Phoenix Pale Ale - Sly Fox Brewing Company

McDiddyPop

Florida

3.48/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another extra from younger35. I need to hook Dan up soon.

A 12oz can poured into my Stone IPA stemware.

This beer was a red/ copper color with perfect clarity. Tiny bubbles were few and far between floating to the top. A 3 finger head stuck around for a few before receding to a sudsy white cap of foam. Wonderful sticky lacing.

The smell is clean, although lacking. Nice herbal hops rounded out with a doughy/bready malt sweetness.

The taste is just like the smell. Not bad by any means, but nothing to get excited about either. A very bready grain taste followed by moderate hop bitterness on the finish.

Nice carbonation and a dry finish make this one extremely easy to drink. While nowhere near my favorite APA, this one would be a staple at any cookout.

Serving type: can

08-13-2009 04:34:21 | More by McDiddyPop

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured this into my new SLy Fox pint glass. Pours a crystal clear amber with a thick fluffy white heading that leaves a top all throughout the tasting.

Smell is a bit funky a nice hop aroma starts you off followed by a slight yeastiness and a kind of funk I can't explain.

Taste is well I found the funkiness it is of a metallic taste. Again you can taste the grapefruitiness of the hops with a nice sweet malt taste.

Mouth is light bodied and good carbonation. slick and bubbly leaves a nice burping sensation in the belly.

Drink is very good I would want to try this for a session brew sometime.

My wife ordered a pint of this and it did taste alot better so maybe next time I will just try it off the tap.

Serving type: can

07-18-2009 03:14:12 | More by TheFightfan1

krukster

Pennsylvania

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

A - A very pleasing amber color with light to medium lacing

S - Bready and nice aroma of hops, but not overwhelming

T - Slight to medium malty and hoppy taste. Not a huge fan of hoppiness, but this was done fairly well to my liking :)

M - Light to medium light body. Crisp mountfeel and no bad after taste

D - Even though I am not the biggest fan of hoppy beers, this was a way above brew. (even in a can) Could most definately sling a few back on a warm summer evening.

Serving type: can

05-28-2009 01:07:13 | More by krukster

Gyle41386

South Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz can into a pint glass. Thanks, Kadonny!

Pours a reddish amber color. Relatively small head dissipates quickly. Some nice rings of lacing.

Nice citric bitterness in the nose. The PNW hops outweigh the backbone of British pale and crystal malts. Nice mix of styles.

Flavor follows the nose, although the malts provide more balance than the aroma would lead you to believe. Hops strike first. Really nice tropical fruit flavor. The initial sweetness gives way to a drying, bitter finish.

Fairly light body, appropriate carbonation. Very smooth feel. Crisp and clean. Pretty refreshing. Very easy drinker.

Serving type: can

05-13-2009 05:19:54 | More by Gyle41386

bigdeuce

Pennsylvania

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

Pours a nice copper colour with a white head, leaving nice rings down the glass. Interestingly good for a canned beer! Clean, crispy taste with a nice bit twangy, hoppy finish. Not overly bitter, but very sessionable. Smells of some caramel malts and cascady hops. Very good beer!

Serving type: can

04-28-2009 19:59:34 | More by bigdeuce

thain709

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - A clear amber body...a nice white head...leaves nice lacing

S - Great balanced smell between the malts and hops

T - The malts are present in the foreground...but are overtaken by the hop bitterness at the end...which I like

M - Medium body...crisp and refreshing

D - This is a nice beer...yet again...from Sly Fox...had it during the winter but I'll be picking up a case of cans for the summer heat

Serving type: can

03-02-2009 19:41:53 | More by thain709

dasenebler

Maine

4.22/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured reddish amber-gold, with a nice off-white head. Great piney hop aroma for a pale ale, with definite grapefruit as well.

Taste is excellent, truly one of the best canned beers. Malty and biscuity at first, with a bitter grapefruity aftertaste. Bitterness lasted a while. Mouthfeel was light-medium and carbonation was medium-low, nearly perfect. Easy to drink as well. A very good example of the pale ale style, perhaps even bordering on the IPA, when compared with what some breweries call IPAs. I'd have this one anytime. Did I mention how much I love canned beer?

