Black Creek Pale Ale - Black Creek Historic Brewery

peensteen

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy amber orange colour, light white head, sticky with light lacing. Smell is of citrus, grapefruit, a touch skunky, malt background, a light buttery note comes and goes not too much though. Tastes is bitter hop and really dry at first, malt comes in but takes a backseat and finishes with citrus, orange and grapefruit. Mouthfeel is dry, well carbonated, oily from the hops, medium body and pretty refreshing. Good overall, solid but can improve though I did enjoy this. More of an APA in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 21:40:39 | More by peensteen

funkengruven

Ontario (Canada)

3.73/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle Date - 3/12 - This has been sitting in my cellar for a while.

This poured into my pint glass very thick with a slightly off white head, some dregs near the bottom, presumably yeast.

Smell is very faint, i think I smell some hops there but can't seem to make out any other aromas. Taste is pretty bold, mostly hops, some sweet caramel malt in the undertone with a slightly sour finish. Mouthfeel is thick with a slightly oily hop aftertaste.

I think I've had this before as a much "younger" brew, and although it wasn't too bad I did not enjoy it as much as this. It appears that cellaring does well to this brew and if you have one I'd recommend letting it sit for a while. Overall, pretty good.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2013 22:43:28 | More by funkengruven

cfalovo97

Ontario (Canada)

2/5  rDev -44.3%

11-06-2012 16:03:43 | More by cfalovo97

mick303

Ontario (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

BB 09/12. Pours a clean coppery brown/gold, with frothy off-white head. Leaves good lacing.

Smell is vibrant and aromatic. A light grapefruit citrus. Nice balance of assertive malt and hops. Lot of character.

Taste is initially thick malt, then sour malt notes. It develops an astringent character. Becomes more palatable as it warms, a more balanced creamy malt with a lighter hop character. Aftertaste is long, quite a dry bitterness.

Mouthfeel is on the light side, moderate-light body with some bigger malt body coming toward the end, a bit more creamy. Carbonation is very light.

Expecting a fair bit more after the nose. Palate seemed a bit of a let down, but letting it warm was a big improvement, solid indicator. A quality beer and quite drinkable, but never gets very exciting. Works pretty nicely though.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 22:13:03 | More by mick303

500MLperWeek

3.25/5  rDev -9.5%

07-17-2012 02:14:13 | More by 500MLperWeek

NV9

Ontario (Canada)

3.55/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice amber colour with a creamy coloured foam head that was there for a few minutes, nit much lacing but a small amount of foam remained after 10 minutes.

Smell of citrus and its evident in the smell that there are strong hops in here.

Tastes crisp, lots of hops up front, definite pine bitter finish.

Low carbonation, medium body, good beer, would go for it again.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 21:12:37 | More by NV9

ThomasWhytock

Ontario (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Picked it up as part of the OCB discovery pack.

A beautiful pour. A nice amber color with a lovely foamy head.
has a very clean and crisp taste. Very malty and a bit bitter, but has a few notes of citrus and is very refreshing.

Overall, a beautiful beer. Recommended to try at least once.

For fans of Mad Tom IPA

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 20:23:12 | More by ThomasWhytock

WeissBoy

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%

05-22-2012 06:20:43 | More by WeissBoy

RedAleMan

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +11.4%

11-21-2011 02:05:09 | More by RedAleMan

Intrinsic

Quebec (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

BCPA pours a very creamy copper colour with amazing head retention. The smell is quite malty, but not very complex. The taste is pretty much the same, dominated by a soft malt flavour that's not too sweet. Its balanced out quite nicely by a above average bitterness. It has earthy tones to it and is actually pretty good. Good mouthfeel, although it could stand to be a little drier. Overall, I'd drink it again, although I won't go out of my way to buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2011 01:34:19 | More by Intrinsic

thehyperduck

Ontario (Canada)

4.13/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

500 mL bottle picked up at the LCBO; BB date Dec. 2011.

Pours a dark, slightly hazy amber-copper colour, topped with a finger of rich, tan head. Retention is ok; it lasts a few minutes before seeping away to a creamy cap and collar with lots of lacing. The aroma reminds me more of an American pale rather than an English one; pine sap and grapefruit citrus hops, with some underlying caramel malt. Pretty inviting.

The taste follows the aroma - citrusy grapefruit and pine hops are the dominant flavour. A bit earthy/woody with some bergamot. Caramel and biscuity malt sweetness are also present, but slightly overpowered by the hops. Definitely a fusion of American and English pales going on here. Medium-bodied, a bit creamy with some buttery/oily notes. Carbonation level is low-ish; subtle but it works.

Really tasty stuff, I'm glad I picked this up and will probably get it again some time. Definitely worth a try, but don't be surprised if this reminds you more of an APA than an EPA.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2011 05:16:16 | More by thehyperduck

andrenaline

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark caramel colour, finger of beige head with decent retention and some nice sheeting lacing.

S - A tad mild, but some citrus hops come through nicely alongside caramel undertones.

T - Hoppier than I was expecting, though still a tad mild. The citrus hops dominate but can come across a tad bitter. Bready caramel lingers alongside some sour lemons.

