CPA: Citra Pale Ale - Odd Side Ales

lurpy1

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Oh man, it's been a long time since my first try of a brewery was this damn good. Forget how it looks. The smell. Hot damn, the smell! An absolute grapefruit bomb with a good but not overpowering floral note to go along with it. The taste has a strong hop bite. And then there is the grapefruit, courtesy of the Citra hops. Awesome, just awesome. Mouthfeel was maybe thinner than I expected, but very suitable for the style.

Who are these guys? And why isn't this stuff bottled?

Serving type: on-tap

05-16-2012 17:13:15 | More by lurpy1

Shibbykaiyai

Michigan

4.68/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had a liter at Sidetrack in Ypsilanti.

Poured nice and golden, smelling of grapefruit. Had a nice kick of hops, but not overwhelming. A very good brew.

Prior to this brew, I had never heard of Odd Sides....but I will keep an eye out for more of their brews.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2012 01:23:04 | More by Shibbykaiyai

kdmcguire10

Michigan

4.6/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Classic looking Pale, had it on tap.

The aroma is absolutely an intoxicating bouquet of grapefruit, tropical fruit, lemon, and pine.

Taste is just what you'd expect. You get the fruit taste with a sizable hop bite. It's amazing they packed in so much in a Pale.

Mouthfeel is oily and crisp.

Overall, this is one of the most pleasant surprises I've had in awhile. Since I can't get Zombie Dust every day, this is a worthy substitute, and that's the ultimate compliment to the folks at Odd Sides.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2012 01:06:04 | More by kdmcguire10

GbVDave

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 64oz growler into two pint glasses. Thanks to HeatherAnn for the assist!

A: Pours a chill hazed copper color with two pillowy fingers of creamy off white foam. Nice retention and very sticky lace.

S: Total Citra blast! Tangerine rind, clementine, and orange. Hints of orange-vanilla cream, pale malt, and caramel as it warms.

T: See above with citrus zest, melon fleash, and mango.

M: Bitter citrus and hop oils provide the bite and the malt smooths it out and lends balance.

O: The best beer they brew...hands down. Excellent!

Serving type: growler

07-11-2011 02:07:27 | More by GbVDave

travMI13

Michigan

4.45/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap at Hermann's Olde Town Grille in Plymouth, MI. Served into a pint glass.

A: Pours a hazy orange with an inch of fluffy white head. Solid head retention with some pitting and nice lacing.

S: Big time citrus hops with a nice orange aroma. A little earthiness on the nose as well. Nice.

T: At first, it tastes like fresh-squeezed orange juice or like I just bit into an orange. Hints of grapefruit and lemon mingle with the orange, and there is a great hop bite on the finish.

M: My favorite thing about this beer is how juicy it is. The juiciness really makes it a great thirst quencher. Along with the hints of lingering bitterness and sweetness, and the perfect amount of carbonation, this beer may be the closest I have had to juice. I love it.

O: Today is the first time I have gotten to try this, and I absolutely love this beer. It compares very well to Zombie Dust, and I would love to do a side-by-side. Based upon my notes, the juiciness of Odd Side Citra sets it apart. A must-try for any hop-head. Highly recommended.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2012 03:49:25 | More by travMI13

hosehead83

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on-tap at Seven Monks Taproom in Traverse City, Michigan.
Served in a pint glass. Cloudy apricot in color, with a sturdy head of off-white foam.
Aroma-Heady bouquet of Citra hops
Taste-Tasty, snappy tropical Citra hops, well-balanced and deliscious. Session-worthy. Try with meat-and-cheese board. Outstanding.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2012 18:40:32 | More by hosehead83

StoutHunter

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I picked up a bottle of Odd Side Ales Citra Pale Ale last week for $1.89 at The Lager Mill. I have had this beer on draft a couple times and I thought it was a very good Pale Ale and since Odd Side just started bottling this I thought I would pick one up and give it a proper review and I'm, interested to see how the bottled version holds up against it on draft, so lets see how it goes. No visible bottling date, but I know it's fresh since it just showed up. Poured from a brown 12oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

A- I like the label on this beer, it looks good and the colors grab my attention. It poured a slightly orange golden color that took on more of an orange hue when held to the light with two fingers worth of off white head that died down to a thick ring that stayed till the end and left a good amount of lacing behind. This is a good looking beer, I have no complaints.

