Essential Pale Ale - Port City Brewing

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the brewery the second day after opening.

Pours a light golden color. Pretty transparent in the glass with some carbonation bubbles visible throughout. Good white head and a bit of lacing. The nose is pretty light with some citrus and floral notes. Hops are pretty light, though nice. Taste improve on the nose, which was just a bit too muted. There's certainly some backing malt character and they got the balanced character they were looking for. Pretty good at combining some malt along with some hop flavor. Mouthfeel is light and mildly bitter. Finish is slightly dry. Drinks pretty well and I could see this being quite sessionable. Looking forward to the IPA.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2011 01:36:17 | More by Thorpe429

brentk56

North Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear amber color, capped by an inch or so of snow white foam that leaves a few dots of lace behind

Smell: Very lemony, though it trends in a Pine-Sol detergent direction; cracker malt underneath

Taste: Opens with a cracker malt flavor that moves in a sharp lemon direction by mid-palate, with a bit of pith and Pine-Sol; the flavors fade quickly after the swallow, the the bitterness lingers a bit in the aftertaste

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A straightforward APA that would benefit from a bit more of a malt bill; otherwise, it is decent and worth a look

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2012 01:07:46 | More by brentk56

oberon

North Carolina

3/5  rDev -14.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a standard pint a dull medium golden with almost no head to speak of,what there was of one was gone quickly.Very light floral hops in the nose along with faint caramel malt,very underwhelming.Leafy hops on the palate and they are light,some earthy tones as well,more of a dryer crisp malt base.Average in all aspects,a no brainer that lacks fullness in just about everything.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2012 21:16:47 | More by oberon

drabmuh

Maryland

3.23/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Slightly better. Beer is yellow / amber, quite hazy, thin broken head, halo of bubbles, no real lacing, minimal carbonation.

Aroma is sweet with some malt, yeastiness, and mild hops.

Beer is mildly sweet, medium to light in body, overall a little weak in the profile but mildly hoppy on the finish, overall a decent beer, but nothing too special. Oh well, I still like their porter, their pales need a lot of work.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2011 04:11:39 | More by drabmuh

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.28/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A bottle at RFD, poured into a glass.

A: The pale ale is a darker amber color, closer to nut brown than pale. Paired with the darker appearance is an off-white head that leaves a few layers of lacing behind.

S: The aromas are caramel and grains, a little biscuity, with a small hop afterthought. The hoppiness isn't a big feature of the beer, instead it opts for subtlety.

T: More grainy chewiness. Caramel and biscuit together with darker breads. Hops aren't that strong, more of a balancing aspect. Overall, the flavor is solid but doesn't come with any frills. Content in what it is, an accessible pale ale. Although, truth be told, a few more hops wouldn't hurt.

M: The mouthfeel is malty, very little in the way of citrusy hops. Too bad too, there are few things like a nice well-balanced pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2011 01:49:29 | More by akorsak

Jason

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz brown bottle with no freshness date.

LOOK: Nearly clear pale golden color, ample stickage of lacing

SMELL: Clean, bready, macadamia nuts, clementines, piney hops, ripe passion fruit, faint spice

TASTE: Very smooth, fresh grain, dried grass, citric peel, mint, biscuity, nutty yeast, faint ripe fruit, spicy dry finish

Very well balanced with a good use of hops, this pale ale is a step or two ahead of the pack and is something I'd go for on the regular basis.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 03:15:33 | More by Jason

mdfb79

New York

3.43/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Have tried this one several times at the brewery, picked up a bottle at Rick's in Alexandria, VA on Saturday to give it a proper review. Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

a - Pours a clear golden color with one finger of white head and moderate carbonation evident. Head lasts for one to two minutes with one inch of white head lasting throughout the drink, and a tiny bit of lacing on the glass.

s - Smells of grain, bready malts, light orange and citrus hops, and light floral notes. Not offensive at all, but pretty average.

t - Tastes of bready malts, biscuit, and grain. Also some light citrus hops, pale malts, and floral hops again. Taste is a slight step up from the nose.

m - Medium body and moderate to high carbonation. Pretty smooth.

d - A nice, slightly above average pale ale. The smell is a little bland and average, with the taste being a little bit better. Overall this is my least favorite beer of the four Port City is currently brewing, but it's still a decent beer worth checking out.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2011 01:20:58 | More by mdfb79

kylehay2004

Florida

3.43/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed at the brewery tap room in Alexandria, VA.

A: single finger head with excellent retention on a murky bright golden body.

S: excellent aroma with orange peel and grapefruit citrus and light floral hops.

T: lighter malt base with bittering hops hitting hard up front moving to a subtlety sweet lemon custard finish.

