CPA: Citra Pale Ale - Odd Side Ales

Bitter_Echo

Michigan

4.4/5  rDev +5.5%
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

tectactoe

Michigan

4.21/5  rDev +1%
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

HarrySTruman

Michigan

3.9/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Had this at sidetrack bar and grill which is in the historic depot town of ypsilanti, MI.

It was a bit dark for an APA. The board at the bar had it labled as an IPA, which seemed incorrect from both taste and smell. It was an easy drinking APA that I would drink again. Flavor was hop forward but very balanced with a nice malt backbone. Certainly wasn't a memorable beer, but a beer that I would drink again if I saw iton tap. Never heard of Odd Side Ales before, but I may go back to sidetrack and try their pineapple IPA.

EDIT: I've updated my review giving higher marks for both smell and overall. Maybe getting the chance to drink this at my house and out of the bottle changed it for me, but the smell on this is fantastic!

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2012 08:38:02 | More by HarrySTruman

hosehead83

Ohio

4.43/5  rDev +6.2%
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

33nickadams

Michigan

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Amber and see through. Little to no head and slight lacing. Smells tropical and peachy. Taste is tropical and peachy, slightly sweet and a touch of bitterness. Clean aftertaste. Mouthfeel is medium and carbonated well. Overall, this is my favorite hop and it's good to see a brewer from Michigan using it exclusively in a beer. This is really a beer that anyone could enjoy. I would love to see this bottled and distributed.

Edit-5/4/13- Had the bottle version for the first time. I have to agree with a previous reviewer in saying that it has way too much crystal 60. Very caramely which almost overpowers the citra fruitiness. Very different from when I had it on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

08-11-2012 21:14:24 | More by 33nickadams

Shibbykaiyai

Michigan

4.68/5  rDev +12.2%
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

travMI13

Michigan

4.45/5  rDev +6.7%
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

warnerry

Michigan

4.23/5  rDev +1.4%
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

JDizzle

Indiana

4.33/5  rDev +3.8%
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

lurpy1

Minnesota

4.75/5  rDev +13.9%
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

kdmcguire10

Michigan

4.6/5  rDev +10.3%
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

Bung

North Carolina

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
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

elNopalero

Texas

4.1/5  rDev -1.7%
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

brew3crew

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at hopcat CBS day. Oh what a day!

A-hazy yellow with white head that quickly disapates. Good carbonation.

S-citra hops for sure. Very inviting

T-does not live up to the nose. Watery citra hops

M- medium body and smooth

O-OK. Drinkable but will pass on later

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2011 15:46:17 | More by brew3crew

Treebs

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev -0.5%
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

Thorpe429

Illinois

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

On tap at Odd Side this past weekend. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a nice peach color with a good foamy white head and some nice lacing on the way down. Thin cap through most of the session and a collar after that.

Nose brings forward a good dosing of Citra hops with plenty of tropical notes as well as a bit of citrus. Mild bread in the background. Flavor is all about the tropical nature of Citra. Quite nice and refreshing. Light body and good carbonation. Dry. Very solid.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2011 11:30:32 | More by Thorpe429

SportsandJorts

Michigan

4.44/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: a deep yellow/orange. Pretty hazy. An off white head that leaves a lacing.

Smell: strong tropical fruit, slight hoppiness

Taste: strong tropical fruits and citrusy/tropical hops. Very dry malty backbone.

Mouthfeel: slightly bitter but strong fruity after taste. A little dry.

Overall. This is probably the tastiest pale ale I have had in a while and easy could be considered one of my favorites. Definitely worth a try

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 22:12:11 | More by SportsandJorts

Alextricity

Michigan

4.21/5  rDev +1%
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

Roman5150

Michigan

4.09/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

bottle into glass

smell: lemon, hay, citrus, grapefruit, apple, pear

taste: very earthy bitterness, not getting a whole lot of malt, fruity finish, with notes of citrus, pear, grapefruit and lemon. bitterness lingers

mouthfeel: higher carbonation, sort of thinner body

overall: A bitter pale ale with some fruity notes and a smooth malt backbone, will seek this out again. Another fantastic Michigan brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-18-2013 03:24:19 | More by Roman5150

Etan

Illinois

4.08/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

12oz into a tulip.

A: Pours a hazy orange with a nice white head.

S: Sweet citrus, tangerine, pineapple, light pine resin, apricot, a hint of cracker malt.

T: Taste is a bit drier, with some mild marmalade, grass, slightly sweet graininess, grapefruit pith.

M: Light-bodied but with a little heft, light carbonation.

O: Pretty nice pale ale. Not the best citra beer I've ever had, but tasty.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2013 21:50:25 | More by Etan

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.98/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

