Headstrong Pale Ale - Big Hole Brewing Company

Ralphus

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big Hole's Headstrong Pale Ale is now available in a 473ml can north of the border and comes direct from their brewery in Utica, NY. Today's sample was purchased at the LCBO but has no discernible expiration date other than a cryptic lot number.

Headstrong looks good from the pour. There is a clear and deep golden coloured body, a lovely white head created by pinpoint size bubbles and even some lacing as beer descends in your glass. Smell and taste wise this beer has some common ground with an excellent PA in Anchor of San Francisco's, Liberty. Both have a pleasing citrus fruit notes backed with a good deal of hops. Headstrong's version has more floral notes and is not as sweet so it doesn't need the dry hopping at the end to create a pleasing balance. It does however lack complexity and while good, only a few would rate it as great.

Headstrong has done an admirable job here.. creating a pale ale true to its style that's relatively easy on the pocket book as well.

Serving type: can

10-05-2008 18:18:12 | More by Ralphus

shiguy16

North Dakota

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

05-16-2013 15:09:02 | More by shiguy16

Sark

Montana

3.49/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Appearance- very nice bright orange with swirling carbonation, pebbled light tan head with good lacing

Smell- light aroma of citrus and earthiness

Taste- caramel and light malt, hop finish is limited yet balanced, little astringent last finish

Mouthfeel- Medium-light, light carbonation tingle, relatively smooth

Overall- A good pale, something nice for an outdoor activity and for a session but not really standing out

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 02:33:54 | More by Sark

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

02-05-2013 13:41:43 | More by tbeckett

Huffaroma

Montana

4.25/5  rDev +22.5%

01-03-2013 19:05:19 | More by Huffaroma

harpus

Alabama

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

10-18-2012 17:24:51 | More by harpus

Florida9

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Big Hole Brewing HeadStrong Pale

A: Clear amber in color. Forms a minimal white head. Little retention. Light lacing.

S: Mild caramel malts and some light earthy and herbaceous hops.

T: Flavor is mildly malty, light caramel, and a bit of bread. Very light piney hops.

M: On the lighter side of medium. Mild bitterness. Appropriate carbonation. Mildly dry.

O: As much as I like big holes, I found this beer to be an unexciting and very average pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 02:28:55 | More by Florida9

Johnhaley1989

North Dakota

4/5  rDev +15.3%

10-05-2012 19:29:57 | More by Johnhaley1989

Molson2000

Ontario (Canada)

3/5  rDev -13.5%

09-13-2012 00:33:09 | More by Molson2000

BeerBadger

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%

07-31-2012 00:30:55 | More by BeerBadger

durlta

Iowa

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

07-22-2012 23:16:00 | More by durlta

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

473 mL can from the LCBO; listed at 5.5%. This was one of the first craft beers I ever tried, some time back around 2006-07. I don't recall much about it, didn't bother reviewing it, and - until now - had never seen it since. Also, it's really cheap, so why not give it a retry?

Pours a lovely copper colour, bright and clear, topped with one finger of puffy, off-white coloured head. Very good retention; the head lasts many minutes and leaves plenty of sticky lacing behind before finally dying down to a rocky cap. It's quite attractive visually, but the aroma isn't much to write home about. It smells of bready caramel malts, light citrus and honey - not off-putting, but nothing exceptional for the style.

The flavour leans on the sweet side, with grainy malts, toasted bread and brown sugar rather prominent. Some vague fruitiness that is hard to put my finger on - it's a little citrusy, but the sweetness and buttery mouthfeel reminds me more of brown pears. Decent hop presence that comes forward at the finish - their earthy, slightly herbal dryness make a valiant attempt to cut through the sweetness, but do not completely succeed. The aftertaste is mostly malty, with some honey sweetness. Light-bodied and a bit watery, with restrained carbonation that still provides a decent bite. Very easy to drink.

This is actually a pretty decent beer - and given the price, I might even buy it regularly (if it were available locally). It's not memorable, but it's a decent session ale that I wouldn't mind having the option of. As far as session beers go, I am not always in the mood for hoppy ones, or dark ones with lots of roasted malts, or pale lagers/pilseners. This is an enjoyable compromise that offers an alternative to those categories.

Final Grade: 3.5, on the higher end of a B-. Headstrong Pale Ale isn't going to blow anyone away, but it's still a highly drinkable ale that I wouldn't discourage others from trying. It's only two bucks - what have you got to lose? Not especially English in style, but definitely not exactly American-style either, so there's no reason to quibble over such details. Pretty good value for the price.

