Yellowtail Pale Ale - Ballast Point Brewing Company

kojevergas

California

2.73/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

650ml brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a generic hefeweissbier glass in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are high based on the rating average here on beeradvocate. I usually quite fancy kolschs, so I'm excited to try this one. Here we go!

A: Pours a three finger head of no cream, fair thickness, and average (~2 minute) retention. Colour is a semitransparent yellow.

Sm: Light barley and subtle bright fruit notes. A mild strength aroma, but a pleasant one.

T: A touch creamy over top a clean barley foundation. Too malty. I don't detect the wheat the label mentions at all. A very simple beer. Boring but pleasant. Built decently but without boldness or inspiration.

Mf: Smooth and wet - overly so in fact. A bit thick for a Kolsch as well.

Dr: They got the style wrong, but its a pleasant simple beer, with muted flavour. It's too restrained to be truly good, but if you're not expecting much, it's a highly drinkable beer. It's certainly sessionable. I'd try it on draught on a rainy day, but it won't be coming up in conversation anytime soon. Nice try, lads, but you didn't do anything interesting.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2011 08:14:06 | More by kojevergas

vande

Illinois

3.9/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - a nice clear, crisp looking golden pour with a thin layer of lacy head left atop

S - not your typical pale here.. some malty-bready-biscuity characteristics going on here... light, somewhat subdued hops intermingling with the rest

T - unique but tasty. Definitely German presence with the hops & malts used, yet crisp and clean like a pils.. bready-biscuit type flavor follows the nose...light grassy quality

M - clean, crisp, easy to drink

0 - different. Kolsch is not my style, but this was actually pretty good..

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 04:07:13 | More by vande

Nugganooch

California

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Notes from 11/02/11 – wifey brought home a 6er!

*12oz to pint glass

A: Yellowtail Pale Ale pours a super clear golden straw colored hue. Bubbly with a thin egg-white fizzy head that dissipated out rather quick leaving minimal lace.

S: Smells real bready with a spicy hop note and some fruity ale yeast aromas.

T: Taste is very grainy and bready with a real Pilsner like quality to it. Moderate bitterness from European hops that add a real spicy element and there is a subtle tart yeasty finish. This maybe like the gold standard of a BMC gateway beer. Refreshing and well balanced but very standard.

M: Very light in body. Slight creamy texture. Super Dry with a crisp finish.

D: Very light and refreshing with a big European influence. German hops and malts give more of a Kolsch character than an American Pale Ale to me. Not bad and nice balanced but just not really what I go for these days. Again your go to for a BMC gateway brew I would think.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2011 23:32:39 | More by Nugganooch

UCLABrewN84

California

3.88/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a clear yellow-gold color with a 1 inch white head that settles to a thin film. Broken rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is good but basic with malt and floral hop aromas. Taste is of sweet malt and some floral and herbal hop flavors. Mild bitterness on the palate after each sip. This beer has a good carbonation level with a crisp and clean mouthfeel. Overall, this is a solid beer from Ballast Point. Nothing too special but nice and easy to drink for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2011 17:34:14 | More by UCLABrewN84

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This brew poured out as a nice looking golden color, kind of hazy. The head was a little fizzy but ended up sticking around for a little while. The smell of the beer was pretty nice, giving off some decent hop aromas and malts. The taste of the beer has a nice crisp bitterness that faded into a sweetness as is settled on the tongue. The mouthfeel was crisp and sharp, nicely done. Overall I pretty Solid pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2011 23:05:15 | More by Knapp85

NickRivers

California

3.6/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A&S - Pours a golden yellow with a finger of paper white head. Not too much coming through on the nose. A few grainy malts, along with a mild breadiness and a floral hop aroma.

T&M - Hits crisp and grainy, the middle of the mouth is sweet with the faintest banana flavor. Finishes dry and clean with a small amount of floral hop bitterness. A nice, refreshing light bodied beer.