M - Medium bodied, smooth and surprisingly wet on the finish.

O - A tasty pale ale and certainly hoppier than some other Canadian pale ale offerings. Worth a try and easily drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 23:04:40 | More by andrenaline

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A flavourful pale ale, classified as British but with definite American elements.

Dark amber with brown and orange highlights. Limited head but still pours with a decent level of carbonation and has a pleasant mouthfeel. Aroma of toasted malts and toffee. Flavour introduces citrus and pine notes along with the caramelized malts. I like the lingering bitter finish.

Overall a well balanced ale, with "a lot going on" for its 5% ABV.

Serving type: bottle

08-07-2011 21:41:53 | More by hopsolutely

slitherySOB

Ontario (Canada)

3.38/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

After partaking of another Trafalgar offering, this was a welcome brew. Pours a dark amber colour, with perhaps a half fingers worth of thick foam. Very malty, earthy flavours, with some grassy hops and a bit of pine. Tastes very earthy, almost mushroomy, which is oddly good. Plenty of malts and a bitter, floral/piney aftertaste. Medium body, little low on carbonation mouthfeel Overall, a decent beer. Nothing that really screams WOW, but a good beer to stock up on.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2011 17:59:11 | More by slitherySOB

SebD

Ontario (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: It has a nice amber/copper/orange colour to it. It has a nice thick beige head that dies down slowly and has very nice lacing.

Smell: The aromas definitly give out hints of piney and citrucy hops with some bready and caramely malts.

Taste: Like the aromas, it has a very dominant citrucy hop flavour to it with caramely and bready malts in the back.

Mouthfeel: It has a low/medium carbonation with a nice balance of flavours and bitterness.

Drinkability: It's a very nice drinkable beer accompanied with great flavours and aromas. Like some of the others said, I would classify it as an American Pale Ale rather than an English. This Ale definitely reminds me of Hoptical Illusion.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 23:11:46 | More by SebD

Matt1516

Quebec (Canada)

3.88/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Used to live around the corner from this place (and when they dragged us here on educational school trips there was no beer sampling).

Foamy two finger head that dissipates to 1/8 inch. Slight lacing on the glass. Rusty-amber colour. Smells of citrus and hops.

Very hoppy with grapefruit and piney notes. Creamy but not much maltiness. Astringent and puckering. While it may be made the old pioneer way, I'm not sure the old-timers liked their beers this hoppy (but I do).

Probably should be classified as an American Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2011 02:41:42 | More by Matt1516

cyrenaica

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml bottle
5.0% ABV
I tried this beer on May 5, 2011 after purchasing at the Queen's Quay LCBO outlet in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The beer poured a translucent rust colour in the glass with a huge rocky tan coloured head. The aroma is caramel malt, citrus hops, and pine. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. The flavour is rather hoppy with a light malt sweetness. A decent pale ale

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 23:10:55 | More by cyrenaica

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

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

Bottle: Poured a medium amber color ale with a medium foamy head with good retention and some light lacing. Aroma consists of light piney notes with some nice semi-sweet caramel malt. Taste is quiet refreshing with light piney and hoppy notes that are well balanced with some semi-sweet caramelized malt. Body is slightly fuller then average with good carbonation. Well brewed and closer to an APA then an English Pale Ale IMHO.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2011 19:02:09 | More by Phyl21ca

Stocean1

Ontario (Canada)

3.6/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - poured a one finger head with big bubbles - burnt orange amber colour - patchy lacing

S - grassy hops and some pale malt and earthy citrus

T - pale malt with a strong grassy hops flavour - a little earthy - definitely a hint of orange peel and a grapefruit note
M - medium body and a little carbonation - silky up front - hoppy enough that it feels a little spicy (bitter) in the mouth with a ligering tingle on the tongue - not unpleasant

O - a decent english pale ale with lots of grassy hops but not overpowering for me (but probably for some others) - definitely will grab another. On second thought (i.e a later review)it does seem to be conflicted between the american and english versions - seems to have the englsih malt with the american hops - reminds me of smash bomb just not nearly as good

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2011 18:21:53 | More by Stocean1

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.63/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Single bottle picked up from the LCBO. I think I passed over it a few times thinking it was the porter, so I was pleasantly surprised to see a new addition.

Poured into a nonic pint glass. Nice colour on this, good amber-copper hue, slight murk to it. Left an impressive frothy off-white head that looks a great deal like meringue. More lacing than you can shake a stick at. A great looking brew.

Nose is straight American Pale – citrusy hops, a bit of biscuit or cracker, some nice bread.

A surprisingly good brew – I say surprisingly because I wasn’t overly impressed with their porter, so I didn’t hold strong expectations for the pale ale. I was also surprised that the brewer decided to go the northwest hop route on this. Don’t get me wrong, I want more brewers from Ontario to use those delectable citrusy hops, but for a brewery that is based in a 19th century rural village recreation, it’s a bit surprising that they aren’t using ingredients more reflective of the era. No matter, it’s still a fine pale ale, if bold hops are your thing. Actually, the hops prove to be somewhat overpowering, providing a strong tangy bite at the back of the tongue (I’m guessing Citra), but generally speaking the brew is quite good. Just don’t look for subtlety here. A slight earthy character to the finish.

