Pacific Ale - Stone & Wood

Finite

Australia

4.2/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A- Cloudy pale yellow in colour with a big thick white head, great lacing and good retention.

S- Streaming from the quality head is one of the best aromas I have smelt in a beer. Big and powerful passionfruit and fruit salad hop aroma, Galaxy are used but I smell Nelson Sauvin too. Not alot of malt in the aroma but it doesn't need it for me. I could smell this beer all day. Ive smelt alot of beers and never given one such a high score. I have started to think that I was expecting too much. Not so. The Stone and Wood boys have proved its possible.

T- While crisp, tasty and unoffensive the flavour is a slight let down after the dizzying highs of the aroma. Hops are fresh as you can expect and the malt is clean with hints of banana and other wheat like notes.

M- Clean and medium body mouthfeel, the wheat addition makes this a surprisingly nice basis for a summer ale. Nice Thinking.

D- Top marks. I could drink this all day, if I could bring my nose away from it. One of Australia's best summer ales by far.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2010 00:23:35 | More by Finite

adityashekhar

India

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%

06-16-2013 14:26:27 | More by adityashekhar

soju6

Missouri

3.8/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a pale straw color winch a decent head that fades to bits of lacing.

S: Aroma of citrus, some fruit and bit of malt sweetness.

T: Taste of citrus, some fruit and malt sweetness. Nice bitterness and a clean finish.

F: Light body, crisp, clean and refreshing. Nicely balanced.

O: Good beer for the style that goes down easy. Comes across as very fresh and is very sessionable. Worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2013 03:02:10 | More by soju6

XsoldoutX

Australia

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%

04-12-2013 05:26:16 | More by XsoldoutX

MenInVen

Australia

4/5  rDev -0.2%

03-16-2013 22:20:43 | More by MenInVen

PolarBear3

Australia

3.3/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

A - Pours a light golden colour that is a touch cloudy. Has a frothy head that dimishes fairly quickly a thin film.

S - Get loads of fruity notes including pineapple, lemon, passionfruit and in particular mango and peach. Very impressive which is more like a dessert than a beer.

T - Get some of the peach and mango, but more of some bitter lemon on the finish. Not what i expected.

M - Light bodied and medium carbonation which seems rather watery.

O - Promised so much at the beginning but I was slightly disappointed overall. Is fairly watery and lacks that real hoppiness with an ordinary bitter finish.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 07:03:13 | More by PolarBear3

Agentveba

4.25/5  rDev +6%

02-24-2013 22:29:51 | More by Agentveba

mungus

Australia

4/5  rDev -0.2%

01-23-2013 13:08:16 | More by mungus

Sundaz

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%

08-25-2012 11:08:53 | More by Sundaz

hopnerd

Australia

3.75/5  rDev -6.5%

08-19-2012 05:06:34 | More by hopnerd

tobelerone

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500ml bottle carried to me lovingly in luggage from Sydney to NYC by a friend. Thanks Brianna!

Pours a pale gold, very lightly hazed, with a two finger white head that settles down slowly to a creamy band. Sparse but attractive lacing. Very nice vivid hoppy nose; lots of tropical fruits with some lesser floral and herbal notes. Very fragrant!

Very good flavor as well; toned down a little bit in terms of the hops from the aroma but this is a Pale, not an IPA, so it's fitting. The malt character is very much subdued, bringing the slightest biscuity sweetness, but stays in the background and instead allows the hops to shine through. Relatively low bitterness; tropical fruit, herbal, light floral notes continue from the aroma. Finishes quite dry.

Medium-light body with somewhat brisk carbonation. Extremely easy drinking and sessionable. Not going to hit you over the head with aggressive flavor, but instead comes at you with subtlety and refinement. Very enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 21:10:01 | More by tobelerone

foles

Australia

4/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is an all-round solid pale ale. Fruity slightly pungent hops on the nose. Very pale yellow appearance. Nice crisp palate, with kiss of fruity/grassy/spicy hops. Very clean. Its a more rounded, crisper, lower abv beer in the mould of Little Creatures Pale Ale. A well made beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2012 10:07:38 | More by foles

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pint at Great Northern. This beer is such a staple of the craft beer scene, I can see it being viewed along the same lines as SNPA and other classic American brews of the 80s. It has gained so much popularity and praise in such a short time that I've been eager to give it a fair review after the amount I've consumed.