M: lighter side of medium body and moderate to high carbonation.

Overall: definite a mildly hopped APA. Flavor is a little simple and the malt seems a bit thin. Overall vey drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

07-29-2012 16:48:57 | More by kylehay2004

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

3.13/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint.
5.5% ABV, no date.

Thanks to Thorpe429 for sending this brew my way!

A - Lightly cloudy pale golden yellow in color and topped by a long-lasting white head, Essential looks good but is missing an essential piece; lacing.

S - Faint hops leave much to be desired from this pale. Light lemongrass notes come before an also faint pale malt base. This brew needs more potency.

T - Surprisingly sweet at first, it takes a few sips for the pils malt to give way to bitter, resiny hops. Much more in flavor than aroma, these buds give off faint lemony notes.

M - Medium in body and sweet starting with a sharp dry, biting bitter finish. Balance seems conflicted. Instead of complimenting each other, the delayed bitterness ends up harsh.

O - A great pale is hard to nail down. Port City is on the right track with this one but the hop additions during the boil need tweaking, especially adding an addition of finishing aroma hops/ dry hopping. The nose on this could stand much improvement.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 11:58:08 | More by BeerFMAndy

smakawhat

Maryland

2.8/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from the bottle into a nonic pint glass.

A two finger head of white bubbles forms but quickly fades off the pour. Very clear and simple amber color is present. Very much borderline.

First impression off the smell for this beer is rank off-putting. It hints at an orange or other citrus fruit, but it's as if the citrus fruit went bad or is at least going rotten. This does NOT smell nice at all.

Taste overall is kind of strange. Finish is probably the best part of the beer but it's a bit wet/watery, a little carbonated sweet in the palate, and has at least a good bread finish. Taste brings at least a basic supermarket orange to the table, but it's also bitter in a bitter fruit way, with no hop or malt presence at all.

Overall this pale ale is very un-even. Not really a good beer from this brewery they have done better. This is disappointing to say the least.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2011 03:32:00 | More by smakawhat

blackie

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a: pale golden in color with a low, white layer of carbonation

s: lots of clean, crackery pale malts, citrus hops of a slightly herbal, earthy nature

m: light bodied with a crisp, low-moderate carbonation

t: simply structured - clean and crackery grains with only a slight sugar presence, earthy citrus flavors, mild to moderate bitterness with fairly dry finish

d: balanced and drinkable, a little lacking in flavor depth for my preference, though it's refreshing to have a straightforward but well-made beer from time to time

Serving type: growler

02-07-2011 04:45:30 | More by blackie

CuriousMonk

Virginia

2.38/5  rDev -32.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

On tap at Stoney's in DC. Poured into pint glass. Pours a a golden straw/yellow color along with a small white head that fizzles quickly leaving some light lacing throughout. Aroma is medium sweet, orange/lemon, some grapefruit, biscuit with notes of mild malts and hops. Taste is medium sweet, grapefruit, lemon/ornage, light bread, lager lemon. Light-medium body, some acidity which hurt the score. Mild carbonation throughout. Was too bitter and left an unpleasant taste at the end. I cannot go with this one here for the style...

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2011 22:15:02 | More by CuriousMonk

KTCamm

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Pours medium copper with light white foam. Laces. Nose is grassy pine, citrussy. Mellow malt, pushy hop, latent bitter. Easy drinker with enough hop to make its presence felt but not overpower. Straightforward pale but certainly good.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 15:55:52 | More by KTCamm

beer2day

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Gold to orange pour with light carbonation, very little head, no retention and very light lace.

Orange lemon citrus mix on the nose. Mild, not overpowering, but very nice.

Lemon and pepper dominate from the get go. Really come out in the finish as well, with almost a chile pepper feel to the aftertaste. Very little malt character, but there is a little bread here.

Body is about right for the style. Not too heavy, but I could see others thinking so.

Except for the appearance, a fairly solid pale.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2011 02:53:24 | More by beer2day

farrago

New Jersey

3.43/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Finger’s worth of close to pure white loose foam, starts to disintegrate swiftly to barely cover the surface, likewise the lacing is thin and easily slides off the glass. Light and transparent orange to yellow in color, few bubbles visible but what’s there are large, clean and clear but not much to look at. The nose is super-sweet with oodles of apricot and peach fruit, milk chocolate and malty caramel, some grass, wheat germ, pepper and lemon zest, perhaps some charcoal, a bit boozy like rum, neither bready nor flowery. Medium-bodied, soft and creamy mouth feel with fluffed up carbonation which extends the sensations from your tongue to the roof, here the orange to lemon citrus matches the sweetness of that apricot, peach, yellow apple fruit. The cocoa stiffer, brings out some coffee and country bread notes, light burnt toast. More of that mineral to charcoal aspect, seems incongruent with the whole. Firms up as it warms so serving temperature may play a role in how you enjoy it. That said, remains very much on the sweet end of the spectrum.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 03:03:09 | More by farrago

THECPJ

Delaware

2.85/5  rDev -19%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: golden yellow orange with a 1 finger white head

smell: hops, malts, caramel,

taste: soap, caramel, hops, malts

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: refreshing crisp beer. Just wish it didn't have this soap characteristic to it.

