier Water". No date code visible.
Clear, bronze/gold color, with 2 fingers of fluffy white foam. Decent retention thin string of lace. Smell of grassy hops, earthy rather than fruity,with slight caramel malt. Taste has good bitterness blended with biscuit malt. Chewy, grainy hop, with out the grapefruit and floweriness in other american pale ales. A decent british style ale. Medium body with good carbonation. Good, but I thought there was nothing to make it more than just average. (Maybe it was getting old, and that is why it was on sale)

Yep, that picture is of my can. They have since discontinued cans, but I was able to get one for my collection.

Serving type: can

05-23-2007 02:41:48 | More by BigBry

Hornet2003

British Columbia (Canada)

4.08/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This was quite a surprise from a small brewery. This smells and drinks like an IPA to me. Perhaps it's just my hop sensitive PACNW palate, but this is a really hoppy pale ale. Pours just liek an IPA. Decent head, leavind rings on the glass as I drink it. The aroma is dominated by hops. Not so much malt like some APA's may have. Tastes delicious. Like a SLIGHTLY toned down IPA. Retains the hoppy bitterness, but is lower in alcohol so the associated maltiness is not necessary to balance out. Perfect carbonation leads to this being a light feeling beer. Small bubbles and no syrupiness means this is one pleasant Pale Ale. I could definately see myself buying this one again. A six pack could suffice while watching a hockey game. Great stuff.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2007 07:05:49 | More by Hornet2003