We crack the top and pour a brew of darker goldenrod into our Great Lakes pints. It holds a one and a half finger head of creamy whitish bubbles, showing great retention. Thick sheets and spots of lacing are left around the glass. Carbonation appears to be active with, interestingly, different sized bubbles rising to the top. A chill haze is noted, with large wet chunks of yeasty sediment floating about. The aroma is fresh and fruity, with grapefruity hops giving sweetness, pucker, and light zest, tangerine and peachy fleshiness, muddier pale malts, cotton freshness, clover honey, and light plastic sandwich bag bite. The grain bill shows more adjuncty metallics with warmth, while the hops take on a sweeter more nectary vibe, with a more floral bouquet. Our first impression is that the grain sits very much at the forefront, but does allow enough room for the hops to really shine through the center of the sip. The sip opens with bittered plastic phenols, wheaty, pale, and somewhat Belgian malty fullness, syrupy citric hop heaviness, limey zing, mineral, and musky depth. Moving to the peak is textured grapefruit hoppiness, leaving the mouth slimy and tingly. Otherwise the buds are occupied by raw pales and barley, and fresh green grassiness. We finish with washing notes of floured breadiness, mild adjuncty metallics, pineapple and cantaloupe juiciness, sliced cucumber, fresh herbal mint leaf, and all the sweetness of those citric and nectary hops, with all of the bite left in the middle. The aftertaste breathes of fusel booze spiciness, big citric and soapy hops, unwashed pale maltiness, black pepper, gravel, lemon zestiness, and echoes of grassy bitterness. The body is medium, and the carbonation is medium. The mouth is left bittered and puckered, with light initial cooling coat. The booze and hops add slickness, but ultimately give astringency down the hard palate. Each sip gives nice slurp, smack, cream, and froth. The abv is appropriate, and the beer drinks easily.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this beer was its freshness. At first the hops seemed to take a backseat to the malt bill, but with warmth things generously opened up. The hops came much more forward with bright zest, sweetness, and heaviness to match that formidable grain. They also were able to keep their independence, all while striking a nice balance. The nose was comparatively muted, but not by much. This is a tasty beer, and certainly a sleeper in the local scene.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2013 22:31:14 | More by TheBrewo

superspak

Michigan

4.2/5  rDev +0.7%
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

kojevergas

California

3.19/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Bottled 03/21/13. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with appealing label art and unbranded standard silver pressure cap served into a conical Samuel Smith's pint glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Acquired from the very generous Surlytheduff in a trade. Expectations are high. I believe this is my first beer from Odd Side.

Served cold, straight from a cooler. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a 1.5 finger beige colour head of nice cream, good froth, nice thickness, and pretty good (~4 minute) retention. Body colour is a clear translucent copper-gold. Nice vibrance. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Little lacing as the head recedes.

Sm: A bit soapy - which has me worried. Too long in primary, perhaps. Tropical fruits, including pineapple and mango. Banana. Floral character. It's not my preferred hop character, lacking citrusy, nectary, and oily hops, but I could see where it might appeal to others. Pale malts lend a sweetness to it. This isn't what I expect from a citra hop brew, but I'll go with it. Lightly bready and grainy. Redolent of candied fruit, and I'm not sure that's a good thing here. A mild strength aroma. No yeast character or alcohol is detectable.

T: Oily hop character is lovely here. Candied mango, banana, and pineapple comes through - better than the aroma, but still not ideal for my personal preferences. No yeast character or alcohol comes through. The pale malt body is a bit bready and grainy, but not as much as I expected given the aroma. Sweet, but not cloying. Some pink grapefruit comes through. The candied character bothers me. Overall, it's fairly balanced. Built well for a pale ale; there's lots of flavour here. They just aren't the flavours I want from the style.

Mf: Oily, smooth, and wet. Good carbonation. Good body. Fairly refreshing. Suits the flavour profile well.

Dr: There's a lot going on here considering it's a pale ale, and I respect that. But it mixes a lot of flavours I don't care for in a pale ale - candied sweetness, tropical fruit, banana, pineapple - and as a result I like it a lot less than I should. It's drinkable, and I appreciate what they're bringing to the style. I applaud their efforts to venture into different territory than your run of the mill west coast citrus bomb, but this just isn't doing it for me. Looking forward to trying more beers from Odd Side; they seem to be forging new ground.

Thanks again to Surlytheduff for giving me the opportunity to try this.

High C+

Serving type: bottle

04-22-2013 01:18:25 | More by kojevergas

robwestcott

Indiana

3.96/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Big thanks to ppohio for this one. Poured super cold from the bottle a murky honey'd copper to a sun king shaped pint with a wisp of a short lasting white head leaving minimal lace.

Aroma of graham crackers (?) and subtle tropical fruits, a bit of an odd aroma - not particularly off, just different.

hmmm... not at all what I was expecting from this beer. Citra ? I'm getting graham crackers and to be honest, that's all i am getting. graham cracker crust to be more precise - graham cracker crust on a really good cheesecake - & maybe a little burnt.

Medium bodied, medium carbonation, creamy smooth, no bitters whatsoever.

Drinkable.

Edit: the wife says she's getting the grapefruit others are mentioning, maybe I'm just plain wrong on this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 23:04:39 | More by robwestcott

Justin_Neff

Ohio

3.74/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a bottle into a boulevard smokestack glass.

A: Pours a dark orange color with an off-white head that leaves a really nice sticky lacing and frothy retention.

S: Strong wafts that resemble ruby red grapefruit juice, backed by hops. Smells bitter, and even a bit tart. Sweetness of orange and grapefruit.

T: The strong hoppiness from the nose fades drastically in the taste. More sweet than anything. Citrus and pineapple in the taste, which is nice, but I was definitely expecting more hop.

M: Smooth. Moderate Carbonation. Creamy. Very drinkable.

O: It certainly didn't light my world on fire - in fact the taste really let me down after the nice nose and appearance. It's possible this just wasnt fresh enough to retain all the hop taste, but I was left wanting a little bit more.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2013 01:10:29 | More by Justin_Neff