Spruce Ale - Full Pint Brewing Company

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

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

Had this on 2012-10-03 in York, PA at the Holy Hound Taproom.

A - Pretty clear golden-orange with a 1.5-finger offwhite head and moderate lacing.

S - Mild but pleasant aromas of spruce, light bready malt and earthy forest floor.

T - Quite interesting. Some vegetal and spruce at first, sweet/festive spice, touch of honey, lightly toasted sour dough bread and a touch of tangerine. Not bitter initially but it appears in the aftertaste.

M - Light-medium body and carbonation. Crisp and refreshing. Easy drinkin'.

O - A unique and unexpected flavor in a low ABV beer. May not be everyone's cup of tea, er . . . beer, but it was a nice change of space. Wouldn't be an everyday brew for me it's well done and I respect brewers that can craft new flavors like this in a moderately-sessionable brew.

Serving type: on-tap

10-03-2012 22:02:37 | More by Tucquan

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -8.2%

05-10-2013 19:42:28 | More by twenty5

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.49/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Extract spruce. Not bad for extract, but nowhere close to a good spruce beer. Still decently drinkable. Faint sprice aroma, stronger flavour. Carbonation still right there, middling mouthfeel. Brownish colour, lots of retained head. Bottle from Steve in Warren.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 02:41:46 | More by northyorksammy

JonSzakelyhidi

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +27.1%

01-14-2013 04:49:15 | More by JonSzakelyhidi

MusicaleMike

Pennsylvania

2.3/5  rDev -35%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

"This distinguished ale was brewed in the colonial tradition of using molasses and spruce tips in place of flavor hops to give this beer its unique flavor."
The bottle also says this ale is brewed with "natural flavors," which I wonder....is molasses and spruce natural flavors?

Packaging is very nice. I have been impressed with Full Pint's look. 12 oz brown bottles (longnecks) that have high-gloss, full wrap labels and attractive artwork that has hints of art deco lettering.

The beer itself is a cloudy reddish amber color that has two fingers of white foamy head on top. Head drops down to a thin layer on top.

I think I was expecting more of a "pine" like aroma, but this is quite earthy. There is a sharpness to the smell, like it is going to be bitter. I get some biscuity malts but not much. The aroma is pretty soft.

Wow. I was really expecting something quite different. I was expecting big, bold flavors and what is delivered is a very soft, timid amber ale that has a slight cracker maltiness, and not much bitterness. (I mean, I didn't expect it to be bitter since it says there are only 20 IBU's here) But really, "Spruce" is a misleading name, since one expects a very forward spruce aroma and flavor. Not here. Light sweetness in the finish.

Light to medium bodied beer with a little bite up front. Carbonation is decent.

Overall, I think the beer was a let down. It appears that they put more effort into the beautiful packaging than designing the beer. It is just so mild and...and bland.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2012 19:39:41 | More by MusicaleMike

JayKay412

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -22.3%

09-23-2012 02:13:09 | More by JayKay412

heddar33

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +13%

09-09-2012 04:40:12 | More by heddar33

bacher468

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

09-08-2012 17:01:19 | More by bacher468

mrosenfeld32

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

08-30-2012 00:06:51 | More by mrosenfeld32

flyers1980

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -1.1%

08-20-2012 14:16:29 | More by flyers1980

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

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

This poured out as a nice looking amber color with a decent off white colored head on top. Not much lacing or retention. The smell of the beer has some light hoppy notes as well as some earthy spruce aromas. The taste of the beer is moderately spicy, spicy from the spruce and some of the hops. There is a nice sweetness in there too. The mouthfeel if nicely carbonated but remains smooth too. Overall this beer is pretty good, I would like to give it another try sometime.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 05:03:00 | More by Knapp85

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

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

A - Pours a hazy dark amber brown with a creamy 1/4 inch of head that quickly fours a thick lace ring.

S - Not much pine in the smell mostly pilsner malt and a touch of honey. Smells quite nice.

T - A touch of herbal hops and a bit of pine in the taste but it seems balanced behind the pilsner malts and a touch of honey sweetness. Quite refreshing.

M - Light to medium quite good.

Overall I like most of there beers and this is no exception. Not very much herbal to this beer but still a great beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 00:06:23 | More by DrDemento456

lpotter

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +5.9%

08-10-2012 10:18:10 | More by lpotter

OneDropSoup

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a shaker pint: Slightly cloudy golden-orange body under two fingers of glistening, cratered custard head.

First smell is a light, sweet kind of pine, like walking into one of those country craft stores that smells like potpourri, juniper, a little cinnamon, a little lemon. Good smells, but faint. A little orange shows up, too.

There's a biscuity malt presence combined with orange zest & flesh that seems to be characteristic of a lot of Full Pint's beers, but also a little bit of menthol, again a kind of juniper note, with some cinnamon heat. The bitterness kicks & fades, & there isn't a long, lasting bitterness like you get from hops.

Curious mouthfeel, as it's intensely "tingly" at points but dies down, smooths out & ends almost flat.

Not bad overall, but it kind of takes you to the verge of this intense flavor without ever really getting there. That's what I think I'm finding with it - it almost reaches a peak with the aroma, flavor, & texture but then kind of dies down & turns flat. I've had other spruce beers that took me there, but I certainly wouldn't turn this one down again.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2012 22:27:07 | More by OneDropSoup

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +13%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Hazy copper color with an eggy white head, retaining with decency despite the overpour. Towers of lace rings.

Creamy caramel malt grain with toasty sweetness and a hint of earthy and piney hops. Likeable.

Spruce tips, almond, toasted grain, toffee bark, earthiness, mild grapefruit, and latent spiciness. Pretty nice flavor. Complements the nose well.

Rich and creamy with a medium-plus body. Further improved feel through tight carbonation. Tiny bubbles that still burp up. Exceptional.

Great chew in this brew. Flavor is herbal and complex beer with an English malt note that I enjoy. I will have to look into whether or not they bottle this.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2012 04:34:22 | More by thecheapies