Serving type: can

01-12-2009 23:03:58 | More by dasenebler

maddogruss

New Jersey

3.63/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a can of this into a shaker glass.

A: Pours an amber body with a silky, white head with nice retention and lacing.

S: A sweet, burnt malt smell, like toffee, with some flowery, hop notes.

T: A fairly earthy and burnt toffee, malty taste with some bitter, floral aftertaste.

M: A medium-bodied mouthfeel that was pretty good and complimenting to the taste.

D: A nice combination of mouthfeel and taste makes this beer a pretty good and drinkable beer. The malt and hop tastes did well to compliment each other.

Serving type: can

12-26-2008 21:31:39 | More by maddogruss

LilBeerDoctor

New York

3.63/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Reviewed on 8/17/08. Can, best by 10/03/08. Pours a dirty orange with a small white head that dissipates. Aroma of English pale malts, slight toasted malts, flowery hops. Flavor of wheat, toasted malts with a bittering finish. Nice malt backbone in this one complimented by the sweet, fruity, flowery hops. Easy drinking.
7/4/7/4/14 (3.6/5)

Serving type: can

12-23-2008 17:49:08 | More by LilBeerDoctor

gciccarelli

Pennsylvania

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

12oz can into pint glass.

Appearance - Big, foamy 1 finger head. Very creamy. Typical dark amber IPA color. Leaves light lacing on the side of the glass.

Smell - Hops as expected, but with a very heavy malt presence. Also some type of sweetness I can't exactly place...almost buttery. Faint citrus as well.

Taste - Bitterness from hops almost "hides" behind the maltiness - it's as if you can taste both separately but at the same time. (If that makes any sense...) Definitely pick up some slight citrus and sweetness as well. Leaves a slightly bitter aftertaste from the hops.

Mouthfeel - Very creamy, good amount of carbonation.

Drinkability - Very smooth brew, but bitter aftertaste may make it hard to drink a ton.

A very excellent APA, would definitely drink again.

Serving type: can

11-10-2008 05:14:57 | More by gciccarelli

dfillius

Michigan

3.33/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Served in a tumbler
A: Aggressive pour yields 1/4 finger of white head with not so great retention. A thin cirrus-like cloud remains on top. Clear copper-gold liquid.
S: Buttery toast and slight herbal hop. It's good, but more hops please in an APA.
T: Malt forward with a slight tickle of hops. Well balanced and tasty, but some metallic in the back. I want more hops.
M: Leaves a bad breath feel like a macro-lager almost. :-(
D: Okay due to taste, but mouthfeel brings it down.

Serving type: can

11-08-2008 17:43:36 | More by dfillius

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a can after a chilly bike ride. It looks orange-red with a white head. That's certainly darker than I'd expect from a pale ale. This is really more of a hoppy red ale, but I digress.

At first, this reminds me of Dale's Pale Ale, but dialed back to a pale ale (not IPA like Dale's) IBU level. The flavor is rich with citrus rind, grapefruit, and pine. It's less juicy than Dale's, but still a darned tasty pale ale. Certainly worth trying.

Serving type: can

10-31-2008 00:14:07 | More by tempest

DavidSeanNJ

New Jersey

3.03/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On Cask...

A- Dark amber color. Tan and orange with a ruby red hue. Big fluffy and foamy head.

S- Smell was very malty. I was not a fan of the nose on this one. There was a strange medicinal quality in the nose that I could not put my finger on at all. Something was off. Not sure if it was the cask.

T- Taste was very malty and bready. Surprised the hops were not as pronounced. I did not get much hop at all. Caramel was there as well. Tough beer to put down, not sure why.

M- Light bodied and slick. Oily.

D- Eh. Not feeling this one. I found it to be lacking complexity and flavors. I love Sly Fox but this is not one of my favorites.

Serving type: cask

09-16-2008 23:10:51 | More by DavidSeanNJ

orcasteve

North Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

smells ausow but the sent is the only thing that is top notch on this one. i taste hints of corn in the malt and week floral hops is the make up of this one. this is realy light in carobanation, it was nice to try this one but i am in no big hurry to buy this one agan

Serving type: can

09-06-2008 12:49:03 | More by orcasteve

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz can into a pint glass.

