Chesapeake Pale Ale - Williamsburg AleWerks

ckollias

Maryland

3.76/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a Belgian tulip glass.

A: Pours a clear golden hue with a medium, white, 3-finger head that slowly dissipates down the side of the glass, leaving a nice trail and ending in a solid lace.

S: Malty aroma up front followed by some citrus notes and finishes slightly hoppy.

T: Equal mix of sweet and bitter. Malt and hops mix well together with some mild citrus notes.

M: Medium body and medium carbonation.

O: Decent pale ale – nice combo of the malt and hops to be a well-balanced beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2013 03:24:44 | More by ckollias

damndirtyape

Ohio

3.73/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle (batch code 05 14 12) poured into a shaker pint glass.

Appearance: Very hazy coppery orange. Off-white very thin head dissipated very quickly after pouring, just leaving a ring at the edge. Some tiny strands and islands of lacing noted. Ho hum.

Smell: When first poured, a bit sweet and floral. As it warmed up, a bit of citrus, a bit of pine, and bit of skunk.

Taste: What it lacks in smell it makes up for in taste. Crisp hop bite up front, smooth malt middle, then quick transition to lingering piney/grapefruit citrus bitter finish. Not an amazing APA flavor, but the notes of flavor stand out 1, 2, 3 as they hit my tongue.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, but a tad watery. Good carbonation. Definite hop oil stickiness to the teeth.

Overall / Drinkability: I have had better APAs, but while the individual components don't amaze me, together they work okay such that I think this would be quite good with a fresh catch from the Chesapeake bay. One is enough though, although I could probably finish a larger bottle or glass if it were made available.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 22:49:16 | More by damndirtyape

FosterJM

California

2.98/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

1393rd Review on BA
Bottle to Pint
12 oz

Thanks to my coworker Kathleen for bringing me this from VA

App- A creamy hazy looking orange to orange yellow fading brew with a small 1/4" head. A couple dots of cling. About it.

Smell- Big ol english malts with a over ripened fruit and a ton dry grass behind it. A bit sticky and sweet with a lot of caramel as well.

Taste- Really reminds me of Cisco Wales and Brooklyn 55. Just pretty and caramel. The citrus is pretty tame and grassy kicks in on the finish.

Mouth- A pretty full body with also a medium carbonation with a ton of sweet caramel and orange peel.

Drink- Average at best. Non offensive but not something id come back to.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 05:23:00 | More by FosterJM

Dave1999

Virginia

3.65/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy orange colour with a thin white head.

The smell is citrus hops, lemon and malts.

The taste is more on the hoppy side with a bitter after taste. The malts do come through as well though so there is some balance.

The mouth is light/medium with medium carbonation.

A pretty decent pale ale and would happily drink this again but I don't think I'd buy it myself.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 22:10:36 | More by Dave1999

cyclonece09

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a 14 oz "pint" glass. Pours a hazy amberish color with a small white head that leaves some nice lacing. Has a strong floral aroma that is very sweet and pleasing. Hops dominate the taste pallet, but there is still a sweet malty taste and it has a nice balance. Speaking of taste balance, the mouthfeel is great. Carbonation seems right and body is full, but not too full. Hop bite is there, but not overpowering. Overall, a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2012 00:07:17 | More by cyclonece09

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cheapeake Pale Ale by Williamsburg AleWerks

Appearance: Hazy golden orange body beneath a frothy head of off-white that holds remarkably well and leaves beautiful lacing about the glass. I'll assume that this is unfiltered, or close to it; and that it fits right in at Colonial Williamsburg where an unfiltered beer would be apropos.

Smell: Grainy and gently sweet with leafy, piney/grassy and floral/citrus notes from the hops.

Taste: Solidly bitter right up-front and straight through into its dry, lingering finish... perhaps a bit over-done, perhaps not. The malt is fairly straightforward and quite flavorful with just a bit of golden caramel character. The hops are initially piney/leafy and citrusy/floral, but when combined with the rising bitterness they appear more grassy, and even spicy.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and gently crisp. Nice, almost seemingly natural carbonation.

