Alpha Pale ("XPA")
Wandering Star Brewing Company

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Wandering Star Brewing Company
 
Massachusetts, United States
Style:
English Pale Ale
ABV:
4.4%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.82 | pDev: 15.18%
Reviews:
4
Ratings:
7
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Jan 14, 2013
Added:
Aug 02, 2011
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews.
Photo of tempest
Reviewed by tempest from New York

3.91/5  rDev +2.4%
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.
Jan 14, 2013
 
Rated: 4 by milkbone_underwear from Massachusetts

Oct 28, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by rolltide8425 from Pennsylvania

Jul 26, 2012
 
Rated: 4 by UncleJimbo from Massachusetts

Nov 15, 2011
Photo of Tut
Reviewed by Tut from New York

4.73/5  rDev +23.8%
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.
Sep 09, 2011
Photo of rudzud
Reviewed by rudzud from Massachusetts

2.73/5  rDev -28.5%
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.
Aug 04, 2011
Photo of jlindros
Reviewed by jlindros from Massachusetts

3.38/5  rDev -11.5%
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.
Aug 02, 2011
Alpha Pale ("XPA") from Wandering Star Brewing Company
Beer rating: 3.82 out of 5 with 7 ratings