Pours a clear orange gold (with an amber sheen to it) with at least 2 fingers of foamy off-white head. A thin layer of creamy retention skims the surface, leaving behind some big, sturdy lacing behind. The aroma is a fresh, nose tickling bouquet of light floral hops, citrus notes, and a touch of underlying sweetness.

The taste is a moderate mix of tingling hop bitterness and a splash of citrus character that is balanced out with some sweet, and slightly bready, caramel malts. Finishes with a nice, crisp, bitter dryness. The mouthfeel is light bodied (but seems a bit fuller from the flavors) with a snappy carbonation and crisp feel.

A really solid APA that packs good flavor and even better drinkibility. Even with about 6 months on this, it still seemed incredibly fresh and tasty, probably a tribute to the canned packaging. Good stuff.

Serving type: can

09-03-2008 16:42:05 | More by Kegatron

kmeves

Wisconsin

3.2/5  rDev -16%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear amber with a large frothy off white head. Aroma is lighty sweet caramel, grapefruit and some grass. Flavor is grassy, light citrus, caramel and pine. Finishes long and bitter. Light bodied, somewhat sticky mouthfeel. Not as good as the Pils but a decent APA.

Serving type: can

08-27-2008 18:40:02 | More by kmeves

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz. can into shaker pint glass on 8/23/08. Thanks to Deuane for sharing.

A - Clear amber/orange body with one-finger off white bubbly head and moderate amount of carbonation.

S - Grassy and citrus hops paired with a caramel malt sweetness and a mild sweet fruity character.

T - Bready malt and mild grassy hops with a splash of citrus create the base of this pale ale's flavor profile. Finishes with a well-balanced blend of sweet malts and mild hop bitterness.

M - Light to medium body with a mild syrupy texture that's just a tad watery. Minimal hop bitterness on the palate.

D - Solid pale ale from Sly Fox that's easy to drink and flavorful with a nicely balanced hop and malt profile. Very representative the style.

Serving type: can

08-24-2008 19:01:17 | More by ffejherb

LunaChick

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a bright shade of copper with a soft yellow head that holds up well and leave nice lacing. Aroma of hops comes thru nicely but not overpowering. Slight hints of malt, lemon rinds and maybe a little grapefruit peel. Flavor starts with a bright hop presence gives way to malt balance and ends slightly bitter. True to the style and very well done. Carbonation makes this clean in the mouth. Overall a very drinkable beer. Low abv makes it great for having more than one.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2008 04:45:59 | More by LunaChick

2408bwk

Pennsylvania

4.83/5  rDev +26.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

After a rather long stint in Iraq and Afghanistan and many visits to beeradvocate, my list of must tries is quite long. The Sly Fox Phoenix Pale Ale was no dissapointment. It poured a crisp copper color. The aroma was that of nicely balanced hops (pine, citrus and floral). The taste was clean at the start with a very plesant finish. The mouthfeel was perfect. Smooth with just the right amount of carbonation. If I can stay stocked, this one that will be a constant in my frig. Loved it!!

Serving type: can

07-07-2008 14:02:52 | More by 2408bwk

dashirey

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This has become my "on-hand" beer for the summer. I have taken it to the beach, phils game for tail-gating, or drink a couple in the evening. Thought I better review it before I drink all the ones I have.

A - Clear copper with some amber showing through too. Lots of lacing left behind from the 1+ finger of pillowy off-white head.

S - Floral hop and some sweetness at the very start then the smell seems to fade away to nearly nothing but a little metallic smell.

T - I am never dissappointed by this one. Overall mostly balanced a little leaning to the hops side. First hops, then the malt comes through a little, but ends on a nice bitter hop flavor. Don't get me wrong, by no means overpowering hops, but just right for the style.

M - Light-bodied. Carbonation makes it smooth and it ends clean.

D - This has become my goto beer. The low ABV but great taste keeps you coming back for more. You can swill a handful of these and enjoy an evening of whatever you want. If you have a chance to try go for it.