S- The aroma starts off with a high amount of medium sweetness followed by loads of hops that impart some floral aromas, but it's the citrus and tropical fruit aromas that stick out the most and impart a heavy grapefruit and orange rind aromas with some pineapple and mangos in the background. The malts barely stick out and impart a light sweet grainy aroma. This beer had a really good aroma it was super fruity and juicy and dominated by the citrus hops, I really enjoyed it and I think people would easily think this was brewed with fruits, but it's just the citra hops doing what they do best.

T- The taste seems to be pretty similar to the aroma and it starts off with a medium amount of sweetness that was just the right amount and it was followed by loads of hops that impart tons of fruit flavors with some nice grapefruit and orange flavors showing up with a little bit of tropical fruits in the background. I don't really pick up any malts and there's a slightly higher amount of medium bitterness, with a sweet and fruity aftertaste. This beer tastes very good, it's dominated by citra hops that impart loads of great fruity flavors, I really enjoyed it.

M- Smooth, clean, refreshing, a little dry on the finish, on the lighter side of being medium bodied with a good amount of medium carbonation. This beer had a good mouthfeel, it worked well with this beer and it was fairly true to style.

Overall I really enjoyed this beer and I thought it wasn't a traditional example of a Pale Ale, but it still was a good example of an American Pale ale, just not a traditional one since it wasn't nearly as balanced. This beer has very good drinkability, it was smooth, refreshing, it had just the right amount of bitterness, and the flavors did a great job at holding my attention, I could drink a few of these without getting bored with it and I think this would be an Awesome Pale Ale to enjoy during the summer and while playing some disc golf, I find it to be pretty sessionable. What I liked the most about this beer was how bright and fruit the hop profile was, the citra hops just dominated the flavor and aroma in the best way possible. What I liked the least about this beer was that it didn't have a bottling date, other than that there wasn't anything at all that was wrong with it. I would for sure buy this beer again, once Odd Sides starts making a little more of it I can see keeping some of this in the fridge all summer, it just might be my go to Pale Ale for this summer. I recommend this beer to just about anyone, if you like citrus hops than there's a good chance you will like this beer. All in all I was really happy with this beer, I thought it was just about as good as it was on draft, it seems just a little brighter and it looked a little better on draft, but other than that it was pretty much the same. This is just a great beer all around and I'm pretty sure this is my new favorite American Pale Ale, I think I will be drinking a lot of this in the upcoming months. I have only had a couple Odd Side beers but so far I pretty impressed and I think this brewery has some promise, good job guys, if this beer is an indicator for things to come than I see nothing but good things come and I can't wait to try more of their brews.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 08:15:01 | More by StoutHunter

Bitter_Echo

Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

My first from this brewery. I love a brew with citra, and the chance to try a tap of this, I couldn't pass up. Smells terrific citrus and floral and pine pitch, with a nice balanced and presentation of the grains and malt, not heavily on any elements, and the taste is just the same. This is citrus grapefruit rind forward wonderfulness, and is hoppier than many pales, maybe somewhere between an IPA and a pale ale. Highly sessionable. I really liked this and would be a regular buyer if this were to bottle in the future. Impressive.

