Valley Golden Ale - Bethlehem Brew Works

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

First had: on tap at Bethlehem BrewWorks

BBW's #1 seller, and it's no surprise. This is the beer people get when the walk in and ask, "What do you have that's like a Miller Lite?" All things considered, this one isn't too bad in a relative sense. Typical pour: clear, golden yellow with a thin, fizzy, white head that dissipated almost completely. Distant aroma, sweet and grainy. Taste of lightly toasted grain, sugar, corn, a touch of hops in there somewhere. Definitely went down smooth and easy, with a light and watery body. Not very good, but not very bad for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

05-07-2012 13:04:00 | More by Rifugium

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer poured out as a clear looking golden color with a thin white head that sticks to the glass fairly well. The smell of the beer is a little on the weak side, some grains and hops on the nose but not much else really going on here. The taste of the beer is probably the best part here. The sweetness upfront gently fades into a bitter aftertaste. The mouthfeel is pretty nice but a little too light and watery for me. Overall it's an average brew in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

11-06-2011 22:47:09 | More by Knapp85

rfgetz

New Jersey

2.95/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours a bright clear gold color with thin cap of white head. Scent is very pale, almost non-existant, only faint notes of grain. Taste brings touches of dried grain only a fraction more than scent dictated, light light grassy hop note. Best quality is it lacks any sign of an off-charachter. Light bodied, suprisingly undercarbonated since the masses seem to like their light beer bubbly. It is what it is... we all have seen the people who walk into a brew pub or good beer bar and as for a Miller Lite, well this is what they get at Bethlehem Brew Works.

Serving type: on-tap

01-24-2011 14:20:41 | More by rfgetz

hopdog

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at the Bethlehem Brew Works Brew Pub.

Poured a see through golden color with a small white head. Some hops and malts in the aroma. Sweet malty tasting with a crisp finish. I can see where this may be a stepping stone for the Macro drinkers.

Notes from 5/15/05

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2008 13:56:47 | More by hopdog

wheelinshirt

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had this as part of the sampler the other day and couldn't quite figure it out so i decided to look it up. Says here it is an ale, which i suspected since i wasn't sure of their ability to lager. Anyway, it was a very clear and bright gold with a small white head that left nice lacing.

Smell was grainy, very much like a pilsner, which is mainly what led to my confusion. It tastes similar, not bad, just pretty boring. It is light and refreshing, crisp and clean. I certainly didn't mind drinking it, but i would never order it over their wit, oatmeal stout, or any seasonal. Well done and refreshing, but it just seems boring next to their other usually very good and interesting offerings.

Serving type: on-tap

03-13-2008 13:14:59 | More by wheelinshirt

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.45/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Surprisingly complex for a brewpub golden, though not that not complex. It's pleasantly grainy, almost like a pilsner's taste with pale grains and little tweak from the yeast. A little touch of spicy hops round out the beer. I've definitely had worse golden ales and would recommend this as a gateway beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2007 19:07:33 | More by tempest

beerhawk

Pennsylvania

4.35/5  rDev +29.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I had this one after drink their Triple bock. I went to the extremes in the wrong order I guess. I had a glass of water and some food in between though. So, the Golden Ale. Beautiful Color. Nice and bright. Bartender poured it in front of me and did not give me a head. Guess she wanted me to get my 'money's worth'. She was nice so I didn't say anything. Bet the Brewer would be a little mad though. The taste was surprisingly big for such a light colored ale. Hops were just noticable but light enough for all the newbees to micros. I think there were Hallertau and Cluster. Nice and refreshing brew I recommend it on a nice warm day or if you are taking a beer to a party where micro-fear drinkers are attending. I ordered one more and called it night since I was starting to feel the Bock. I was told this one has been on tap since they opened. I could tell why. All around good golden beer.

Serving type: on-tap

04-01-2007 02:04:02 | More by beerhawk

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: This is, indeed, a golden ale. Crystal clear with a small head, this ale is as golden as it can get.

S: The ale has a primarily malty nose. Those malts are grainy and somewhat sweet. There are no hops from what I can smell.

T: The ale has a very subtle taste, basically there is nothing happening here. There are some malty notes and a bit of hop character, but not enough of either to get excited.

M: The mouthfeel is somewhat bland, as neither the hop nor malt characters really stand out.

D: The ale very restrained, perhaps an intro for someone new to ales. Beyond that, there just isn’t enough happening.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2006 22:22:43 | More by akorsak

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.78/5  rDev -17.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This is what sells, a golden transition beer, in so many pubs I have passed through. This one is mediocre, with above average carbonation that bothered my mouth. Mid yellow with a little head. light mouthfeel, good lace though. Nice aroma. Too cold. Metallic finish.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2006 00:13:21 | More by northyorksammy

TheLongBeachBum

California

3.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Presentation: Sampled at the Bethlehem Brew Works.

Appearance: Archetypal presentation in the glass. Clear golden yellow body with a rustic looking white head that stabilized at first but soon disappeared after a couple of mouthfuls to a broken covering.

Nose: I didn’t get that much from the nose at first I recall. It seemed to improve when the head disappeared, ironically. A soft start with some grain and a little lemon bitterness, hoppy too, in a low key way though.

