Yellowtail Pale Ale - Ballast Point Brewing Company

scottfrie

California

4.28/5  rDev +20.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into snifter. Best by 01/19/13. Thanks for bringing these over, Matt.

A: Pours a very light shade of amber with a finger of frothy white head that faded into a soft film.
S: Big kolsh nose with notes of light malts and toasted grains.
T: Dry grains, creamy oatmeal taste, slightly sweet caramel, tons of wheat, and mellow fruity hops. Very creamy, complex (for the style) and smooth. The finish is full of pepper spices and the aftertaste is that of wheat and fruit.
M: Creamy mouthfeel from soft carbonation, medium-light body, drying and refreshing mouthfeel. Very smooth, light, and drinkable all-around. J
O: A pleasant surprise. I’d be disappointed if this was a true pale ale as the hops are too mellow and the wheat and grains are too prominent. However, if you’re looking for a very flavorful light beer give this one a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 23:50:34 | More by scottfrie

armock

New York

3.03/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Poured a golden color with a white head that leaves lacing behind

S - Is of light hops and bready malt

T - Follows the smell light hops on bready malt

M - This beer has a light body with higher carbonation to it

D - I was a little disappointed with this one sure it wasn't bad but seeing the tap handle say pale ale I expected a good hoppy pale and I didn't get that this is a beer that I'd passover for something else

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2010 19:24:58 | More by armock

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

4.3/5  rDev +21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a medium clear yellow with a nice foamy head that left a little lace.

Good bready and light malt aromas, with a bit of yeast in the mix.

BIg surprise with the level of sweet malt and light fruit in this one (for a Kolsch). Nice, complex shift in flavors with each sip. Light bready flavor, then some bitter hop leaf, then some sweet maltiness and light fruit, turning to a dry end. What more could you ask?

Medium body, to medium-light. This was a bomber from around the grill, and it was perfect. Great drinkable summer beer. Went down extremely easy, and had no harsh edges. Great balance between the sweet and dry. WTF is wrong with me. I'vbe been staring at this beer on the shelves for abou a year before finally pulling the trigger and buying it yesterday. Well worth it. I will definitely explore other offerings from these guys. Buy this.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2009 22:39:57 | More by OtherShoe2

Offa

California

4.05/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is a very nice, refreshing yet tasty beer.

Faintly hazy, pale golden amber, it has a medium off-white head steadily shrinking to a thin ring and wisps.

Aroma is grain, bread, citrus, grapefruit, hints of honey and pine, very nice.

The taste is light but zesty and intriguing, grain, crackers, citrus, 7-up, hints of grass and pine, light sweetness and balancing bitterness. It has great balance and is quenching.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2008 17:47:28 | More by Offa

bashiba

Iowa

2.63/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured a golden orange color with a light off white head. Decent lacing.

Smell was light and grainy with a bit of corn.

Flavor was light with touches of light grainy malts and a hint of lemony hops, but they were all overshadowed by a tin like metallic taste that seemed to dominate the flavor.

Mouthfeel was light and a bit dry with some mild carbonation.

Drinkability is ruined by the persistent metallic taste.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2008 22:23:08 | More by bashiba

DogFood11

California

2.5/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 1.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Not much to look at. Loose white head falls to a small island and no retention to speak of. Color is a pale yellow w/ multiple sized carbonation, similar to a run of the mill macro lager.

I couldn't pick up to much in the smell. Bready malts and nothing else. Pretty smooth on the palate and it has a creamy feel to it as it going down. Hop presence is very subtle and more or less helps to crispen this up more than any flavor I get out of it. Fruity undertones of bananna and sweetened lemon round it out.