O - Overall a great session brew from BP. Calico wasn't half bad, but Big Eye IPA is their best session brew. Its got tons of malt and hops without being overpowered and makes for a great introduction beer. Check out everything BP has to offer, you won't be disappointed. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 07:33:57 | More by NickRivers

beerdown77

North Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This pours slightly cloudy golden with one finger of head. This beer is quite honestly, disappointing. It tastes like a tolerable golden lager at best. Although the beer is still “crafty” in its quality, the flavor is heavy on the bitter malt side of things. It kind of reminds me of a Dortmunder from Great Lakes…only thinner and not as good. Admittedly, I was expecting an APA, and didn’t realize that this was actually a Kolsch midway through my experience; I still didn’t love this beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2011 23:00:46 | More by beerdown77

BucannonXC5

California

2.65/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass at Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza in La Mesa. Color was clear golden. Minimal head and minimal film on the sides. The lacing, however, stayed for awhile. Appeared to be heavy on the carbonation.

Smells were skunky malts and somewhat bitter. Grainy malts also were involved.

No improvement on the taste. Skunky malts lead the way. A tad bit bitter at the end.

Medium-to-high carbonation. Medium body.

A pretty big disappointment, considering how much I enjoy the Calico Ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2011 07:18:35 | More by BucannonXC5

chinchill

South Carolina

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

12 oz undated but very recently purchased bottle served in a pint glass. Small amount of sediment at bottom of the bottle added mid-tasting.

Near clear golden liquid with a substantial amount of fine-grained carbonation visible. Small white head has moderate retention. More lacing than expected, given the head.

Smells like a malty lager, albeit with a fruitiness that is much more characteristic of ales. The flavor is not as expected. Both the aroma and the "pale ale" labeling led me to expect something with much more hop flavor, but there's only a rather subtle touch of spicy hops in the taste. If I hadn't tried the beer before seeing the description "crafted in the style of the Kolsch beers of Cologne, Germany" I would have been surprised. This beer is mild in flavor, as per the kolsch style. In fact, I had a quite similar, but perhaps even less flavorful kolsch last weekend at the Pisgah (NC) Brewery.

It has a nice, if near watery, mouthfeel with excellent carbonation and some dryness in the finish. Slightly bitter balance, yet more malt than hop flavor.

O - a highly drinkable and refreshing beer that makes an excellent substitute for a light beer ... not that you'd want one of those. Plenty flavorful for the kolsch, but not the PA style.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2011 00:25:10 | More by chinchill

avalon07

South Carolina

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Poured from a bottle to a kolsch glass. Had a pale yellow color and a hazy texture. There was a big, foamy, long-lasting head. Good lacing.

S: Had a muted aroma of hops, light fruit, and some malt.

T: Tasted of light hops, fruit (a little citrus), and some bready malts. Not an unpleasant flavor in the least, but certainly underwhelming.

M: A generally well-carbonated beer with a smooth finish. Light-bodied.

O: This is not necessarily a bad beer, but definitely an unmemorable one. A good summer beer if you don't care what you're drinking.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 12:08:38 | More by avalon07

MrKennedy

Australia

3.85/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bomber split with the guys from work and poured into a 7oz glass. Thanks to ADZA for the trade!

Pours a very clear, bright golden colour with a nice white fluffy head of foam that levels out just above film later on. Decent head retention and the clearness of this is quite impressive.

The smell is of bready malt, clean, consistent and inviting.

Taste is very malt driven, with just a shade of Euro style hop grassiness to break it up. Like the smell, the taste is consistent and pleasant. Just a little bit of honey comes through to sweeten it up a shade.

Mouthfeel is decent, good body for the style, just a touch cloying at the end, but otherwise ok.

Overall, a clean, decent, not earth shattering Kolsch that would be a decent go-to beer on a sunny, mild to warm day.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2011 06:36:18 | More by MrKennedy

MrMcGibblets

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: clear full gold, decent white head.
S: bready, crackery malts and grassy, spicy noble hops,
T: saa, malts are lightly sweet and well-balanced by a smooth hop bitterness. Finish is crisp, clean, and dryish.
M: just over light bodied, frothy.
O: a fine kolsch, but as has probably been said 1000 times, why call it a pale ale? I forgot this was a kolsch and got it wanting an apa.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 21:16:36 | More by MrMcGibblets

Preismj

Illinois

3/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

a: copper/orange. Moderate white head fades away quickly with spotting around the glass. Hazy brew...lots of murk in here. Looks a bit more syrupy than anticipated.

s: sweetness and the small hint of wheat and belgian spice (clove or nutmeg...just a hint). hint of leather/grass in nose.