Taste: Starts with a pristine entrance, clean and slick with a feint lemon and grainy start. Middle has a moderate bitterness with a crisp refreshing finish. Mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Suffers from a light feel, dare I say thin, it just needs a little more body for me to make this a much more interesting brew, but then that would defeat its whole purpose I guess.

Drinkability: Definitely a great beer to spend the whole night with, to accompany food, or even for even a raging thirst; but it’s a little too light in the long run for me to keep at it much beyond a Pint or two.

Overall: Obviously aimed at, and destined for, consumption by those that like their American Lagers and Lite beers, but this really ain’t all that bad and should not be confused with the versions from the Big Boys, this one is much better. It’s clean and easily drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2005 23:55:50 | More by TheLongBeachBum

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

part of sampler tray at the brewpub.
presented as clear copper color with abundant white head. Smell is very light with a slight note of malt. Taste is also very light with a very light hop character. Mouthfeel is very smooth and nicely creamy. An easy to drink ale.

Serving type: on-tap

07-10-2005 01:17:39 | More by tgbljb

devildog1633310

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +35.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A truly golden smoothness that comes with few small batch brewers. A yellow batch of gold. I just wish that I still lived in Allentown so I could have 1 on a daily basis. My only negative comment is the lack of sufficent head at the first pour. It has a somewhat bitter after taste. But after the first couple you won't mind it a bit. One of the better Goldens that I have ever tasted. My hats off to BBW. And from what I hear they have a new spot in downtown Allentown.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2005 23:47:27 | More by devildog1633310

WesWes

New York

3.68/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer pours a pale gold color with a 1/2" white head that quickly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a grainy pale malt scent with a dry (lager yeast?) aroma. The taste is decent also. It has a grainy pale malt flavor that goes down quick and finishes with a dry, bitter hop aftertaste. The mouthfeel is low/medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good golden ale. It has decent flavor and mouthfeel; a good drinker.

Serving type: on-tap

02-28-2005 17:04:12 | More by WesWes

RoyalT

Ohio

3.98/5  rDev +18.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Appearance – This one poured a beautiful and mysterious hazy yellow with a monster, fluffy white head . . . out of a growler no less.

Smell – There a nice, citrusy aroma here that hints of sour apples and tangerines. I can pick up a bit of quality grain here as well, which is a rare aroma indeed.

Taste – Have we found the proper way to serve up American grain? Yes, I think we have. It must be drunk with light, lemon and orange hops that are borderline sour.

This is eerily like the Celtic Bayou’s (Far West Ireland’s) St. Brigade’s Blond Ale, only better. I had that one on-tap at the brewpub. The flavors are very similar, but this is much smoother.

Mouthfeel – There is a wonderful mouthfeel to this one. Again, the beer is very smooth and the snappy twang keeps things lively. It finishes with a mild bitter bite.

Drinkability – Since I’m impatient and like warm beer anyway I popped this growler right out of the box in the middle of the summer. It is well-blended, tastes great, and is very refreshing.

This is a great example of an answer to the, “Is there a good beer under 6.0% ABV out there,” post that we seem to get every three months in the forum. I can’t wait to see what it tastes like cold. This growler WILL be drained before I head off to bed tonight and will certainly help in flushing down my homemade Cajun sausage pizza (of which I will consume large quantities of).

Comments – How do I get all the good stuff from Bethlehem? Francisweizen is the man! This is the third growler I’ve had from this brewery, and they rock!

Serving type: on-tap

07-01-2004 01:10:32 | More by RoyalT

ark57

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

It is clear, pale golden in color with a delicate hop aroma. There is little to medium body that is slight fruity. It almost reminds me of a kolsch, but it is not quite. It is sort of boring and I think it would the beer of choice for 'regular' beer drinkers who visited this establishment.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2004 23:22:13 | More by ark57

ElGuapo

New Jersey

3.13/5  rDev -7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A light golden brew topped with a small white foam that will leave a trail of lace as it dies down. Sweet citrus fruits as well as some floral hops make up the nose, while pale malts are thrown in there as well.

It is light in body, and the flavor is a bit toned down as well. I would not say watery, but just a bit thin for me. It is nice and smooth. The floral hops balalnce well with pale bready flavors. It is definitely a good choice for a light beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-29-2003 22:07:10 | More by ElGuapo

francisweizen

Australia

3.5/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

An above average rendition of Miller High Life, if you ask me. This beer pours to the same golden colour with a fluffy, white head. The aromas are grainy, hoppy, dry, floral, and nice. The taste is that of a lightly malty, floral and hoppy beer. The mouthfeel is thin but not watery and the drinkability is very good as well, a nice golden ale from BBW!

F

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2003 14:13:55 | More by francisweizen

pezoids

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +22.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer poured out an attractive and a very clear golden color. There wasn’t much of a head on this one. Nice refreshing lemony hop aroma. The hops were just perfect for this ale. Although light tasting, this beer wasn’t short of substance – I thought it had a lot of character and a nice flavor. Very drinkable and my favorite so far from this brewery.

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2003 07:23:01 | More by pezoids

goindownsouth

South Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Very light and clean with a bit of hop aroma at the nose...unusual for a light Ale from a micro. The head is thin and lacey from the very start. The golden Ale is quite drinkable from the first sip to the last. It would probably go well with some more spicy food that is served at the Bethlehem Brew works, the only facility where this beer can be purchased. Bottoms Up!

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2002 03:24:56 | More by goindownsouth