Alpha Pale ("XPA") - Wandering Star Brewing Company

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Had a glass at Queens Kickshaw in Astoria. This a cool beer, American hops piled into an English pale ale. The hopping is on par with an APA, though the flavor isn't quite as crisp or clean. The big citrus fruit dominates the beer with a mix of grapefruit, zest, rind, and a little juicier tangerine fruit. There is a light, doughy malt in the background. It's quite drinkable, but just as satisfying to sip, with an appropriately light-medium body. Give it a try.

Serving type: on-tap

01-14-2013 01:26:05 | More by tempest

Tut

New York

4.78/5  rDev +24.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I don't review beers on this site but wanted to provide a different take on Alpha Pale. I'm going to skip the technical tasting notes and simply state my overall opinion. I encountered this beer at Christopher's in Porter Square, Cambridge, MA during a two week visit in Boston last July. It was the first time they had it on tap.

I'm 61 and have been drinking craft beer for over twenty years. I travel extensively and have been to Belgium, the UK, Germany, Austria, and the Czech Republic multiple times. In other words, I have a little experience with beer.

Alpha Pale is an unfiltered light summer seasonal pale ale and one of the most enjoyable and drinkable beers I've had anywhere. I rarely order the same beer twice in a session but I drank three Alphas in a row. It's smoothness and balanced flavor profile are excellent. It's different from any other beer I'm familiar with. I brought a beer enthusiast friend to try it two days later and we had the last four pints from the keg. It sold out in three days. The bartender said customers were raving about it.

If you're a hophead/big beer fan, you may not like it, but if you appreciate highly drinkable, balanced beers with subtle taste characteristics, seek it out.

Serving type: on-tap

09-09-2011 16:41:12 | More by Tut

rudzud

Massachusetts

2.73/5  rDev -28.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I had the misfortune of trying some of this ontap at the Armsby Abbey. Poured into a pint glass.

A - Poured a hazy wit like appearance with a fizzy, quickly dissolving head.

S - What the heck is this...Wheres the hops? Super super light aromas (grains, hops, malts). A quick smell yields the following reaction of "This is a craft beer?".

T - And the taste garnishes that reaction as well. More light malts and light hedgrow hops. Waaaay too light on the flavors on this one. Lots of grains too. Really confusing.

M - My favorite part of this beer. But that still isnt saying much. Felt somewhat thin and weak.

O - Overall, not worth my time or money. This is a beer I expect to get from a macro brewery trying to do craft, not a regular ol craft brewery. Really needs some work to be enjoyable. A shame.

Serving type: on-tap

08-04-2011 01:01:40 | More by rudzud

jlindros

Massachusetts

3.4/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Armsby Abbey

Light fizzy head covering hazy wheat orange color.

Nose is light sweet malts, light fruits, light wheats, light herbal hops, light esters, very light overall.

Taste has light malts and a bit grainy, a light ester taste, light herbal hedgrow style hops but not very bitter, somewhat lighter bitterness, light sweet malts, light dry quick finish, light fruit as well, there's nothing that really stands out about this beer.

Mouth is lighter bodied, decent carb.

Overall kinda meh, nothing really going on, no real hop presence except some herbal U.K. style bittering hops that hardly bitter the beer, and not my fav style of hops either. Overall everything was very light like the beer couldn't make up it's mind where it wanted to go, and I don't mean light like a nice pilsner or light pale ale, more like they weren't sure what to add so they just added a touch of everything and it just made it bland.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2011 11:59:07 | More by jlindros