A - Pours a very light golden, very hazy as well. Decent carbonation and a quickly faiding two finger white, fluffy head. Good smacking of lace all around the glass and a film of retention.

S - Huge fruit notes. People always describe it as passionfruit, but since I really have no experience with the aroma of passionfruit, I interpret it as tropical fruits. Fruit skins, pineapple, and juicy melons are what I get from it. It does nothing for complexity or malt body, but it certainly is inviting.

T - More of the same with lot's of fruity hops. Classic Galaxy hop flavour with lot's of fruity and grassy notes.

M - Sweet fruity finish is the classic selling point of this. No bitterness. Light body and good carbonation.

O/D - A pretty awesome beer for sessioning. A great hop character with no bitterness and a fairly low alcohol content. It definitely doesn't break down any boundaries but it certainly does act as a means for people to be exposed to beer with different flavours.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2012 03:53:09 | More by tbeckett

jarmby1711

Australia

3.58/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I was a little underwhelmed with what I tried.
It starts off with a lot of fruity hoppy promise and then at the end it drifts off to a rather watery non sensation other than a run of the mill bitterness
This drifty off to nothingness that is lack of body makes it rather boring after a couple ,

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 03:10:54 | More by jarmby1711

goodbeerallday

Australia

3.6/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: pours an almost royal gold/yellow colour, not huge amount of carbonation and approximately 10mm of head that resided after about 30 seconds and left next to no lacing.

S: quite typical in scent for an Australian micro brewed beer with mango but what this does have is a sweet smell of gelati.

T: very sweet and session-able with low ABV and is 1.1 standard. a slight bitterness but nothing over powering or even extremely noticeable for an APA. mango and lemon present as the smell suggested and accompanied by passion fruit.

M: very light feel which a bitterness that trickles across all parts of the pallet and eventually leaves but the fruity taste stays, quite pungent in the sense of getting the flavours of galaxy across. really very little body to this one.

O: stone & wood is probably one of if not the most session-able beer ive had in Australia and is quite and enjoyable beer, one i will buy and have bought for a long time. in saying this the bottled pacific doesnt do justice to what a great beer it is. on tap it is decisively more enjoyable although they seem to capture the smell more in bottle.

To be honest it taste like they have changed this beer a little bit. used to get a lot more out of it now lacking a bit of something...

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 10:17:01 | More by goodbeerallday

IanRiley

Australia

4.5/5  rDev +12.2%

01-11-2012 10:55:52 | More by IanRiley

danieelol

Australia

3.68/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a really light yellow. Wheat beer-esque (it has wheat in it so that makes sense). Looks really light bodied with nice head and lacing.

Nose is metal, mango, Splice ice creams. Also some distinct herbal hops. Smell varies quite a bit, have this on tap recently and out of two bottles and in this bottle I get a slight bit of unpleasant fishiness. Apart from that, it's generally a poster child for Galaxy hops.

Taste is lots more mangoes, peaches. Really watery, almost no body.

Mouthfeel is thin, actually not a massive amount of carbonation, _maybe_ medium.

Looks great but lacks substance. I actually think the lack of body or hop bite in the taste hinders drinkability in the long run. If this had a bit more body, carb and bittering hops, it could be even better. Still a lifesaver at the pub, except when it's hideously overpriced.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 03:42:27 | More by danieelol

MrKennedy

Australia

3.73/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle from Old Bar Cellars, poured into a small tumbler.

Light golden colour with a white head of foam. Lacking a fair bit of the cloudiness that I can remember the draught version to have. Good head retention, not a lot of lacing.

Smells of mainly lychee with passionfruit. This bottle has still about 8 months left on the best before but isn't as fresh as I've encountered before on tap. Still interesting.

Taste is predominantly passionfruit and tastes fresher than the smell. Good display of the galaxy hop variety.

Very drinkable, body is light and more suited to the climate it was designed for (i.e. Byron Bay and its surrounds). Hop bitterness is negligible and helps keep this very sessionable.

Decent single hop APA, the bottled version doesn't seem to hold up as well as the draught versions at certain pubs (Riverview, Balmain; Pacific, Yamba). Better on tap, but there is plenty of worse Aussie craft you can buy at the bottleshop.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2011 07:18:51 | More by MrKennedy

heygeebee

Australia

4.18/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Been waiting til summer to review this one.