t: barley and wheat like presence of grain. Sweet malts, but mild sweetness. spices I cannot pinpoint...very mild flavor. grassy, earthy notes poke through and this beer finishes with a sweetness complemented with a bitter hop presence.

m: syrupy. Coats the mouth well. thick and decent carb.

o: not a bad beer, but nothing is shining through. I don't need to try this again after having once. Would not seek out. it is middle of the road, as average as you can get.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2011 02:03:17 | More by Preismj

t420o

California

3/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

A- straw colored beer with a 1/2 finger white head that fizzles away quick leaving very little lacing

S- Slight bitter hop scent, toasted bread, grains, slight alcohol. Very similar to a pilsner.

T- bland! Grains, slight bitter hops, toasted bread. Everything is very light tasting and watered down tasting. Tastes like their is salt water in here. Very average

M- Slightly over carbonated. Good other than that

O- A decent Kolsch, but below average as a pale ale, which is how they labeled it and how I will grade it. Below average drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2011 23:03:42 | More by t420o

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Yellowtail is, in fact, yellow (but a rather dulled shade of it at that). It is actually so dense that I had thought its natural haze was condensation built up on the glass, but no, that's just what happens when you use the right amount of malt in your brew. Its head is incomplete but does make the 5-inch or so trip round the whole circumference of the glass.

The aroma showcases a very assured, wholesome maltiness that is so thick as to be almost doughy. It smells like crackers or biscuits and is deliciously aromatic, even despite its paleness. With quality malts like this I don't even want hops or yeast to interfere and I'm quite happy they don't (although others might detect a subtle fermentation-driven fruitiness).

You don't need a million different flavours for a beer to be flavourful, sometimes you only really need one. This kölsch, like most golden beers in this alcohol range - and in particular the German-style ones - is not terribly complex, but it is extremely flavourful. Cracker-like, noticeably biscuity maltiness is all you taste, but it's really all you need. These malts are highly-attenuated and very rich in flavour yet incredibly simple and clean too.

I could have a beer like this every day with lunch and be a very happy man. (I'm not sure the bomber would fit in a lunch box but this is definitely the kind of thing you'd want alongside a big sandwich.) Despite being so approachable and easily quaffed, it is still a considerably hearty and flavourful beer so far as its maltiness is concerned, and satisfying. A beer like this makes me think that if I never saw another DIPA again I wouldn't miss them one bit.

There's not one beer style that Ballast Point does badly. In fact, I have yet to rate even one of their beers as 'just alright'; all of their brands are exceptional examples of their respective styles and Yellowtail is certainly no exception. I don't think any other brewery makes as many of my #1 favourites when it comes to examples of different styles.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2011 22:41:17 | More by biegaman

gatorbreath

Fiji

3/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Kolsch, eh? Damn I need a smartphone...

Didn't get the facts/make the connection on this until just now..probably why I didn't enjoy it to the fullest.

Got this pale ale because I thought it'd be hoppy, somewhat, and piney but not overly so, just shy of an IPA, no idea of the Kolsch style.

Appearance is golden and white head. Smell is malty/biscuity and even a little spicy. Taste is not really hoppy at all, forgive my ignorance, mostly malts and caramel, i am picking up, and the mouthfeel is thin and slick. Overall, a good entry to this style of beer. Although not my favorite, I enjoy trying new things!

Have one!

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 17:50:23 | More by gatorbreath

kylehay2004

Florida

3.15/5  rDev -11%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A: Golden with amber hues. 2 finger thick head.

S: bready and malty. Not getting too much of the fruitiness.

T: Wheat, mild fruit notes that I really have to search for. More like the bready nature of a pilsner than a pale.

M: The wheat beer character makes this more refreshing than many pale ales. A little bitter on initial feel

Overall: The refreshing aspect is a huge plus but this just isn't the pale ale for me. I love Ballast Point but this is just not for me.