Notes: I like some hops to balance out a good kolsch. This stays on the bready side all the way through and it leans towards doughy. Good malt character. Delicate finish. Not one of my favorites but its an approachable offering with some depth.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2005 19:40:42 | More by DogFood11

Brenden

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The color is a medium yellow with a deeper amber hue to it. A frothy, thick pure white head starts at 2 fingers tall and eventually falls off to a sturdy foam that drops patchy lacing well down the glass.
It's not until I smell it until I decide to read the description, and it makes a lot more sense. There's a Saaz-like note of mildly sulfuric hops, verifying the brewery's claim; it is indeed like a pilsener in many ways. There's a touch of malty sweetness along with drier malts as well, and the aroma showcases a nice depth as well as proving that a gentler style can have a lot to it.
The flavor showcases those same dusty, earthy and grassy Saaz-like notes as the aroma, with a very gentle bitterness among the malty sweetness. The only thing detracting is that is goes strongly grainy.
The feel is lovely, crisp up front and continuing all the way in a flowing light but deep body with a nice, creamy smoothness that keeps me wanting another sip.
Another good one from Ballast Point.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2012 03:31:20 | More by Brenden

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

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

3.4/5  rDev -4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Pale yellow gold body, good clarity, topped by three fingers of loosely bubbly, sticky, level white foam with plenty of "snap, krackel, pop".

Mild fresh grass/hay aroma with a hint of bakery.

Mild sweet beginning runs down the center of the tongue. Tingly hop snap at the swallow. Semi dry finish.

Light tingly mouhfeel. Very refreshing drinkability.

Refresing with a nice afterglow. Not really memorable on the tongue though. Probably not a bomber type beer. Nice try, but maybe not their style.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2008 21:54:50 | More by RonfromJersey

JDV

Texas

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

Bottle courtesy of Fordest.
Gold pour, light white head, short lived. Smell is of some light malt and hops with a slight grassy alcohol smell. Taste is fairly crisp, refreshing, with a decent bite to it reminiscent of a pilsner. A bit dryer than most kolsches and light to medium carbonation. One of the better ones of the style that I have had.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2008 18:20:09 | More by JDV

xnicknj

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +11%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A - Clear golden yellow with plenty of carbonation. A slight head quickly disperses into film, leaving light rings of lacing while drinking.

S - Grainy wheat and a touch of hops.

T - Begins with light wheat and toasted grain flavors, eventually unleashing the somewhat fruity middle. Juicy hops and a sweeter malt base combine for an interesting, yet tasty profile. Finishes with a slightly buttery, tingly, hoppy bite.

M - Lighter medium body and bubby, with lingering dryness.

D - Ultra smooth and easy going. A bomber disappears pretty quickly with this one.

Another quality beer from Ballast Point - what else would anyone expect at this point?

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2010 03:30:32 | More by xnicknj

Phelps

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed from the bottle during a Kölsch tasting. While the name says pale ale (in giant letters), the description on the bottle says Kölsch, so into my tasting glass it goes.

Pours a hazy dark gold with a one-finger head of pure fuzzy white that becomes a soapy top layer, leaving tiny bit of spotted lace.

Bready biscuits and spicy German hops in the nose, in equal parts and perfect balance. There’s none of the usual Kölsch fruityness, but it’s actually a great aroma.

Same story in the flavor. Bready just-baked biscuits, a bit of lime peel, lemon pledge and other spicy German hop notes. Almost no bitterness.

High, painful carbonation, with moderate fizz and a soft medium body.

I understand the name confusion now — Yellowtail sits in an odd realm between Kölsch and pale ale, hoppy and bready yet crisp and light. It’s definitely not the most traditional example of the style, but it’s the only one that kept me coming back.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2011 21:47:50 | More by Phelps

magictrokini

California

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

Clear, golden beer with a white head. Light aroma of malt and honey. Tastes sharp like a pilsner, but with equal malt flavors. A nutty character sometimes pops with a hint of biscuits. I don't know why they call this a pale ale, because its not. Oh well, its still good.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2008 23:51:24 | More by magictrokini

IntriqKen

California

4.35/5  rDev +22.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured an ever so slightly cloudy light, pale amber with a med head and tiny bubbles whitch seemed perfect for this style.
Aroma is sweetly malt with a very faint citrus.
Mouthfeel is crisp from the carbonation.
Taste is first sweet malts, then sharp hops, followed with a slightly banana and lemon taste. Actually, much more balanced than it sounds. The flavor of this brew is very complex, but pleasingly so.
Aftertaste is drying hops with a lingering pleasant bitterness.
Although this probably has more of a hops signature than is usually found in this style, I found it extremely refreshing and qualfable.
I could drink these all summer long
NOTE: I just read up a little on Yellowtale brewing from their web site and found that they use 5% wheat in this beer...THAT is the crispness I was tasting...there is definately a bread thing going on in the taste and aftertaste. Wonderful!

