Crosstown Pale Ale - Hopworks Urban Brewery

froghop

Washington

3.23/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

pours a semi-clear light amber with a small white head, and some lacing.

smell is of citrus, hops, caramel, grass, and floral.

taste is creamy, citrus, hops, an organic funk, caramel, and some pine, ends tangy and bitter, more bitter than most pales.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2010 23:34:14 | More by froghop

Poserdisposer

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +3.1%

04-13-2013 06:40:45 | More by Poserdisposer

abcramer

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +3.1%

06-03-2012 03:11:20 | More by abcramer

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.15/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap at the brewpub.

A - Pours a light cloudy yellow with a fluffy white head.

S - wheat and pale malt. Maybe some subtle malt.

T - Just like the nose. A touch soapy.

D - Good carbonation and a light body.

O - The weakest of the night. Soapy and thin. Pass.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2012 05:15:43 | More by HuskyinPDX

piclee

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

03-04-2012 01:49:57 | More by piclee

shelby415

Oregon

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

02-25-2012 07:42:36 | More by shelby415

jekane04

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +3.1%

01-10-2012 00:22:14 | More by jekane04

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First had: on tap at HUB, Portland, OR

Poured a clear, golden-yellow with a quickly receded white head that left minimal lacing. Aroma is hop-driven, floral, grassy, citrusy, and some funky grain notes. Lots of hops in the taste too, dangerous close to an IPA, with caramel malt sweetness and mild fruit entering once the palate has adjusted. Light-medium body, and pretty drinkable, but not exactly the smoothest beer ever.

Serving type: on-tap

01-08-2012 21:54:24 | More by Rifugium

elephantrider

Michigan

4/5  rDev +3.1%

01-02-2012 22:19:41 | More by elephantrider

MsRif

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at HUB in Portland, OR. Poured a yellow/orange color that was very clear. Nice white head that receded fairly quickly, leaving a ring of bubbles and spotty lacing towards the top of the glass. Had an aroma of malts, grains and a touch of earthy/floral hops. Taste followed the nose though the hops were more apparent in the taste. Well-balanced and actually fairly complex for the style. Enjoyable.

Light-medium bodied with moderate carbonation. Actually overall a smooth beer, but there is a bit of a dry finish from the hop bite. Would have again.

Serving type: on-tap

12-27-2011 23:30:25 | More by MsRif

twelveinches

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.1%

12-04-2011 06:47:39 | More by twelveinches

CoryR

Oregon

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

11-19-2011 04:18:52 | More by CoryR

projhex

California

3/5  rDev -22.7%

11-15-2011 20:04:25 | More by projhex

MichaelinFishers

Indiana

5/5  rDev +28.9%

11-14-2011 07:57:46 | More by MichaelinFishers

dgilks

Australia

4.08/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear golden colour with a smooth white head. Decent head retention.

Crisp citrus hop aroma with a lot of punch. Mild caramel malts.

Light tasty malt with a big dose of American hops. Grapefruit and a hint of grain. Good.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. Nice.

A really solid APA. Great flavour and very refreshing.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2011 10:59:22 | More by dgilks

ccrida

Oregon

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On draught at HUB, Crosstown pale is gold with a small white collar leaving scattered, foamy lace.

Smell is hoppy, skunks and cat piss, heavy centennials I assume. Flutters into that dirty dish water territory I get from certain hops, especially in some of their beers, which I could do without.

Taste is pretty darn good, a true pale ale with the bready malt showcase, while the hops provide the classic NW punch with out overwhelming. Fairly bitter, the hops linger on the aftertaste without bruising the palate.

Mouthfeel is dry, crisp, and light bodied.

Drinkability is pretty good, a tasty NW version of the style, with the hops cranked up, but still showcasing a the malt base. Good balance for a high volume pale.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2011 00:50:20 | More by ccrida

philbertk

Washington

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Hopworks Urban Brewery--HUB--Cross Town Pale Ale--Sustainable Organic Beer--2011 22 oz. 5.30% ABV. 45 IBU's. (3.75 / 5.0) Lacy big dense pillowy rocky white head. Clear bright thin gold color. Crisp lightly herbal floral hop front. Tangy crisp mild sweet light caramel delicate fruit light hop resin minimal biscuit dry light citrus thin textured Golden Ale body. Clean balanced refreshing hop spice end. Crisp clean flavorful hoppy Pale Ale. Tasted 2/4/2011. Purchased on Sale for $4.49 @ The Ballard Market, Seattle on 2/4/2011.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 22:06:32 | More by philbertk

RJLarse

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the Flying Goat. Served in a pint glass.

Appearance is a pale gold color and clear. There is a modest foamy head that dissipates quickly, but leaves some dainty lace on the glass.

Smell is a faint citrus smell. Not much aroma at all really.

Taste is a bit of a wet grain or cereal flavor with a dry bitterness along side. Not much fruit or sweetness.

Mouthfeel is very crisp and clean.