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2011 06:36:26 | More by kylehay2004

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.63/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

golden color with tons of bright yellow highlights that really showed off the clarity and brightness of this one. Huge head of white that towered over the glass at first settled down like a soft pillow that gently coated the outside of the glass and gave a rich, and dense color to it. Aroma is light, airy, with hints of banana and light fruit that is layered on top of bready tones and hints of light grain. Very light, cannot stress that enough as it really was coming through quite well on a 90 degree afternoon. Warming brought out a touch of almost citrus like smells across the nose, but then you go in for a taste and its over. Light and refreshing taste just overwhelms the palate.

very drinkable in deed.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2011 01:31:56 | More by mikesgroove

smakawhat

Maryland

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

Poured from the bottle into a make shift Stange, my old collins glass.

A nice simple pale lemon with green hues on the edges hints of dark buttery gold for the body. Some orange colors also A very large even foamy head of pin sized bubbles is produced which takes much time to receed but doesn't leave much lacing either.

Bouquet is subtle but nice if unexpected. Faint grain, very light and airy and dry smelling. A small toasty bread sense, some gas, even a hint of faint spritzy lemon.

Taste is strange... dry and powdery sensations of flour mostly. Powdery with some sweetness in the finish, missing bread action

Overall a real unique and nice nose, but taste doesn't deliver as much. This is not bad but I think I'd grab a different Kolsch if I could.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2011 00:48:52 | More by smakawhat

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Well I bought this on a whim, thinking it was a pale ale, but it's actually a kolsch... so here we go.

Not bad looking for a kolsch, yellow-tan with a fair head that dissipates into a sheen, leaving decent lacing.

Kind of a subdued fruity, openly grassy/grainy smell to it. Not too much going on here hops wise.

Taste is on par for the actual type of beer it is, kinda yeasty with grains and lightly fruity background flavors, plenty of caramel and bready malt flavors, a touch of lemon, and just a smidge of hops bite.

Feel is light, slick, slightly sweet, with a lingering yeasty aftertaste.

Overall it's not a bad summer beer but it's not overly impressive either.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2011 23:12:42 | More by AlCaponeJunior

THECPJ

Delaware

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: golden yellow with a 1 finger white head

smell: citrus, caramel, malts,

taste: citrus, bread, yeast,

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: refreshing beer. need better distribution from Ballast point on the east coast. Everything I've had is very drinkable.

Cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2011 18:22:45 | More by THECPJ

emmasdad

Colorado

3.08/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Picked up a bottle of this one at the Ballast Point Brewery/Home Brew Mart in San Diego. More along the lines of a kolsch, rather than a pale ale. Poured a clear yellow color with a good white head. Very mild on the nose, a little biscuit and a kiss of hops. On the palate, this one is light bodied and easy to drink, yet not very interesting in the least. Flavors of light malt and a bit of hops.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 23:27:34 | More by emmasdad

ADZA

Australia

3.35/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This brew pours a see through golden straw hue with decent carbonation that leaves behind a two finger head and lacing everywhere,the smell is very similar to a pilsner with hints of german noble grassy hops and honeysuckle,it has a light bodied well carbonated mouthfeel and has tastes of grassy german noble hops,light jarrah honey,pale malts and finished with a slight herbal hoppy bitterness that is almost reminiscent of a fine German pilsner and not a Kolsch and overall a dissapointment in my mind and could think of other drops from this brewery that id rather revisit than this cheers.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 14:21:43 | More by ADZA

HuskyinPDX

Washington

3.58/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz poured into a pint glass.

A- Pale orange color with a tan/cream colored 1 finger sized head.

S- Wheat, very pilsner like.

T- Wheat, barley, citrus, fruity.

D- Nice carbonation, light and refreshing. Very easy drinking. This is a nice pale ale, but it is still a pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2011 01:26:45 | More by HuskyinPDX

angrygrimace

California

3.33/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy straw orange. Very little head, less than a finger, with little retention after pour.

Aroma is mostly malts with a very small amount of spicy hops to it; maybe a little sweetness.

Taste is not what you expect from a beer labeled Pale Ale at all since it's actually a Kölsch. Very malty flavor throughout, but not a particularly strong flavor....maybe slightly watery. Very slight citrusy note, if any. I would say that it's got a slightly above average taste, but it lacks the character I've come to expect out of other Ballast Point beers. Very carbonated, slightly crisp, but not overly so on either count - definitely a refreshing beer.

Overall, I enjoyed it, but it doesn't really seem like anything particularly special, either.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2011 21:12:41 | More by angrygrimace