Overall: Pretty impressive. If they were going for a 'historical' beer they've done it, except for the bitterness, which is a bit high; and the obvious use of Pacific Northwest hops. And although I don't particularly find the yeast character to be English in nature (I'm guessing it's Chico... it's very clean), I find the overall character of the beer (dry-malt-hops) to be very English (it reminds me of one of the newer, American hopped English summer ales). An enjoyable quaff: I wish I'd had a full Imperial pint, and I wish it had been draught instead of bottle. I enjoyed its 'rustic' charm and I'll look for it again.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 13:22:02 | More by NeroFiddled

mdaschaf

Washington

2.55/5  rDev -29.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A: Pours a hazy orange color with a small white head on top that quickly dissipates to a thin layer on top. Pretty nice lacing around the glass. There are TONS of floaties in this beer though. They float throughout and cover the bottom.

S: Lots of lemon, but not really in the normal sort of hoppy lemon aroma, more like pine-sol lemon. This is mixed with an apple cider that has been sitting for too long.

T: Not a whole lot going on, some pale grainy malt and a little bit of lemon. The finish is sourish though, not hoppy at all.

M: Medium bodied with medium to high carbonation.

O: Not really sure whats going on with this beer, but I'm not a fan.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 23:45:39 | More by mdaschaf

engagechad

Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +21%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Purchased as a single from Total Wine in Richmond, VA - Pint

Pours a very nice amber orange with great head and good lacing. Smells hoppy and spicey, a little hop forward. Taste is awesome, I would take this over a SNPA for a staple pale. Mouthfeel is right on, perfectly bitter with some spicey prickley backbone.

Overall this is a great pale that I am proud to have coming from my home state.

I have had TWO beers from Williamsburg and both were amazing.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 16:38:55 | More by engagechad

MDDMD

Pennsylvania

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

A-golden amber color with a white frothy head and some lacing

S-citrus and some malt overtones and hint of yeasty bread

T-citrus and more caramel malt with mild hoppy flavor and slight bitter finish

F-medium body and moderate carbonation

O-a decent ale, but not overly noteworthy

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 02:46:27 | More by MDDMD

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer pours a hay golden amber. Fomy head is about averge depth, is fairly dense and has good retention leaving spotty lacing.

Aroma has a nice soft citrus and floral bouuet with malts smelling thin but sweet.

Taste is pretty desent although hops are very subdued here. Perhaps alittle old.
Hops have a slight citus flavor but not alot of hop pop. Malts have a caramel sweetness along with toasted biscuits.

This beer has a medium smooth feel. It's lightly carbonated and has a semi dry and semi bitter aftertaste.

Pretty basic pale here and it's pretty good. Case worthy at that.
The beer I bought came from a gift shop on a bridge in the middle of the chesapeake so fresh I'm sure it is not.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 10:48:13 | More by micromaniac129

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Very clear, pale golden-amber color. The head is a little shallow, but appropriately sudsy. Nice citrus hop aroma. Although there is a little malt in the background, the hops really stand out...earthy, grassy, and sharp. The malt comes forward a bit more in the taste...just a touch of caramel and pale malt. Nicely balanced, the beer is semi-dry. A little carbonic in mouthfeel, but that does give it a very refreshing trait. Solid American style pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2011 01:16:39 | More by Suds

teromous

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: It's a dark gold color with a head that stands well at a thumb's width. The beer is fairly clear but it is hazy enough to notice. Laces very well.

S: I can smell the malt, with a sweet syrup-like scent. Not molasses. There is a floral smell but very little hop character comes through.

T: Up front it has a very nice balance of malt and hop character. There is just a little bitterness at the end and it feels to be just the right amount for a pale ale. There is some grain flavor in the aftertaste that is tasty. There is a little spiciness in the end of drinking a sip. It's good but it doesn't stand out enough for me to rate it higher.

M: It has a very nice mouthfeel. It is well balanced and rests well in the mouth. It feels a tad bit light in body. The beer is smooth but is not syrupy.

