Pipers Pale Ale - Dunedin Brewery

hudsonvalleyslim

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed this offering at the brewery in Florida last week. (And some others as well!) Then I bought a sixer from the local market. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Two different brews. Turns out the bottles are brewed in Portsmouth NH (Redhook??) and they are really not doing this fine brewery any favors. I'd rate the bottles drinkable but not very good.

On draft it's a different dog, very nicely balanced, maybe a bit towards the malt. A mightyfine pale. Avoid the bottle but visit the brewpub for a fine selection of ales.

(March 27, 2009) I emailed the brewery and got a prompt and honest response:

'We use to bottle our own beer but it was too expensive. Our contract brewer is in South Carolina not New Hampshire though. I thought the Redhead came out much better than the Pale myself. Also the Piper's at the pub has probably been tweeked some since the bottles came out. We're always trying to improve.'

Beer folk are great! Just sayin'

Serving type: on-tap

03-23-2009 23:49:46 | More by hudsonvalleyslim

campfirebrew

New York

3.5/5  rDev +0.3%

04-04-2013 17:23:42 | More by campfirebrew

FLBeerGuy

Florida

3.5/5  rDev +0.3%

02-14-2013 03:09:17 | More by FLBeerGuy

iemailjack

Florida

3/5  rDev -14%

01-08-2013 00:37:39 | More by iemailjack

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at their brewpub

Clear, copper color, bubbly carbonation, topped off with a finger or so of foamy white head; nice retention and lacing. Hops in the nose, leafy, citrusy, bready malt backbone. The flavor reflected the aroma--this was standard stuff--nice balance of sweet bready malts and mildly bittering hops. Medium body, fairly dry. Nothing new and amazing, but solid and drinkable overall.

Serving type: on-tap

01-05-2013 06:04:26 | More by Rifugium

twizzbeatz

Florida

3.75/5  rDev +7.4%

11-04-2012 05:23:50 | More by twizzbeatz

sendbeer

Georgia

3.25/5  rDev -6.9%

10-30-2012 15:40:47 | More by sendbeer

tfsimpkins

Florida

2.75/5  rDev -21.2%

03-20-2012 03:11:56 | More by tfsimpkins

wilfonzo

Florida

4.25/5  rDev +21.8%

03-17-2012 19:12:38 | More by wilfonzo

DaGio

Florida

3/5  rDev -14%

12-28-2011 00:14:34 | More by DaGio

rebel1771

Florida

4/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a slightly hazy copper color with a massive head that fades quickly.

S: Sweet caramel malts mixed with a spicy hop twang.

T: Malty sweetness up front along with a bite of piney hop bitterness, nicely balanced. Aftertaste fades to a slight honey flavor.

O: Solid brew here. The only thing I didn't like was that the beer was a bit over carbonated, it came spewing out of the bottle when it was opened.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 23:27:10 | More by rebel1771

shaunb81

Florida

3.08/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance- Pours a clear, amber with a dismal head and medium lacing.

Smell - Warm, bready malts and little hops here. Slightly watered down.

Taste - Pretty smooth drink. Flavor is almost nothing. Reminds me of a Yuengling. Not impressed.

Mouthfeel - Really smooth stuff. It's a little creamy after a bit. Carbonation is mild, so that makes this beer really drinkable.

Overall - This beer is okay. I would give it another go. It Has mild flavor and isn't crazy.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 22:28:43 | More by shaunb81

ktrillionaire

Florida

2.83/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - It pours a drab copper-yellow hue, fairly translucent, with an initially huge head that collapses, leaving ridiculous lace.

S - The aroma is fairly muted; what is there is basically a lemony-citric hop and a small amount of minerality.

T - The taste can be summarized as hop and metal, mild on both accounts. Though I would say this offers something like tinny lemongrass flavors, it is strangely not horrible.

M - The feel is light enough, but not particularly special.

D - I would not seek this out, but it is a decent, inoffensive brew.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 11:14:40 | More by ktrillionaire

lordofthewiens

Maine

3.53/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

No IPAs on tap, but the server said this would satisfy my hops urge.
Served in a pint glass the beer was a hazy orange color. It had a medium-sized white head and lots of lace.
Sweet malt aroma. Citrus and floral hops.
Hops up front, mostly grapefruit but a little bit of piney hops there too. Biscuity background.
Nicely balanced.
Good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2011 20:21:35 | More by lordofthewiens

jbone78

Florida

4.03/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Thought this was a brewpub and I guess I was right. This beer was contracted to South Carolina. Poured golden with a nice head and the head lasts a while. Light hop character with a dry apple finish. It is crisp beer that goes down nice.

And that's all I got.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2010 22:54:06 | More by jbone78

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a Dogfish Head shaped pint glass.

Thanks to Gtreid for this extra!

Only my second non-Cigar City Floridian brew. It pours a clear orange copper topped by a finger of white foam. The nose comprises mild florals and citrus notes and sweet toffee. The taste holds notes of floral bitterness, mild citrus peel, and toffee (not as sweet as in the nose). The body is light, with moderate carbonation and a crisp finish. Overall a decent pale and refreshingly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2010 03:44:00 | More by TMoney2591

portia99

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle received as an extra in a trade with blitzstyle. Thanks! Poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass.

A - Pours a crystal clear pale copper color with a short finger of dense off-white foam with good staying power...no lacing left behind on the glass.

S - Nice, light caramel aromas with some spicy and floral hops. Bread-like malt in the background.

T - Hop bitterness with some herbal and grassy hop flavors and some metallic flavors close behind. Light caramel in the background. Something in there is making the bitterness a bit harsh and there also seems to be an ununusual, almost sourish flavor too.