Serving type: on-tap

11-23-2012 23:48:41 | More by Bitter_Echo

JohnnyHopps

Indiana

4.4/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

I heard a lot of Buzz about this beer, so I was excited when my friends at the Liquor Cabinet in St. Joseph had it in stock. Props to Odd Side for putting the date clearly on the side of the bottle. The reviewed bottle was dated 3/21/13. The beer poured a nice orange-copper color with high white head. The pint glass was almost unable to hold the head. In the aroma, I detected notes of pine and sweet citrus. The aroma is far from being passive. In the initial taste, one gets a burst of pineapple, orange, pine, and mild malt. At the back end, one detects notes of orange rind. The bitter resin occupies the aftertaste, following the beer right down the esophagus. The bitter grassy notes linger on the roof of the mouth and the sides of the cheeks. Though the beer had a massive head, the carbonation was muted. A reasonably thick texture allows the taste to linger nicely. This is a very good APA that I imagine would be even better on tap.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 22:10:34 | More by JohnnyHopps

robhbest

Michigan

4.38/5  rDev +4.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Picked up a bottle at the brew pub, first time the CPA was bottled. Had on tap multiple times.

Poured into snifter.

A: Pours a transparant dark yellow, 1 finger white head with good retention.

S: My nose is kicked by a ton of juicy tropical fruits

T: More tropical fruits, slight bitter finish.

M: Medium bodied, carbonated well.

O: The size of the brewery doesn't matter, the beers that come out do. This beer is absolutely fantastic. I'm lucky enough to frequent Odd Side regularly and I almost always get the CPA. It's good, refreshing and hoppy enough to satisfy.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 00:46:40 | More by robhbest

JDizzle

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a pint at Ashley's in Ann Arbor. Big citra hop fan.

Nice golden color with a decent head. Smelled like grapefruit perfume! Almost like a glass of citra hops. The taste was more muted than the smell. It still was in your face though with the piney, grapefruit blast you would expect from the smell. Very crisp and light, while bitterness does linger.

Can't wait to have again!! This is the first Odd Side beer I have tried.

Serving type: on-tap

05-24-2012 14:46:11 | More by JDizzle

Mitchster

Michigan

4.33/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

$1.89 for a 12oz bottle @ BevCo. no ingredients per the website or label other than Citra hops. Pours out to a clear burnt orange, forming a tall white head with excellent retention and nice lacing. Moderate carbonation, ~2.5 carbs or so. No sediment in bottle. The aroma is nice with pungent hops...mostly skunky MJ, a touch fo pine, then grapefruit. I like it. The mouthfeel is crisp and clean with a medium body. The taste is great as well...skunky MJ, with a touch of apricot in the middle, balanced by a touch of toasty malts, nice firm malt body, well balanced residual sweetness and a pleasant medium bitterness. For all practical purposes this is an IPA. No off flavors or aromas.

One of the best pale ales/IPAs I've had from a Michigan brewery. Exceptional. Easy to drink yet pungent and refreshing. I would definitely buy this again and recommend you try it if you want a pale ale with a little more Oooomph.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 00:00:06 | More by Mitchster

mhksuccess

California

4.24/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a bottle into a snifter glass
nice light color and you can smell the citra hops during the pour
swirl in glass reveals great heavy citra hop smell

taste is light crisp and smooth with a nice grapefruit back end to it
as I drink the citra hops taste is strong through out
at 5.75% alcohol this is a great way to start the day/night out drinking
overall is a great beer and the price makes it an excellent value
would seek it out again and find myself in the backyard bbq during the summer drinking a few of these

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2013 16:12:41 | More by mhksuccess

warnerry

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours an orange-tinged golden brown with one finger of off-white head. Head leaves some decent lacing. Smell is very nice citra hops, giving both citrus pulp and zest. Faint malt aroma. Taste also has nice juicy citrus as well as bitter citrus zest. Not as bitter as Zombie Dust. Just a very nice Citra flavor that is still hoppier than many APAs. Medium mouthfeel finishes with a subtle but lingering dry bitterness. Between this and the Pineapple IPA, Odd Side is making some solid hoppy beers. Very tasty.

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2012 21:38:39 | More by warnerry

BellsFan

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Appearance: average, pours a golden yellow with nearly no head that dicipates to simply of paper thin head that covers. Adequate lacing on the glass.