O: Overall it tastes good. I would drink it again, but it's not my favorite tasting pale ale. I don't get a "wow" feeling when drinking it at any point. I would recommend it, because it is good.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2011 21:26:22 | More by teromous

wahhmaster

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a Samuel Adams Boston Lager glass.

Appearance: Pours a translucent, pale brown color. Has a small, frothy head that dissipates quickly down to a nice cap and leaves a nice ring of lacing.

Smell: Has a citrus/pine hops smell with a significant, sweet, malty background aroma.

Taste: Aggressively hoppy up front with piney flavors that develop quickly into a sweet, malty flavor with a strong, hoppy finish.

Mouthfeel: Light-to-medium body with low carbonation.

Overall: A fairly decent APA. This style gets done A LOT and it's certainly been done better than this. Nevertheless, this is a thoroughly enjoyable rendition of it from an underrated and under-known craft brewer.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2011 23:58:12 | More by wahhmaster

avalon07

South Carolina

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured from a bottle to a pint glass. Had an orange color and a slightly hazy texture. There was an inch of fairly long-lasting head. Very good lacing.

S: Smelled of malt, hops, and a bit of pine. Standard APA aroma.

T: Tasted of mild hops, malt, pine, and a little caramel thrown in for good measure. Slightly bready and a bit earthier than most beers of the style. A solid flavor.

M: A good amount of carbonation with a dry finish. Light- to medium-bodied.

O: Nothing special or new here, but still a good, sturdy American Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2011 12:10:29 | More by avalon07

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.75/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a lightly hazed amber orange color with solid cap of frothy white head, great retention and lacing. Scent is mild, dominated by grassy but bold hops, notes of citrus and a lightly sweet, somewhat nutty malt backbone. Tastes stradles the border between American (bold pine and citrus hops, lightly sweet pale malt) and English (earthy hops and nutty malts). Medium bodied, light dryness. A nice pale ale that has some good qualities taken from American and English styles.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2011 13:45:59 | More by rfgetz

Metalmonk

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a mildly clouded reddish orange sunset color, with a blinding white head, creamy and firm. Looks a beaut.

Nice aroma too, having a citrus element buried by a sweeter, kind of butterscotch-like maltiness, but certainly not in an off or awful diacetyl sort of way. A hugely welcoming smell.

Simple aroma, simple taste, and a taste that very much mirrors the smell. Lighter touches of citrus (like grapefruit), with a rind-like bitterness to the finish, although it's a mild kind of bitterness, certainly not a hop bomb wallop. The malt is the most impressive and forward component of the taste, having that buttery, creamy flavor (and feel), a bit nutty, quite a bit of caramel/toffee...could almost be classified as an English pale ale if it weren't for the grapefruit-like traces in here.

As said, texturally this is on the creamier side of things, just enough carbonation to keep it lively, even providing a sharpness on the back end, and meshed well with the young/green bitterness of the finish.

Very pleased with this beer. It's pure, simple, very enjoyable. It doesn't set my imagination off on uncharted courses or anything, but for a beer to sip on a nice spring day, hey, glad this is readily available in these parts. Good stuff.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2011 22:10:35 | More by Metalmonk

bs870621345

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottled on 12-9-10

Pours an orange amber color with a half inch of head. Fades to a collar with almost no lacing down the glass.

Smells like pine hops and caramel sweetness. Not a whole lot going on.

Taste is just like the smell, hops with a strong sweetness in the background. Finishes with pine hops.

Mouthfeel is light with low carbonation, even with a gentle pour.

Drinkability is not so good because of the long bitter pine finish.

Its not bad, worth a shot. Surprised how well the hops have held up not in the fridge/cellar.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2011 22:09:38 | More by bs870621345

7UCK

Virginia

3.98/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- this poured out a orange/brown/red. It had a nice head and was dark for a Pale ale.

S- Nice hop smell, slight citrus with a nice sweet piney smell

T- Citrus, hoppy and slight bitterness.

