Four C's American Pale Ale - The Brew Kettle Taproom & Smokehouse / Production Works

Broman

Ohio

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Appearance- Pours a thick white head. Even a gentle pour displaces a large foam top. Pale orange in color, fairly transparent.

Smell- Somewhat complex. The most notable are citrus tones. Hints of grapefruit and a minor sweet note are subtly noted.

Taste- Equal to the smell. More bitter then anything. Not overwhelming bitterness. The expected citrus flavor is noted. Flavor is abundant and quickly disappears and leaves a barely noticeable hop flavor in the mouth afterwards leaving a somewhat stale tinge in .

Mouthfeel- Light on the tongue. Slight carbonation.

Overall- Enjoyable beer to drink. Not overly complex. Consuming two or three in one sitting would be the limit for me. The flavor is to basic to really have any more if other beers are available.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2013 04:52:04 | More by Broman

SerialHiker

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a nice autumnal orange mixed with caramel brown…way too much off white head formed with the lightest of pours (see photo above)...this is the last of a six pack I picked up and all of them have done this...it’s thick, with big and little bubbles…tons of big bubble lacing around the glass…fairly transparent, there’s tons of bubble action throughout…a well carbonated brew…when it finally simmers down, it has a nice, drinkable appearance…(3.89/5)

Smell: Earthiness, yeast, floral, piney, grapefruit, orange, sweet caramel malts, honey candy and toffee…there is a light airiness; a fresh, out-of-the-shower aroma going on here…a touch of alcohol heat way in the back…it’s a lovely smelling brew…(4.25/5)

Taste: Yum! Sweet, caramel malts blending nicely with piney/resin and citrus hops flavors…way more yeast flavor than typically found in these types of pale ales…a very fresh feel and taste to it…not overly complicated, it really comes in as it finishes…there’s a biscuity, citrus bitterness in the after taste…(4/5)

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body, tons of carbonation…it fluffs up all over my palate leaving piney/citrus resin all over my tongue…for all the fluff and body, it’s not overly chewy, still has a nice, drinkable body…(4/5)

Overall: This is a pretty good beer…the flavor isn’t overly unique, as I’ve really been hitting the caramel malts mixed with citrus hops American Pale Ale variety pretty hard lately, so it’s difficult for a brew like this to stand out...what does separate this beer from others is the yeast they use…it’s very evident in the aroma and flavor making it borderline Belgian in life and effervescence (though the over zealous carbonation makes me burpy!)…things are nicely balanced, it’s very drinkable and at 6.0% ABV, I could have a couple over the course of a night and still be able to hold my head up… (4/5)

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 00:38:11 | More by SerialHiker

kawilliams81

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Half Acre tulip.

A- pours a dark caramel with a 2 finger light tan head. Big blotches and trails of lacing remain on the glass.

S- very malty, toast, pine, floral, light citrus.

T- caramel, toasted malts, bitter citrus and pine with some grassy flavors as well.

M- medium body and carbonation. Slightly dry and a crisp finish.

O- ok pale ale. Very malt forward and actually has a slight abv bite for some reason. My suggestion: 5 C's, dry hop the shit out of this beer with Citra!

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2012 00:28:32 | More by kawilliams81

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.18/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Looks good for a pale ale. More amber than golden orange but that's OK. Head is a nice 1/2 inch of sticky white head.

S - Well it smells rather hop forward maybe a touch more pine than I expected. I am used to a good amount of hops in my pale so it's nothing surprising. Malt sweetness and a touch of biscuit also.

T - Damn I knew it was a matter of time before these guys made a beer I didn't enjoy. Too much pine bitterness and little malt balance make it hard to drink and even harder to chug. I really had to look for pale malts or biscuit sweetness but nothing redeeming about this pale.

M - Medium, chewy, bitter, acidic.

Overall not buying this one again. Damn I could have has another Jack porter...

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 07:09:22 | More by DrDemento456

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.13/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Nice beer. Good hop tone and character on it. Flavor profile stays consistent. This is an easy drinking apa. I don't see any reason why you shouldn't try this beer; or make it a regular rotation in your lineup if it's readily available. Well above average.

Hey whose porch was this beer's pic taken on? I wanna have a brew there! (Have your people call my people?)

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2012 00:44:35 | More by RblWthACoz

zac16125

South Carolina

2.83/5  rDev -25.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass
No born on date or other distinguishing numbers

A: Pours a light amber with reddish hues and just under 1 fingers width of only slightly off white colored head, which takes a fair amount of time to dissipate down.  Great clarity and lots of carbonation bubbles can be seen rising to the top of the glass.  Leaves random small patches of lacing.  