Pours a two finger head over the palest of strw bodies. Delightful pillowy white head with fine fine bubbles. Little lacing.

Intial aromas of ripe passionfruit, zesty, citrussy.

Taste is mild and balanced, akin to Coopers Pale but more subtle. Passionfruit dominates. Bitterness grows.

Moutfeel is light, no surprise @ 4.4%. Well carbonated.

Overall, yep, as good as they say. Could drink all night. Kudos to getting this much flavour out of this much ABV as well.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2011 07:09:15 | More by heygeebee

koolk

Australia

4/5  rDev -0.2%

11-24-2011 07:15:50 | More by koolk

jbowers56

Australia

4.8/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Looks good, thin white head that doesnt hang around in a big way, but still leaves a little layer and some nice lacing. Straw coloured body - slightly cloudy.

Pineapple and passionfruit from the galaxy hops and a touch of malt body makes those fruity aromas seem really nice and sweet.

Flavour-wise I cannot fault this beer. It's not a big IPA, it has never come in to contact with a barrel and it hasn't been innoculated with Brettanomyces - and I am so thankful for this. A perfectly balanced, light bodied beer which is a wonderful break for any beer lover or enthusiast from all the extreme beers out there. This is what I go to when I am in the mood to just enjoy a beer as a refreshing, cold beverage on a hot day without having too much to think about. Simple, flavoursome and effective.

An absolute cracker of a beer, and one that is distinctively Australian in style and appeal.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2011 05:05:25 | More by jbowers56

aBeeraWeek

Australia

4.22/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A lightly frothed almost white head sits above a very pale golden straw coloured beer. There is a nice cloudiness that helps give a hint of glow from the pale. The head didn’t last particularly long with some slight lacing.

A refreshing nose, initially floral, but with a sweet passionfruit coming through and some slight citrus zing as well.

The passionfruit is still there on the taste but with more of the citrus (grapefruit flavours) coming through. A nice grassy hops taste with a very lightly smoked after taste.

A light beer with enough carbonation to keep the mouthfeel interesting. It’s light enough to get through a few of these throughout an evening or afternoon.

Will definitely be drinking more of these heading into summer. Light and easy drinking, but with plenty there to keep the taste buds excited.

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2011 22:32:04 | More by aBeeraWeek

dansmcd

Australia

4.05/5  rDev +1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - A flimsy little head disappears within a few seconds. Very pale with a light cloudiness. Looks like a cider.

S - A nice blend of floral and fruity hops, aromas of passionfruit and grapefruit are strong.

T - Follows the nose, with some sweet apple to boot.

M - Tangy, zesty, clean and crisp. Light to moderate body. High carbonation.

O - Very easy drinking and refreshing. Would go down a real treat on a hot day. Like it.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 00:21:00 | More by dansmcd

tobeerornottobe

Australia

4.03/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at the Local Taphouse, Darlinghurst on 02/09/2011.

Just cleansing off after the Mikkeller 1000 IBU light! I have had this beer several times before but it's now time to review it.

This beer actually looks refreshing, although maybe that's fait accompli given the above. Bubbly frothy head and it has a lemony appearance in the glass. Not exactly clear but this suggests there is also some substance to the beer. Smells and tastes so refreshing because any flavours are there in moderation, not as dominant characteristics. Sweet floral hops are what I find here. Smell and taste blend well - I'm not that into beers that have a substantial difference between smell and taste, except as the occasional surprise. This beer has all the nice hop character of a decent standard IPA but is much more drinkable.

This is the beer that might just convince anyone who's only had macro beers before that craft beers are worth exploring.

Serving type: on-tap

09-03-2011 01:40:46 | More by tobeerornottobe

eric5bellies

Australia

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

Drank from my Stella tulip.

A - Pours a clear pale straw colour with a nice White one fingered head that reduces to a film.

S - Really nice grassy pine aromas from the bottle with a touch of vanilla sweetness. Once poured a tiny bit of malt comes out.

T - Nice grapefruit citrus flavours dominate, but it is nicely complimented by some sweetnes and grassy hops. Very well structured beer.

M - Light body with full carbonation, a little sticky on the finish.

O - This is a very sessionable beer that has heaps of flavour. Thouroughly recommended.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2011 12:47:05 | More by eric5bellies