Mild carbonation provides a nice palate-cleanser. Slightly creamy, medium bodied. Hoppy tartness lingers long on the tongue.

An enjoyable brew, something I will certainly seek out if I make my way to the brewery someday. Since my yen for citrusy hops is otherwise unsatisfied by the LCBO’s current selection, this will more than suffice.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 19:00:58 | More by JohnnyBarman

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

4.03/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From notes.

A - Poured with a one finger biege head on a copper body. Bright with strong carbonation. Soapy lacing is thick on the glass and there is a good one finger head retention.

S - Strong hop. Biscuity malt, outweighed by juicy, citrussy hops. Malt character seems darker and more caramelly.

T - Very much an American Pale Ale. Maybe the darker malts lend this to more English influence, but this is a well hopped PA for sure. Quite malty and hopped hard. Juicy, fruity hops with a caramel malt backbone.

M - Medium body and carbonation. Dry with a bitter finish.

O/D - I can't hide the fact that I liked this. Not completely unlike Hoptical Illusion. Well balanced, except the hop takes over in the flavour. Well put together, but not English to me.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2011 15:16:04 | More by tbeckett

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

2.53/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Tasting notes from 5/3/11
Poured in to pint glass.

A - Medium amber colour with one finger of bubbly cream coloured head with good retention.

S - Fairly sharp hop bitterness up front with some light citrus and pine notes coming through along with a slight bready malt backbone that had an ever so slight sweetness to it.

T - The hops have a very unpleasant sharp bitterness to them up front and that taste continues to dominate the palate and completely distracts the taste buds from other flavours. When really focusing on the bakground flavours, some light floral and grainy notes come through along with a slight sweetness. The unpleasant hop bite lingers in the finish.

M - Light to medium body. Light carbonation.

O - This was disappointing. I will not drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2011 21:04:43 | More by TheSevenDuffs

mintjellie

Ontario (Canada)

3.8/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Hazy copper red with loads of off-white foam on top. Very little lacing. Smells mostly of pine with subdued citrus and toasty malt undertones. On the palate, theres a big hit of leafy and citric (tangerine) hop flavours. Light diacetyl note is complementary, not distracting. Powerful bitterness lingers long into the finish. Somewhat light in body with an oily, resinous mouthfeel. It's good to see more Ontario brewers crafting ales that can serve as a proper hop fix.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 00:50:16 | More by mintjellie

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

500ml Bottle

Appearance – Slightly hazy orange/red colour with a large size frothy and fizzy beige coloured head. There is a below average amount of carbonation and there is some really fantastic lacing on the sides of the glass. The head lasted for 5 minutes before it began to dissipate.

Smell - Malts, caramel, hops, oranges, grapefruits

Taste & Mouth - There is an average amount of carbonation and the most noticeable flavours are malts, caramel, and hops. I was actually plesantly surprised to taste a bit of a fruit juiciness as well.. grapefruits and oranges. There are very few beers from Ontario that have this kind of flavour. It finishes with a malty and mildy juicy hop aftertaste.

Overall – I have to say that I was very impressed with this beer. As another reviewer stated, it’s more of a American pale ale than a English one. If you’re a fan of hoppy and juicy beers, give this one a shot. There aren’t many like this in Ontario.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2011 16:46:25 | More by spinrsx

biegaman

Ontario (Canada)

3.83/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Black Creek Historic Brewery's Pale Ale is 'pale' in the historic sense; it wasn't until the mid-nineteenth century that beers started to look clear and golden-yellow. Up until that point, ales like this here murky, sludgy, brownish-copper one were about as 'pale' as it got.

The toasty, grainy-sweet malts in the bouquet are lavishly enriched by a citrusy acidity and soft floral undertones. What might have been a little plain and pedestrian is instead distinguished by a refreshing candied, fruity zest - in other words, it's hops to the rescue! It smells like brown sugar coated grapefruit. This shows a lot of potential.

Those floral, fruity hops - surely some combination of American "C" hops - provide the same candy coating in the taste. A treacle of pine, a flurry of lemon zest shavings and big chunks of grapefruit all show up on the palate without a ton of accompanying bitterness. Amidst it all, however, the grainy, bready taste of pale malts is not forgotten.

The brewery claims to base all their beers on historic recipes from the mid-1800s; indeed, the abundant hoppiness in this pale ale harks back to a time before refrigeration (and before industrial breweries diluted their beers to a point of insipidness) when hops were needed as natural preservatives. The taste of bitter orange peel is heavy in the finish.

A price tag of $3.55 is a pretty steep for a bottle of pale ale, but Black Creek Pale Ale does represent fairly good value for your money. I was impressed by how much hoppy character and bitterness it packed, considerably more than other Ontario offerings. If you've been wondering what this historic brewery has been brewing up for us, no need to wait any longer - pick up a bottle now that they're available at the LCBO.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2011 21:49:55 | More by biegaman