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2006 22:13:28 | More by IntriqKen

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is my first time having a Kolsch beer, thanks to my buddy who hooked me up with this one!

A - A pale golden copper colour with a thin layer of head and no real lacing.

S - Grassy and bready malts are the strongest scent, with a bit of bitter hops on the finish.

T - The grassy and bready malts come through off the top, the finish has a light bitter hop flavour, much like the scent.

M - Very light and bubbly on the palette, perfect amount of carbonation and goes down very smooth.

D - A very delicious ale, I was expecting a little more in the hop department, but it was still very tasty and made for an enjoyable first experience for a Kolsch.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2010 01:03:17 | More by andrenaline

albern

Massachusetts

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

I'm not entirely sold on the Kolsch description of this beer if only because there is a bit less spiceness, a bit less fruitiness, and more earthy hops that make this a bit of a cross between a modest APA and a rather weakish IPA. The kolsch description is more of a stretch for me. The beer was a very refreshing, decently carbonated, slightly floral beer that went down smoothly. It was unexceptional, but I did like things more in the finish as the beer settled, and then some residual dryness and nuttiness emerged. I would go at this again just to see if my initial trepidation with the kolsch labeling holds true at at later date.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2008 00:26:23 | More by albern

arizcards

Arizona

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

Picked up a bomber at BevMo in late October for $3.99.

Beer poured golden with a nice long lasting white head. Nose is malty with a hint of light fruits. Taste has hints of the light fruits and is balanced nicely by a slight hint of hops. Mouthfeel is a bit heavier than normal for the style yet it is crisp and lively on the palate. Overall drinkability is good. This is another finely crafted beer by one of the lesser known San Diego breweries. Definitely worth a shot for a change of pace!

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2008 23:00:00 | More by arizcards

pmcadamis

Illinois

4.63/5  rDev +30.8%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - Honey apricot and hazy with a healthy glow and a one finger white head that sticks around despite it's small size. Lots of frothy lace is left on the glass after a good swirl, and the head is brought back to a fat finger.

S - Holy crap does this smell great! It smells EXACTLY like Quaker Oat Squares cereal, or Cracklin' Oat Bran warmed up with milk in the microwave, with honey drizzled on top. No kidding. When I was a kid, my buddy that lived next door's parents used to always fix us warmed cereal with honey and that stuff was the figgin' bomb. This probably smells more unique than almost any other beer I've ever had. No joke.

T - This tastes grainy and honeyed like the nose, but with a good dose of gritty hops. This tastes like Grape Nuts cereal more than Quaker Oats or Cracklin' Oats. This just might be the most cereal intensive beer ever. An I love me some cereal. This has some Peanut Butter Cap'n Crunch notes too, with big hops for the style on the back end.

M - Medium bodied, crackling carbonation, and a slightly dry and very grainy...(cereal like almost) finish.

D - This reminds me of the cereals that I loved as a kid and for that it gets an A in my book! This is an oddball brew....especially for the usually unassuming style. This shit was $12 for the six pack in Fort Collins, CO but I can see why....this is good beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2008 05:18:28 | More by pmcadamis

HalfFull

California

3.65/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber into an almost vertical 'pint glass' which I appropriated from the World Famous restaurant in P.B. for the sake of measuring its volume. At 12.8 oz. it's an interesting 'pint' with perhaps 11.2 oz. of beer with a fair head atop it.

Alas, it's the closest I had to a Stange glass, so back to the beer...

Pours a touch hazy, slowly clearing to a medium golden color with a half inch of white foamy head. Retention is short and lacing is present but not much of a factor.

Malts, hops and a tinge of sour on the nose when agitated, otherwise rather still and almost lager-like. Taste is light and a bit bready with a moderate finish. Carbonation fits the beer well. Easy drinking with an interestingly dry but not chalky finish.

