Poleeko Gold Pale Ale - Anderson Valley Brewing Company

pmcadamis

Illinois

4.3/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

A - Cloudy peach colored beer topped with a half-finger of white foam. Some nice fluffy lace sticks sporadically around the glass. Head retention is decent, as the little cap does make up for it's diminutive size with long lasting resilience.

S - Pine sap and cones. This is definitely a west coast pale ale! It's a bit underpowered IMO, but it smells pleasant enough though it's a bit lacking in complexity.

T - Tastes MUCH better than it smells! This has a lot more power than the nose suggests, and it's ripe with tart grapefruit and alpine sap. Extremely well balanced and fresh as can be....makes me want to visit the pine tree studded hills of northern California!

M - Fresh, clean, and medium bodied with a dry hoppy finish and moderate carbonation.

D - Clean and refreshing, but dense and complex enough to hold my interest. Needs more oomph in the nose department, but it tastes wonderful and goes down like nobody's bid-ness.

Serving type: bottle

09-25-2008 17:16:17 | More by pmcadamis

TheBigBoy

Pennsylvania

2.25/5  rDev -41.1%

05-11-2013 03:46:34 | More by TheBigBoy

mastodonj

Colorado

4.58/5  rDev +19.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've never been disappointed by anything from Anderson Valley so I bought a six of this although I'd never had it.
They came through again.

Nice light amber slightly cloudy, loads of lacing.

Smell is exceptional at first, some malt, vanilla and biscuit but the entire aroma is way better than that sounds. Lots of reviewers think this is choppy and citrus. I'm used to extremely hoppy Colorado and California ales with lots of citrus hop flavors so this does not seem that hoppy to me.

Flavor follows the smell but with a nearly perfect bitterness on the back end.

Mouthfeel is excellent and has the creaminess I've come to expect from AV.

Immensely drinkable.

You won't be disappointed with this fine pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2013 23:55:37 | More by mastodonj

2beerdogs

California

3.5/5  rDev -8.4%

04-29-2013 05:45:05 | More by 2beerdogs

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Looks of a clear bright yellow somewhat hazy with a 1/4 inch of head that settles to a thick lace ring. Smells of biscuit malts, some pale malts, and a touch of herbal hops. Taste is pretty hoppy with a mild bit of piney hops, biscuit malts, and a bit of sweeter malts in the finish. Mouth feel is very light to medium bodied but not as crisp as I expected it to be.

Overall I have a good feeling the bottle I got was pretty old at least six months but as it is it's a fairly decent pale ale. Still worth trying if you never had it.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 01:51:25 | More by DrDemento456

ek_ek

California

4/5  rDev +4.7%

03-20-2013 04:01:39 | More by ek_ek

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

12oz bottle. Apparently, 'Poleeko', in Boontling, just refers to the town of Philo, California. Meh.

This beer pours a clear, medium golden amber hue, with three fingers of aggressively foamy, puffy, and somewhat rocky eggshell white head, which leaves some decent broken spider web lace around the glass as it slowly ebbs out of existence.

It smells of biscuity, grainy pale malt, lemon, orange and sweet Texas grapefruit, a slight field honey sweetness, some mild leafy herbs, and a strong grassy hoppiness. The taste is bready, almost pastry-like grainy malt, orange cream, lemon/honey dressing, and a complex grassy, herbal, and leafy hop bitterness.

The carbonation swirls about to a certain extent, but is generally unobtrusive, the body a sugary medium weight, and fairly smooth by the same measure. It finishes well off-dry, the honey, pale malt, and fruitiness blending splendidly with the biscuit and latent hop edginess.

Now this, this is an APA - hoppy, you bet your ass - but incredibly well complemented by a robust maltiness. Lots going on, and it all works - boy could I go for another one of these at the moment.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 00:45:11 | More by biboergosum

TheSixthRing

California

3.54/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a hazy, golden hue with a white finger width head. Sub-par retention, leaving a firm film of microbubbles on the surface. Fair lacing with good stick.