S: Citrus, sweet malts, slightly smokey.  Decent aroma but VERY mild.  

T:  Malt forward with a generic sweetness, then some bitterness on the back end.  Smokey/burnt flavors similar to the nose.  I don't really like the flavor profile much on this one.

M/D:  Medium bodied, appropriate carbonation, drinkability is fair but it has that bizarre burnt toast/smokey characteristic that really detracts from its drinkability.  

O: Overall, pretty disappointing, especially since the trader who sent it to me was supposed to be sending White Rajah, but sent this instead.  Oh well.  Rather unremarkable beer that I wouldn't seek out and likely will never have again.  

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 23:27:37 | More by zac16125

deadonhisfeet

Kentucky

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a New Belgium snifter. The beer is clear and dark amber (quite dark for an APA) with low carbonation and a thin head with decent lacing. The nose is syrupy-sweet and piney with hints of apricots.

Firm mouthfeel and medium body support a sweet, toasty flavor accented by robust hop bitterness. The beer is plenty hoppy for an APA, but still true to the style. Hop flavors tend towards sappy, pine-like flavors with just a hint of citrus. Dry finish and quite refreshing.

Overall, an excellent APA. Very well-made and balanced. Hoppier than most APAs, but not quite as bitter as an IPA.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 17:20:30 | More by deadonhisfeet

macrosmatic

Florida

3.08/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes. Poured from 12 oz. bottle into pint glass.

A: Light tan to brown, some haze, with a one finger white head. Some visible carbonation.

S: Caramel toffee sweet malt. Not much else.

T: The taste follows the nose, unfortunately: caramel sweetness, slight bitterness. This is minimally hoppy, and what's there just seems to add bitterness without any other flavors.

M: Weight is OK, not too light, with a slight drying finish. There is a little alcohol burn.

O: Since I couldn't find any sort of date on the bottle, I don't know if this is really old or what. But as it stands it just is not particularly good. Where's the hops??

Serving type: bottle

07-19-2012 23:41:23 | More by macrosmatic

stewart124

Ohio

3.1/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours an orange color with really no head to speak of.

Nose has tropical notes with citrus and grapefruit.

Much thicker mouthfeel than I expected and the carbonation seemed a bit low. This along with a sweeter caramel character and subdued hop bitterness were a bit of a disappointment.

Not a bad American Pale Ale by any means but not quite what I was looking for.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2012 00:35:19 | More by stewart124

Hoptometrist

Oregon

3.13/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served from the bottle into a mug

A- Poured a orange/amber color with a soapy head that dissipated immediately and left no lace

S- Tons of caramel sweetness, some light citrus hop, marmalade type aroma

T- Lots of caramel sweetness, orange marmalade flavor, some citric hoppiness, quite a bit of nondescript bitterness on the finish but overall this is sweet and malty pale ale

M- Smooth up front, lighter body, finishes pretty watery

O- A decent pale ale lacking in hop flavor but easily drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2012 00:14:44 | More by Hoptometrist

schoolboy

Ohio

4.15/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I've had a bunch of Brew Kettles this year (I think I need to go there soon) This is a very tame APA, but nice and easy to drink.

It is pretty flatt and headless in the glass. The aroma is weak too. The taste is a nice hoppy balance, just as an APA should be.

This is a very pleasant brew and I look forward to giving it a try on tap.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2012 20:58:21 | More by schoolboy

ONUMello

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

22oz bottle poured into a pint glass
A: Transparent orange color with a 1/2 finger head that quickly settles.
S: Very muted, but some caramel malt and citrus hop aromas come through as you get your nose close enough to get wet.
T: Sweet malts come through initially, quickly followed by pine and citrus peel from the hops, with a nice earthy bitterness towards the finish.
M: Medium-bodied with a nice crispness and a delicious bite from the hops/bitterness.
O: Certainly not a bad bottle of beer, but the nose especially was lacking. Granted the bottle says keep refrigerated and I did not, but I rarely do and most beers show more aromatics. I would be interested to try one of these fresh on tap to compare.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2012 02:49:04 | More by ONUMello

cosmicevan

New York

3.6/5  rDev -5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

many thanks to TheBeerologist for sending this treat my way. enjoyed from a bluepoint snifter.