M - Medium bodied with medium carbonation that is prickly on the tongue. The metallic flavor sits on the tongue and stays heavily there into the aftertaste. A bit distracting...

D - Not a bad example of a pale ale, but there are a few flavors in there that make this one miss the mark for my overall enjoyability. One is enough for me, but very glad to have a chance to try this, which until now I had not known about.

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2010 21:14:23 | More by portia99

jpittman80

Florida

4.15/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

A - Nice copper color with off-white head. Lasts a bit, but fades towards the end.

S - Caramel. Lots of caramel. Maybe some hops?

T - Different. I don't want to dock this because it's different, because American Pale Ales are so varied. After drinking the entire bottle, I feel it tasted good, but not what I was expecting. Caramel malt dominates, but citrusy hops are present and make up a good deal of the flavor.

M - Smooth and soft, just like a pale ale should be.

D - This is a really easy beer to drink, and it's caramel (or Munich?) malts is very smooth and reminiscent of a Maibock for some reason. Quite a good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2010 21:21:38 | More by jpittman80

Gtreid

Florida

3.6/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a pint glass.

A: Super clear amber color. One and a half fingers of slightly off white head appears and leaves some spotty lace.

A: Sweet malt and hops. Good amount of pine and orange peel. And a healthy dose of caramel malt.

T: Pretty sweet. More sticky sweet caramel malt, orange, pineapple, and pine sap. Finishes sweet and a touch dry.

M: Good amount of carbonation, medium body. I really like the feel of this one.

D and overall impression: Drinkability is ok, pretty sweet, so that'll limit it some. But overall, not too bad. I was pleasantly suprised with this. It's not the best APA out there, but it's solid. Skal.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2010 20:34:22 | More by Gtreid

DosBeerigos

Florida

3/5  rDev -14%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

C. Pretty dang clear
H. Orange like a push-pop
N. Hint of Hops

Well this was a let down, well not really; but sorta. I was really excited about this one seeing that I found it in Tampa and decided I had to bring it back. This is the typical American Pale Ale. While it isn't a big price tag beer, it still might be cheaper for you to go and buy an entry level brew kit and a starter A.P.A. kit and have at it. I guess its sorta like give a man a fish he eats for a day teach a man he eats for the rest of his life...yah learn to drink for the rest of your life. Good entry level A.P.A. though; nothing complex. Although impressed with the clarity!

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2010 20:06:24 | More by DosBeerigos

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Ah I am going to try to do this from memory.

Amber color with a thicker white heading.Left some good lacing throughout the session.

Smell is nicely malted with a decent backing of hops.

Nice malty backbone with a little twang of hops on the backend. Medium bodied with good carbonation and very very smooth going down.

Drinkability is very good I had a few of these after the double IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2009 19:59:05 | More by TheFightfan1

dstc

Florida

4/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a deep amber color. Big foamy off-white head that falls slow. Big foamy lace.

Rather clean citrus aroma.

Rather bold flavor. Mild hops come through but obvious malts are present. Seems to be nicely balanced.

Medium bodied in the mouth with moderate carbonation.

Decent beer. Easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2009 16:26:31 | More by dstc

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Ah, after visiting the brewery I was wondering how they ever found the space to bottle. I thought they might have just had a Meheen and done a few hundred cases at a time; but I see it's a contract brew. So...

A: Clear golden amber body beneath a creamy head of off-white. The head retention is good, and the lacing is better than average. A few streams of tiny bubbles can be seen steadily rising upwards.

S: Sweetish, doughy and caramelish malt greets you in the nose, gently backed by soft, leafy hops.

T: The flavor follows the aroma, and it's a very nicely rounded and balanced combination of sweetish malt and soft English hops. A stiff bitterness balances it, and it finishes dry with some residual malt and hops.

M: Medium bodied with a dextrinous edge. Moderate carbonation. Gently creamy and smooth.

D: Quite nice! Like most English pale ales it's quite drinkable. The malt component is solid and flavorful, and the hop balance is very nicely done. I could enjoy a few of these.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2009 01:48:06 | More by NeroFiddled

chaunur

Kentucky

3.73/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Light Amber with a slight reddish tint, Thin head that quickly disappeared but left nice lacing down the glass. A crisp aroma with a slight citrus smell and a fresh baked bread aroma in there also. Hoppy but not overpowering, the malt flavors still came through. Well balanced beer. Flavorful and a averageg feeling in the mouth. Easy to drink. A pretty typical pale ale.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2009 05:25:58 | More by chaunur

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.5/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

After several years of visiting the Dunedin, FL area, it was nice to see this bottle in a recent trade- sure brings back the memories.

This beer pours a very efforvescent and bright copper color. The carbonation helps to fuel the marshmallow-y head that persists atop the brew. Great lacing throughout.

Aromas of spicy hops bring along pine and citrus notes; a good blend of ginger, pineapple, spruce resins, and orange zest round out the hoppy nose. A much softer (and thinner) caramel malt base allows some grain notes to rise late. Mangos and appricots add a bit to the ester profile.

Hop flavor dominates in the same fashion as the nose. Same pine, orange, grapefruit, and spice notes ride far above the malt profile. Again, caramel taste waivers a bit to allow a highly-sparged grain flavor to come through too much. The maltiness seems to be a bit sweeter and heaftier, maybe Brittish malts? Also that earthy, piney, spicy hops make me think Brittish as well.

A very clean and refreshing beer that is light for both warm weather consumption and to not offend the more descerning beer drinker. Still, the beer may be a bit thin and watery late making me question again the sparge rates.

Thanks goryshkewych!

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2009 00:57:34 | More by BEERchitect