D- Hoppy for a Pale Ale, but great to drink. A decent after taste and a nice summer drink served cold.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2011 16:26:57 | More by 7UCK

thagr81us

South Carolina

3.78/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Massive thanks goes out to breweryaprntc13 for giving me a bottle of this at Sexual Chocolate '11! Served from bottle into a Stone nonic. Poured yellow-orange with a three finger off-white head that subsided to one finger slowly. Maintained excellent lacing throughout the glass. The aroma was comprised of sweet malt, caramel, and sweet hops. The flavor was of sweet malt, caramel, roasted malt, and caramel hops. It had a medium feel on the palate with medium carbonation. Overall this was a pretty good brew. The caramel aspect to this one definitely ties everything together. It was fairly well balanced, but it seemed that it was lacking in intensity slightly. Really glad I got a chance to try this one. It is definitely worth trying at least once.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 13:08:26 | More by thagr81us

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

2.9/5  rDev -19.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Reviewed from old notes.

A: Amber orange, at least a fingers worth of white head. Sticky lace left behind thin cap.

S: A good dose of citrus and pine greet me initially. A mild malt sweetness comes through as well. Fairly stock.

T: More malt in flavor than the nose led on. The pine comes in but falls off quickly leading to a harsh acrid bitterness.

M: Medium to light body. Light carbonation.

D: Overall less than stellar. Possibly not the freshest bottle.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 01:13:27 | More by beerwolf77

bigfnjoe

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a perfect pint

A- pours a translucent orangeish yellow with a one finger white head, which fades quickly. Lacing is OK

S- smells a little sweet, and a little earthy...both aromas are a little weak

T- getting some citrus...some earth...a little floral. It's balanced really well, I'm picking up something new each sip

M- it's actually a little thick, which surprised me a little...but I don't mind. The complexity helps

D- I didn't expect much, but this is actually a really good beer! If I can find it around, I'd definitely pick some up when I'm in the mood for some light drinking

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2010 01:49:20 | More by bigfnjoe

sholland119

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the 11th Street Alehouse, 8/13/10.

A-Pours a clear copper amber with a thin white head and some decent stickiness.

S-Nice blast of hops, mostly grapefruit with some floral hops as well, and a nice caramel malt backbone.

T-Nice caramel malt notes with a nice blend of citrus hops and a bitter, earthy finish that is pleasant but not overpowering.

M-Medium bodied, lightly bitter.

D-Really tasty. Rather hoppy for the style, but that is not a complaint in my world. A totally different experience drinking this on tap than the bottles I have had of this in the past.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

08-26-2010 14:21:43 | More by sholland119

breweryaprntc13

Virginia

4.3/5  rDev +18.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

L: Dark golden/ amber color, one finger pale white head, thin lacing that recedes slowly.

A: Strong floral and citrus hops, notes of grassy hops, and a slight hint of caramel underneath.

T: Great mix of floral and citrus hops that will please any hop head; caramel malts present for balance but not overpowering the hops.

M: smooth considering the bitter hops, bit more bitter finish, with medium to high carbonation.

D: A delicious pale ale, one of the better standard pale ales I have had. I will definitely be drinking this beer many more times in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2010 18:03:34 | More by breweryaprntc13

JamesS

Indiana

4.05/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Pours a nice mid-copper color with some decent head and lacing. Nice crisp and slightly hoppy scent, a little citrus and a little earthy. Good pale ale flavor with some very nice hoppy finishing (slight citrus and a little floral). Goes down very smoothly with no hop roughness.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2010 13:59:45 | More by JamesS

tchenery

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This beer is pretty good. It is a mild IPA and the brewery does offer a traditional IPA. That being said, I think it definitely aligns with the American Pale Ale style. It has a flowery hop aroma and earthy taste that doesn't overpower. It's definitely a drinkable beer.

I am drinking from a growler and filling up a Lowenbrau clay stein, so I really can't attest to the color which is why I gave it a 3.0.

I shared the experience with a friend of mine who said, "I usually don't get excited about Pale Ales but this is definitely good." Coming from a growler straight from the brewery makes a big difference on any beer, but this beer should stand on it's own.

Williamsburg makes some fine brews - I'm looking forward to their Saison.

Serving type: growler

04-28-2010 03:10:04 | More by tchenery