a - brew poured an amber brown with a finger plus of frothy offwhite head...almost ipa-like head. the beer had a dark core with lighter highlights along the side of the glass. head was foamy, but lacing moved attached to the head not leaving more than a spec here and there, but the head hung out. darker than i had expected, but nice. has a nut brown look to it.

s - nice caramel malt with a touch of hop. the toffee is sweet and inviting and has my mouth watering in anticipation of the first sip.

t - wow, malt BOMB. this one is all malt. don't get me wrong, i love my malty pale ales but the variety of hops mentioned on the label are invisible.

m - finishes bitter. medium bodied.

o - overall, not exactly what i was hoping for. glad i got a try, but a bit blase and overly malty for even a pale ale. the hops seem to only really show on the finish. not bad, just extremely mundane. not a drain pour, but the 4 C's (centennial, cascade, columbus, and chinook) aren't as present as i had hoped. as i drank more and my palette adjusted to the malt, i started noticing more hop flavors.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 23:13:10 | More by cosmicevan

oline73

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color with a finger of off white head that disappears completely.

Smell: There is a slightly fruity malt note with some citrus peel hops.

Taste: There is a strong malt presence, bready and not too sweet. I'm getting the fruity notes with the hop bitterness showing up in the finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with tingly carbonation and a dry finish.

Overall: This one is a bit dark for a pale ale, but still not too bad. I would have another, but won't search it out in particular.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2012 00:20:18 | More by oline73

johnnnniee

New Hampshire

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

Received in trade from barak316, thanks for the opportunity.
Pours a crystal clear deep copper color that borders on brown and wears a creamy white head that sticks around for a bit. Smells of citrus and pine, grapefruit and resin mixed with a bit of caramel. Taste is nicely balanced between malt and hop with a nice citrusy old school pale ale kind of feel to it. Medium body with a bit of residual sweetness, moderate level of carbonation and a lick almost sweet mouthfeel. Nice easy drinking pale ale with enough hop to keep it interesting.

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2012 01:07:55 | More by johnnnniee

jmarsh123

Indiana

2.88/5  rDev -24%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Thanks to ninner00 for the bottle

Pours orange with a small white head that fades leaving mild lacing.

Smells like the four c's should. Citrus and pine hop aroma with some caramel malt backbone.

Starts off with a slight citrus twist. A bit of caramel malt balances out the hops. It finishes very strongly pine with a little astringency. Pretty one note.

A little light even for the style with good carbonation levels.

This one didn't really do it for me. The hop profile is not balanced very well and it is too bitter for the malt bill.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 21:16:41 | More by jmarsh123

n2185

North Carolina

2.85/5  rDev -24.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours a clear yellow-orange with two fingers of white head that fades into a thin ring with no lacing.

S: Lots of caramel malt aromas with some faint orange citrus and pine notes from the hops. Not much going on.

T: Again, lots of caramel malt notes followed by resiny pine flavors with a decent bitterness on the finish.

M: Medium body and carbonation, this beer is a little heavy for a pale ale.

O: Not an awful beer, but it's too bitter and thick for my tastes and lacks the complex hop flavors found in good pale ales.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 08:16:16 | More by n2185

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.38/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Serving Type - 220z bottle

Appearance - Golden yellow/tan tint, nice 1 inch creamy head and lots of foamy lacing.

Smell - Hops, lots of floral fruits like orange, lemon, pineapple. Bready and grainy also. Malts are also present.

Taste - Very hoppy with a strong malt backbone. Plenty of pine and sweet fruits in each drink. Malts add a caramel sweetness along side the pine and orange flavors. The sweetness of this beer masked the pale ale malts and yeasty apa feel.

Mouthfeel - Its medium thickness coats tougne with hops and malts. Tounge is left with a pine resin oil feel. Palette gets tingly with all the sweet fruits and malts. Aftertaste is sweet, malty and of course, piney.

Overall - Really easy to drink, almost more a ipa then a apa with such strong hop profile. For around 5$ a bomber its affordable, and 9-10$ a six pack is worth the drink. Really enjoying this one, cant wait for more brew kettle beers.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 02:26:50 | More by wvsabbath

superspak

Michigan

4.1/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, no bottle date. Pours slightly hazy golden orange color with a nice 2 finger dense off white head with great retention that reduces to a lacing cap. Some spotty lacing on the glass as well. Aromas of big grapefruit, orange peel, herbal, pine, caramel, biscuit, and spiciness. Damn nice and well balanced aromas with good strength. Taste of grapefruit, orange, pine, caramel, herbal, biscuit, and spiciness. Good amount of bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, orange, pine, caramel, and biscuit on the finish for a bit. Great balance of bitterness and sweetness make this super smooth to drink. Medium carbonation and body; with a slightly creamy mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with only a slight warming after the finish. Overall this is one of the better American pale ales I have ever had. Great balance, yet still has plenty of hoppiness that would satisfy any true hophead.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 03:40:39 | More by superspak