Smell: This is my second bottle (not in the same session). The first from the same sixer about two weeks ago had much more flora citra aroma. This bottle has the same citra aroma however it is simply less powerful. -that will teach me to drink a sixer this slow!

Taste: spicy grapefruit

Mouth Feel: a nice bite that tingles on your tongue

Mouthfeel: tingly effervescents

i would buy this again but consume it when fresher

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2013 22:46:09 | More by BellsFan

tectactoe

Michigan

4.21/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

On tap at the Park Bar in Detroit. Pours a pale-amber, slightly orange color with a white head that sifts down to a thin cover within minute. Aroma, as expected, full of citrus hops, very, very heavy mango and pineapple, nearly a "tropical" smelling beer - very nice and inviting. The bitter aroma from the hops is present, but is cut down quite a bit by the sweetness from the citrus-side of things. The taste combats with a little more of a bitter edge than the nose would have you believe, but the citrus notes are still there, with the pineapple and mango now joined by maybe some tangerine. Bitterness has a spike in the middle, but still never gets too high or overwhelming, which is pretty much what you're looking for in an APA - hop presence, but not necessarily dominance. Medium body, slightly sticky, carbonated well.

Very solid APA from Odd Side Ales. I've only had three of their beers, but I've enjoyed them thoroughly - all very unique and well-crafted. I need to try more.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2012 13:08:19 | More by tectactoe

Alextricity

Michigan

4.21/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

$2.19 bottle that was bottled with a half rubbed out date ... can't make out the month. Poured into a Sam Adams Perfect Pint.

Appearance: Odd label. Lime green background with purple trees in the foreground, with oranges and lemons on the ground. A hazy orange color with a few chunks floating around. Two fingers of head goes away pretty quickly, leaving a white film on top. Lacing is patchy.

Smell: Sweet, malty, but then fruity and herbal hops from the citra.

Taste: About what I expected. There's a really nice hop flavor that's balanced out very nicely by the malt. Quite dry. The citra is highlighted but it's not quite as potent as a beer like Zombie Dust is. This beer doesn't taste much like Zombie Dust, surprisingly, but they're both excellent beers in their own right.

Another great beer from Odd Side. To my surprise, less bitter than Simcoe Sensation, but has a very nice flavor -- drinkable as hell. Zombie Dust has a bit more "oomph", but having a local citra-centric beer is awesome. Must try.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 18:24:19 | More by Alextricity

superspak

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass; no bottle dating, but released recently. Pours lightly cloudy golden amber color with a nice 2 finger dense cream colored head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass. Aromas of big pineapple, lemon zest, passionfruit, peach, tangerine, floral, honey, and floral earthiness. Excellent aromas with great balance of tropical/citrus notes with a good malt balance; and nice strength. Taste of pineapple, lemon zest, passionfruit, peach, tangerine, floral, light pine, honey, and floral earthiness. Fair amount of tropical bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of pineapple, passionfruit, lemon zest, peach, tangerine, light pine, floral, honey, and floral earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice complexity of tropical/citrus hop flavors; with a nice moderate malt balance and zero cloying flavors after the finish; with nice robustness of flavors. Medium carbonation and body; with smooth, lightly creamy, and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with hardly any warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a highly excellent pale ale! Great balance and complexity of hop flavors with moderate malt balance; and extremely smooth to drink. A highly enjoyable offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2013 03:44:30 | More by superspak

alphaacid9000

Michigan

4.19/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance - Bright golden color, very clear with moderate carbonation. Nice fluffy head with minimal lacing

Aroma - I think this bottle was getting on the older side - aroma was a little more subtle than when I last had it on draft. Aromas of resin, white grapefruit and pineapple

Flavor - Nice balance between the heavy hop flavor of Citra and the strong - but subtle - malt backbone.

Overal - Excellent and very session-able. Very nice pale/IPA worth seeking out -Fresh -

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 23:17:36 | More by alphaacid9000

GRPunk

Michigan

4.16/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Bottle poured into a mug.