Serving type: can

07-11-2012 23:50:41 | More by thehyperduck

JohnLynch

4/5  rDev +15.3%

06-22-2012 22:43:27 | More by JohnLynch

WeissBoy

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

04-19-2012 07:18:26 | More by WeissBoy

imperialking

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

01-09-2012 01:14:26 | More by imperialking

bigox420

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +15.3%

11-29-2011 06:39:17 | More by bigox420

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - clear deep copper brown, thick creamy head left lots of random lacing
S - some grassy and earthy aromas, biscuity and sweet with a metallic hint
T - much like the nose with a bit of added spiciness and mustiness
M - slightly creamy and a bit prickly, finishes with slight dry bitter
O - a decent pale that has more of an ESB flavour, pleasantly surprised

Serving type: can

11-27-2011 01:14:17 | More by joemcgrath27

oldp0rt

Quebec (Canada)

3/5  rDev -13.5%

11-24-2011 03:14:36 | More by oldp0rt

RedAleMan

Ontario (Canada)

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

11-21-2011 02:02:59 | More by RedAleMan

claytong

Vermont

3.53/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

appearance - very clear golden color with an eggshell color head thats pretty big and last pretty well and laces pretty well.

smell - grapefruit, pine, something odd, interesting.

taste - figured out the oddness, chlorine and horse hair. a nice combination but not what i was expecting here. naturally theres some yeast flavors, pale malts, and pine

mouthfeel - good body with good carbonation, still i like it oddly enough. interesting... might've just been my batch. but i liked it quite well.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 06:26:12 | More by claytong

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

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

Appearance: It has a nice golden/copper colour to it. It has a nice off-white head that dies down moderately and leaves some lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of sweet caramely malts with some piney hops and some citrus and grapefruit.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a roasty caramel malt feel with some piney/floral hops and some citrusy notes ending with a slight bitterness.

Mouthfeel: It has a medium carbonation with a nice overall balance of malts and hops.

Drinkability: It's a very smooth drinkable beer accompanied with decent flavours and aromas.

Serving type: can

10-14-2011 19:41:40 | More by SebD

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.43/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

473ml can, 5.5% ABV. Somehow I missed trying this last month when I was in Montana, where it was available in every grocery store and gas station that I trod through. Yet, it's now made in Utica, NY?

This beer pours a clear medium copper colour, with three fat fingers of foamy, rocky pale beige head, which leaves some very nice honeycomb lace around the glass as it settles. It smells of biscuity, bready malt, and herbal grassy hops. The taste is bready, crackery malt, with a bit of caramel, and a decent bitter grassy, earthy hoppiness. The carbonation is average, the body medium-light in weight, a little clingy, but generally smooth. It finishes off-dry, yet with the hops more or less running the show, in an herbal, musty sort of manner.

Not a bad pale ale, definitely British in style, but the edgy herbal character leaves me somewhat non-plussed, especially when the can proclaims "Cold Hopped with Cascades". Caveat emptor, I suppose.

Serving type: can

08-09-2011 23:34:39 | More by biboergosum

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

3.15/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice rusty caramel colour with a frothy tan-coloured head that survives as a collared film while leaving a spongey lace.

The aroma is a tad too mild, but mostly inoffensive. Ripened fruit, mineral water and overcooked bran muffin.

The taste has an almost sour, biting metallic tinge to it at first, though it wears off after breathing. Reminds me of Christmas cake; slightly spicy with syrupy sweet fruit and brown grains.

Thin at first followed by a prickly carbonation from the long-lasting collar. More metallic tones on the tongue before a lingering syrupy aftertaste arrives.

In many ways similar to Wells IPA or other inexpensive English-style ales. Takes a minute to get used to, but very drinkable with snacks for watching sports, playing poker or hanging out in the back yard. Decent session ale from Montana.

Serving type: can

07-12-2011 03:29:41 | More by bryehn

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

650ml bottle. The beer pours a dark amber color with a small white head. Left some thin, but continued lacing on my pint glass. There is a bit of hop smell mixed with malty sweetness. Also some aroma of toffee or brown sugar. This is a nice example with more malt flavor than hops coming through. Some biscuit malt flavors combined with, but not overpowered by, hoppyiness. It finishes with a bitter aftertaste.
A pretty decent beer, pleasantly suprised and better than expected

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 15:29:04 | More by BigBry

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

2.65/5  rDev -23.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

473ml Can

Appearance – Clear copper colour with an above average size frothy white coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation showing and there is some good lacing. The head lasted for 5 minutes or so before it was gone.

Smell – Malts, hops, apples/pears, tea

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and I can taste lots of malts and tea and some very very light hops. There are also some pear/apple flavours and some notes of oranges. It finishes with a malty and fruity aftertaste.

Overall – The beer had some promise based on the look and smell, but the flavour was just way too unbalanced for me. Also the taste that it does have comes across as very artificial. I wouldn't buy this beer again.

Serving type: can

06-20-2011 13:59:25 | More by spinrsx