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.3/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into an A-B flute on 1/3/12

Deep, slightly cloudy honey-amber color with a two and a half finger head that is intent on having the appearance steal the show. The head is very slow to thin and leaves thick lace along the way. Retention is thin by the end, but it does last the whole way and lace remains excellent. I gotta give the appearance everything on this one.

The aroma is something of a standoff between malts and hops, coming across with notes of peach cobbler, dusty bread, caramel, dry pine resin, orange peel and floral and honey sweetness. A similar dry pine bitterness (and goodness this beer is dry) offers a moderate bitter kick with accents of zesty citrus. The malt backing is sturdy but not nearly as strong as the aroma; caramel and dusty biscuit. Again, very dry. The feel is rather thin with carbonation on the higher side of average. The bitterness seems to jostle the feel too much.

Overall impression - this is decent, but as times I find it disjointed with too harsh of bitterness for the scope of the beer. I could go for more hop flavor and less outright bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 00:31:17 | More by Ryan011235

dirtylou

Washington

3.63/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle - secret santa '11

appearance: served in my new blue mountain pilsner glass, dull dark copper body, 1/3" white ring with light lace

smell: lots of citrus hops, biscuit, orange peel, grain

taste: bready malts, moderately bitter citrus zest, orange peel, caramel, dough. Well balanced in the sense that there are equal parts hops and malt, but unbalanced in that both sides come across in bold screaming fashion. kind of puzzling, but flavorful

mouthfeel: light bitterness, dry and heavy on the malt

overall: tasty, bit of a buttery aftertaste

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 05:18:02 | More by dirtylou

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.98/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle courtesy of raznug. Pours a lightly hazed copper color with a moderate cap of tan head. Retention is decent and lacing is awesome.

Nose is equal parts caramel malt and citrusy/piney hops. Little bit of toffee as it warms and the yeast throws a mild nutty aroma out there.

Taste is really smooth. Nice compliment and flow of flavoring hops to a malty middle and finishes nicely with a little hop bite. This is a well done Pale Ale that would be a joy to quaff anytime for nearly any occasion...very versatile. Body is solidly medium and just one of those beers that goes down fast and easy.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 02:35:00 | More by twiggamortis420

CFHMagnet

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A steady pour got a finger of almost white head which dissipated in a couple of minutes. It keeps a nice froth up top of a copper body. A steady flow of bubbles can be seen rising to the top. A little bit of lacing is noted.

Four hops makes this a nice aromatic beer. The nose is a journey of pine and citrus notes with a malt backbone that seems to have a little bread in it.

To the nose initially, but the malt certainly becomes more apparent as the beer warms. You start tasting a serious spiced bread flavor. Good stuff. Freaking delicious.

This beer is medium bodied, very nice bitterness for the hopheads. It is a little syrupy and a little sweet.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 22:45:08 | More by CFHMagnet

ColdPoncho

Ohio

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A -Light copper body with good clarity, minimal white head formation

S - A nice fruity and piney hop aroma with some good malt balance. Somewhat of a caramel malt aroma.

T - Nice bitter hop flavor with fruity notes. some sweet malt help balance and complexity.

M - Smooth, good body.

O - A tasty beer, but a bit pricey at $10/six pack. It's not a terrible price, but I would have this all the time if it were a bit cheaper.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 21:58:53 | More by ColdPoncho

RoyalT

Ohio

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

Appearance – This is a dark, murky orange in color with a nice, slightly-tanned head that left good lacing and showed strong retention.

Smell – The hop profile is nicely balanced. The citrus in particular is very nice and there’s just a whiff of wintergreen.

Taste – The malts come on nicely at the taste. The do a great balancing job as this hop profile is huge and it gets a little pinier on the tongue. There’s a light sweetness to this one as well but not like sugar more like the sweet you get from a fruit like an orange or apricot.

Mouthfeel – This is a solid medium-bodied, it’s big for the style, with some good drying throughout. The carbs are rightly in the background here.

Drinkability – The big hops will keep you slow but this went down quite well. It might actually be a bit much for someone looking for a light, easy-drinking APA.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2011 23:06:18 | More by RoyalT