A- A normal pour creates a 1-finger, off-white head. The clean, golden body sports moderate carbonation. The head shows good retention, and there are some awesome rings left on the glass.

S- Clean and fresh at first. Grapefruit and pineapple dominate the initial aroma profile. I'm a sucker for that tropical fruit thing. With some warmth, the grapefruit zest and pith begIn to take over.

T- It's quite hoppy at first. There's a real of grapefruit. It gets sweet with pineapple characteristics. There's a little more balance through the middle with some biscuit-like malts. A slight spice in the finish. More grapefruit and malt with warmth.

M- Medium body. Moderate-heavy carbonation. Hoppy tingle. Clean, dry finish.

O- This beer stradles the APA/IPA line for me, not that I could call it a negative. I'd pick this up when I'm looking for a hoppy fix without an ABV overload.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 20:15:43 | More by GRPunk

Treebs

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap at Hopcat. Served in an imperial pint glass.

A: Pours a slight hazy gold with some orange hues. Nice frothy white head and nice sticky lace down the glass.

S: Great citrus fruits with some nice lemon and lime peels. Grapefruits and sweet berries.

T: The taste follows the nose, but isn't as powerful. Light grapefruits up front and finishes with a little bitter bit that is a nice note.

M: Very light and crisp. Very well carbonated and refreshing.

O: Very sessionable and some great citrus fruit flavors. Would enjoy again given the opportunity.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2011 14:05:41 | More by Treebs

Goosehunter75

Missouri

4.13/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured a brillant crystal clear gold color with a one finger very slightly offwhite head that head good retention and decent lacing.

S - Wow. Huge citris and floral aromas upfront. There is also a very nice caramel background scent. Very pleasant smelling beer

T - Much like the smell. Grapefruit and lemon are right in your face upfront, but are balanced quite nicely with caramel and malt flavors. There is also a bit of a floral taste. All this is followed by a slightly piney aftertaste.

M - Light to Medium bodied with decent carbonation. Almost silky feeling in the mouth

O - Great APA. I love the Citra hops they used in the beer and they were balanced quite nicely with the caramel malts. Wasnt so hoppy that I thought I was drinking an IPA either. Nicely done. Will definately seek this out anytime I am near Michigan.

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 00:05:01 | More by Goosehunter75

EricCioe

Montana

4.1/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The lady and I stopped into Odd Side Ales right before my grandmother's 90th birthday party. We were just planning on a quick beer but ended up walking out with a growler of this for the party after sampling a few brews. I asked the bartender/brewer if this was made with only citra hops and she said it was.

This pours a slightly hazy pale gold with a two finger fluffy white head and good retention. On the nose there is a huge citrus blast, mostly of orange peel, with very little evidence of a malt backbone at all. The orange peel is pleasantly overpowering. I gave a glass to a cousin who likes beer a little and he seemed to enjoy this a good deal, so apparently it isn't too overpowering. In the mouth some caramel malt peeks out under the prevailing orange peel. The body is medium, easy enough to sit down and drink a few pints of, with a finish long enough on the bitter fruits to keep it interesting.

I have sampled a few other beers here, but this is the first one I decided to go out of my way to add, because it's very good.

Serving type: growler

04-11-2011 20:24:55 | More by EricCioe

elNopalero

Texas

4.1/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is a clear golden in appearance. There is a sharp floral-pine aroma that is just wonderful. Tastes fantastic-it’s crisp, with a chewy pine finish to it and a nice dose of piney resin that lingers around after closing time. Is it citra hops doing all this and if so where can I get another pint? Mmmmm.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2011 19:08:58 | More by elNopalero

Bung

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Tap at The Winchester. Hazy gold pour, layer of white. Laced a little.

Aroma, powerful floral hops. Citrus, some herbal pine.

Taste, some malt background. Mostly crisp citrus and herbal resin. Clean and refreshing.

Heavy side of light. Crisp carbonation. Drinks easy. A fine citra pale.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2011 20:59:52 | More by Bung