Smell - Powerful whiffs of honey hit the nostrils right off the bat. Slight lemon.Touches on bread.

Taste - Follows the nose. Predominant honey flavors throughout. Malts come across as grainy. Hearty bread. Hints of floral hop. Slight berry fruitiness. Moderate grassy and lemon zest bitterness, hitting mid-taste and riding out into the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium body. Moderate carbonation. Almost silky going down, before a dry finish.

Overall - An amazing display of honey in this brew. Why every reviewer doesn't mention this (or why this isn't a descriptor on the label) is beyond me. This doesn't drink like any pale ale I've ever had, in fact I'd liken it closer to an Oktoberfest in terms of flavor. Yeah, definitely.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:45:12 | More by TheSixthRing

JSchock7

Kansas

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

03-09-2013 06:36:44 | More by JSchock7

SkinniePost

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -14.9%

03-06-2013 18:10:55 | More by SkinniePost

Poupae

Thailand

4.25/5  rDev +11.3%

03-05-2013 15:12:43 | More by Poupae

cliff1066

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

03-02-2013 05:44:12 | More by cliff1066

Guinnsslvr

Illinois

4/5  rDev +4.7%

02-26-2013 02:49:39 | More by Guinnsslvr

CMOrak

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

02-22-2013 15:59:09 | More by CMOrak

dmorgan310

Michigan

4/5  rDev +4.7%

02-13-2013 05:47:20 | More by dmorgan310

mooseo

Pennsylvania

3.94/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into pint glass.

A - Slightly murky yellow gold with a large creamy white head.

S - Grassy and floral, sweet bready malt, and a touch of herbal spice.

T - Bready malt, grassy hops, lemon citrus, and sweet honey. Has a nice hop bite. Finishes earthy and spicy with lots of toasted grains.

M - Light-medium body, smooth and crisp. Clean, somewhat dry finish.

O - A very drinkable, satisfying pale ale. Good balance. Nice blend of grassy hops and toasted malt. There is also a distinct, soft mineral-like flavor that tends to linger, and I've noticed it in several Anderson Valley brews. Pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2013 00:51:36 | More by mooseo

matjack85

Illinois

4/5  rDev +4.7%

02-12-2013 01:30:42 | More by matjack85

sumpjh

California

4/5  rDev +4.7%

02-08-2013 11:06:24 | More by sumpjh

RedneckBeerz

North Carolina

4/5  rDev +4.7%

01-27-2013 12:56:44 | More by RedneckBeerz

Greenster

District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev -1.8%

01-21-2013 04:23:08 | More by Greenster

SerialHiker

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Appearance: Classic deep golden color…just off white head that forms thick then settles in nicely…(3.5/5)

Smell: Nice pale malt aroma…sweet and crisp with some citrus hop finish…(3/5)

Taste: Light with a nice balance of malt and citrus hops…definitely some lemon in there…classic pale ale feel with a slight citrus kick…(3.5/5)

Mouthfeel: Light and crisp…very little carbonation…malty in the middle, lemony bitterness in the end…(3.25/5)

Overall: There’s nothing flashy here, but what they did, they did well…a nice balance of malt, citrus hops and piney hops…additional lemon zest separates this ale from others and really does make it very drinkable…(3.25/5)

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 03:56:26 | More by SerialHiker

pukahi91

Hawaii

3.25/5  rDev -14.9%

01-06-2013 02:32:10 | More by pukahi91

noremac423

4/5  rDev +4.7%

01-05-2013 03:48:06 | More by noremac423

bostonryan

Massachusetts

2.5/5  rDev -34.6%

12-18-2012 01:12:50 | More by bostonryan

Ispeakforthetrees

Colorado

4/5  rDev +4.7%

12-01-2012 03:53:02 | More by Ispeakforthetrees