A very drinkable pale ale, and above average. It is light and not too sweet. Except for the fact that it was going for $5.50 a pint, I would certainly have it again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2010 21:40:45 | More by RJLarse

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured a nice golden color with good carbonation and a nice white head

S: I hate to say this but it smelled like a dog terd with acarmel and grass

T: Some citrus, caramel, grass

M: Lighter to medium body with good carbonation and a nice light hop bite

D: Ok

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2010 04:10:49 | More by barleywinefiend

beertunes

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into 10oz glass. Poured a nice light, golden yellow color with a tall white head that dissipated promptly and left good lace.

A bold pine hop aroma hits the nose upfront, with a bit of grain following and a touch of citrus hops on the finish. On the tongue, the citrus was a stronger presence than it was in the nose. The pine was secondary and the grain was barely noticeable. The beer had a dry, sticky finish.

The body was pretty typical for the style. Drinkability was pretty good, the sticky finish wasn't really to my tastes. Overall, a decent little beer that I'd probably drink semi-regularly if I lived in PDX. Worth a shot if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2010 22:59:03 | More by beertunes

Reidrover

Oregon

3.83/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle from Roths Sunnyside store, Salem. Clear golden ale in appearance..large frothy off white head. Semi spicy hoppy aromas,quite strong, some yeast and dough in the back Quite a hoppy pale indeed..well hopped bitter, citric zestiness..smooths out a bit near the end. Not too thick on the palate..well carbonated and goes down well..a good summer pale. Overall i liked this one not too complex but very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2010 17:59:17 | More by Reidrover

djbreezy

Washington

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a growler obtained at HUB into a pint glass. This review is from tasting notes.

appearance - pours an opaque gold with a nice white foamy head, some lacing

smell - caramel malts, citrus hops

taste - sweet malts, dominant hops

mouthfeel - light/medium body, good carbonation

drinkability - flavorful, refreshing, sessionable

Serving type: growler

05-06-2010 21:14:19 | More by djbreezy

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a clear, darkened gold body topped with a medium-large, white, reasonably long-lasting head.

Smell: Nicely pungent, aromatic hop nose smelling of fine floral, citrus fruit peelings, and dank herbaceousness with a minimal malt backing in the, er... back.

Taste: Fairly soft pale malt base with only a snippet of ill-defined sweetness, then it's hop time: fresh floral tones, fresh-picked herbs, citrus pith, and, of course, the medium-high bitterness. If the malts started mild, you can't expect them to crash through the window like a SWAT team this late in the game. Finishes dry with a lingering bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-low carbonation.

Drinkability: Thankfully, this isn't one of those mealy-mouthed, cinnamon-chapped ass pale ales you occasionally run it. While it is true I'd normally prefer just a skosh more maltiness, it's only because many brewers, in the name of perceived haute brewing, skip the whole aroma and flavoring hop thing in lieu of focusing entirely on the bittering hops, leaving up with a caustic pint of bitterness, bile, and vengeance. Not so with Crosstown! While the malts are mild, at least the hops and subsequent bitterness aren't ghastly and gack-inducing and you get a nice range of hop flavors.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2009 04:15:30 | More by ChainGangGuy

Wasatch

Utah

4/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz. Bomber

Pours a nice slight haze golden yellow color, nice carbonation, nice one-finger plus white head, with some nice sticky lacing left behind. The nose is hoppy, with some malt notes, citrus. The taste is hoppy, bitter, slightly sweet, malty, with some nice citrus notes. Medium body. Drinkable, this is another fine brew from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2009 02:00:33 | More by Wasatch

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

4.1/5  rDev +5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Precisely midway between bright lemon and bright tangerine. There are supposed to be three types of caramel malt in CPA. Going by color alone, there can't be much of it. The vanilla ice cream colored head is firm and sticky, gains character as it melts, and does a good job with respect to lace. Note: and an even better job in the end.

No caramel is appreciated in the aroma, so I'm not sure if the H.U.B. website is correct. Or maybe my eyes and nose are mistaken. What I do appreciate is a mini-blast of citrusiness that says C-hops. An underlying ganja-like vibe, along with white grapefruit zest, usually means Cascade.

Crosstown Pale Ale is delicious beer, no boubt adout it. The 5.3% ABV and 45 IBUs mean impressively drinkability for any hopheads who don't need to have their tongues abused each and every time out. As always in an APA, bold, fresh hop leaf flavor and clean bitterness is the key.

There's just a hint of something darker (and earthier) beneath the sugar cookie-like pale malt. Some of the top notes have already been mentioned... grapefruit peel, maybe a smidgen of apricot, pine needles, and a bit of illegal herb. Not only is simplicity not a negative in an APA, it's almost a strength.

I'll almost always take bigger where mouthfeel is concerned, though this one has no real faults. The low-end carbonation makes drinking a summer breeze. Fewer hop burps is an unfortunate side effect, however.

The numbers are still miniscule, but any brewery that has this many beers scoring A+, A and A- has to be doing something right. Depending on the town in question, I'd definitely walk across it for a bomber of Crosstown Pale Ale. I'm now officially excited about drinking the other Hopworks Urban Brewery offerings in my cellar.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2009 14:57:13 | More by BuckeyeNation