Serving type: can

06-19-2008 17:52:19 | More by dashirey

peacemyth

Pennsylvania

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

Poured from the can into a pint glass. It appeared to be an amber color and left a decent sized head brimming to the top of the glass. I certainly could smell the hops right from the start with faint maltiness as well. This beer i found was more on the bitter side of some APA's I have had, however it was good balance. Very flavorful, went down very easily.
I drank this beer on a warm summer night and it was quite refreshing. Most definitely one of the best beers I have had out of a can.

Serving type: can

06-17-2008 14:36:47 | More by peacemyth

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this courtesy of my Mom at Market Cross Pub and Brewery in Carlisle. It was a refreshing pale ale after an evening behind the mower. Served cold in an Imperial Pint

A - A brilliant copper like a slightly used penny w/ excellent clarity and a very thin tan head. The lacing is good and clings well -the bead is fine.

S - A pleasant floral citrusy hop scent w/ a nice malt, sweet character appropriate to the style

M - A fine spicines, light medium body w/ subtle biscuit notes and ample sweetness. The finish is clean and there are nice fruity tinges. The only drawback for me was the carbonation seemed a bit high

T - A moderately sweet citrus hop at first w/ a bit of spiciness and subtle pale malt sweetness w/ a touch of dry grainy flavor. The fruit/nut mix of yeast and malt is crisp but also is missing some depth in malt. The flavor is refreshing, just has to be tasted w/ hops as the focus and more english flavor than aggressive American since the malt has dry tinges and the alcohol is subtle in the taste. The citrus cascade flavor suits this and the fruitiness of the yeast and hops are tasty

D - A very good American Pale that has a quaffable quality, both crisp, refreshing and easy to drink while not lacking in flavor at all. A very standard, solid take on the style - well done
Better than average, certainly worth a try

Serving type: on-tap

05-25-2008 17:29:08 | More by Slatetank

Kadonny

Pennsylvania

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

Drank right from the can after cutting my grass. What a perfect "lawn mower beer". This is a nostalgic reveiw since I didn't pour it out. Reminds me of the good ole days when all we ever did was drink from a can.

A: A dark straw yellow golden color from what I could see. No head since I didn't pour the beer out of the can.

S: A nice citrus floral hop smell with a hint of sweetness to back it up.

T: Citrus with lemon and light orange flavors coupled with some floral flavors and maybe a hint of fresh cut grass (could just be grass stuck in my nostrils). A nice sweetness lies along with the hops and makes a very lighter but hoppier APA. This is a bit hoppier than SNPA and falls along the lines of a Troegs PA. Nice.

M: Light with no alcohol feel at all and it goes down the mouth nicely.

D: Very high. Drink these all day long and enjoy the hell out of them. Very, very sessionable for you hop fans.

Overall another quality beer by Sly Fox that will be in my fridge for the hot summer days of lawn cutting. It tastes so good from the can that I'm going to have it on tap when I get to the brewery. I can see this beer sitting in my kegorator in the near future.

Sly Fox, keep it up!

Serving type: can

05-12-2008 15:41:13 | More by Kadonny

deepsouth

Mississippi

3.48/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

this beer poured a clear yellow with a thick straw head.

the beer smells of faint floral hops and faint sweetness. faint as in barely there.

this beer tastes like citrusy hops and finishes clean. i also detect a bit of spice and lemon peel.

the mouthfeel is light and like an explosion with lots of carbonation.

this beer is easy to drink and i could easily drink a few of them.

Serving type: can

05-08-2008 18:52:00 | More by deepsouth

Finn

Pennsylvania

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

This beer pours a light amber color, with very little head retention.

The aroma is crystal malts with a hint of hops.

The flavor is a nice balance of maltiness with a decent bitterness backing it. Very smooth.

Mouthfeel is smooth and creamy, with medium carbonation.
This beer is quite drinkable, and lends itself nicely to the warmer weather.

If you're a hophead, you probably won't get a lot out of this beer, but if in search of a well balanced, drinkable pale, this is a good example.

Serving type: can

04-18-2008 01:53:23 | More by Finn