A go to beer for many of my non-craft beer friends when I drag them out, and a big money maker for Ballast Point; allowing them crazy folk to tinker elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2009 06:01:46 | More by HalfFull

jera1350

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to Carter for this one!

Pours a gold color with a crystal white head of foam that is thick and retains well.

Pretty one dimensional nose. Pale malt, grain with a light sweetness.

Light grainy sweetness with a moderately bitter hop presence. Pretty straightforward.

Light body, decent carbonation and a dry and bitter finish.

This is a well made beer, it's just a style that isn't known for a whole lot of character. I would say it's a nice representation of the style with a little west coast hop flair. It's just not a style that does a whole lot for me, so I wouldn't need this one again. Like I said though, it's still well made. Blame it on the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 21:50:46 | More by jera1350

yemenmocha

Arizona

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

Pours a little hazy/translucent golden with average white head that has some decent retention. Nose is faint citrus, herbal, and light melon. Palate offers a nice herbal dry character, and somewhat "dirty" on the finish. Refreshing and rather easy drinking. Pairs well with french bread.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2009 03:26:50 | More by yemenmocha

Onenote81

North Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This beer pours a clear gold with a good-sized 2-finger head on top. Decent retention leaves some pretty lacing spots and rings. Smells of grassy hops, and buttery grains.

The mouth is crisp with a medium-high amount of carbonation. Flavor is of buttered biscuits finished with a sharp hop bite. This is one of the more refreshing beers I've had this summer. This will be a regular for barbecues and ballgames.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2009 18:24:00 | More by Onenote81

brewcrew76

Wisconsin

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

Thanks to barleywinefiend for this one.

A - Fairly clear golden yellow with a thin white head that quickly fades without any lacing.

S - Floral and fruity with vinous malts.

T - Fruity and floral, sweet, slightly malty with a grapey flavor, slightly estery from the yeast.

M - Refreshing with a bit of spice on the tongue. Grainy feel and not as crisp as other Kolschs I have had.

D - Nice and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2009 00:04:09 | More by brewcrew76

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured into an Allagash flute on 3/29/12

The best by date is smudged but since Ballast Point just came to Ohio, I reckon it's fresh.

Lightly hazy, golden orange color with a one thumb cap of puffy foam. Head retention is thin but keeps a decent layer and lasts. Lace take a while to catch, but once it does it holds thick layers.

The aroma has an enjoyable showing of pithy citrus (orange rind and a touch of lemon) and weavings of grass and cracker. Clean and inviting. The taste is in a similar vein - spicy hop crackle tapers to a medium-range bitterness on the back end. Malts are clean a fairly neutral in light of the hops. Medium light feel. Carbonation is too high for my liking, but it does add to the zestiness of the hops. Finishes pretty clean; it was hoppy at first but as it warms it has lingerings of grain, which is a nice change of pace.

Great drinkability (aside from some of that carbonation, haha). This is one for the IPA light category. Give it a shot.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 23:26:19 | More by Ryan011235

Kendo

New York

3.55/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes. Consumed on 12/14/12. Bottle has an "enjoy by" date of 1/31/13.

A: Poured into a pint glass. Body is light honey/golden with a small whitish head.

S: I thought there was something "off" about the smell - toasty malt and sweet malt predominate. No hops discernable at all.

T: Sweet malt, fruity malt and a touch of earthy spice.

M: Call it light-to-medium in heft, closer to medium. Good amount of visible carbonation is modestly active on the tongue.

O: A note to brewers: label your beers with the correct style. When I drank this, I was expecting an APA (the label does say "Pale Ale," after all) and was disappointed. On my notes regarding the taste, I wrote: "British style?" - because it didn't seem to have enough hops for an APA. Then in my notes for the "overall" category, I wrote, "Not what I'm looking for in an APA." I've modified my scores knowing, in hindsight, that this is a Kolsch and not an APA (originally I gave it closer to a 3.25). But at the time I drank this, I thought it wasn't a good APA at all, and my initial scores reflected that. I may have felt better about this beer had I known when drinking it that it wasn't an APA and was instead a Kolsch.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2013 16:42:19 | More by Kendo