Cheers,
The CPJ

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 15:49:48 | More by THECPJ

goblue3509

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours an amber color with almost no head at all and no lacing. The aroma is of sweet malt and a little bit of a citrus hop bite. The aroma is faint and a little weak. The taste follows suit yet a little stronger. There is a sweet malt backbone and a hint of breadiness to it. There is a citrus hop bite to balance out the beer, but the bite is weak and subdued for the class. The mouthfeel is low carbonation. Overall it was an okay beer, needs more in the hop department for taste and a little more carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2011 19:24:47 | More by goblue3509

Rhettroactive

Virginia

4/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 32oz growler to nonic pint glass on 8/19/11
*From notes

The growler was filled at Port City's brewery about 30 minutes prior, by owner/founder Bill Butcher. Thank you for generously putting this one "on your tab," Bill.

A: Filtered sunrise golden. a generous pour yields an impressive 1.5 finger head and as I drink, some really solid lacing rims the glass.

S: Like all of Port City's brews, it's got a pretty up front grain bill. As you get past the initial malty, creamy earth, there's a floral yet bitter hop essence to it.

T: It's got a solid all-grain kick right up front. As it hits the mid, a pinch of tallgrass and bittering hops arrive and ride on into the the finish. When extremely fresh like this, I also detect a fair amount of floral yet biting hop oil that balances out the malts.

M: Just what I was looking for. Slightly thin, yet extremely quaffable. The carbonation is a bit low, though it adds to the beer's insane drinkability.

O: Port City's Essential Pale Ale has quickly become one of my go-to, everyday session beers. I can honestly say that this doesn't hold a candle to many others within the APA style, it's too straightforward. Yet that's what I enjoy about it. It's a beer, folks. "A good, everyday, I just want a beer" beer.

Port City has grown on me in a big way, and their Essential Pale Ale is my favorite of their small yet earnest repertoire.

Serving type: growler

08-22-2011 23:00:17 | More by Rhettroactive

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Decently carbonated deep golden colored liquid topped by absolutely no head. hm odd.

Dried citric hops. Grapefruit, oranges, and lemons. Anything with citric acid in it. Yep.

Surprisingly more balanced than I thought it would be. A decent pale ale. Nice balance of bittering hops and aroma. What aroma is there consists of citric hops. I get alot of lemons zest.

I dont like the slight bite you get near the end, A little too crisp for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2012 22:37:02 | More by VncentLIFE

Clydesdale

District of Columbia

3.25/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Pours a slightly hazed golden color, with a slight orange tint. The off-white head is medium sized, with a frothy consistency. Retention is solid, and some sticky lacing clings to the glass in a thin ring.

S: A fair amount of cookie/biscuit malty aroma. Light grain and caramel. Some nondescriptly herbal/spicy and fruity hop notes are present, but this is a pretty clean and balanced ale nose.

T: Fairly malty up front. Biscuity, crackery, and grainy flavors dominate. A touch of sweetness. Hop bitterness is medium, with herbal and somewhat soapy flavors. A somewhat muted secondary wave of bitterness arrives into the finish.

M: Fairly firm body. Carbonation is moderate. Hop bitterness contributes to a fading, almost sticky dryness.

D: This is completely drinkable and generally well balanced. It does lack a bit of pizzazz, and I'm not wild about the predominantly soapy hop flavor. In all, it's a serviceable brew but not a standout.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 23:03:36 | More by Clydesdale

dedrinker

Kansas

4/5  rDev +13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Light golden. clear color, like a continental pilsener. White head.

Light malt aroma with some twinge of caramel and mild hops.

Firm malt quality with a dash of diacetyl and some balancing bittering hops.

Medium, bodied, goes down easy, but with some substance; a good pub-grub sipper with your meal. I like it.

Serving type: growler

02-22-2011 06:22:30 | More by dedrinker

jayhawk73

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a cloudy gold color w/ a nice one finger off white head. Good carbonation and lacing. Very murky looking, and darker than I was expecting for the style. Nose is hops, malt, floral, fruit notes. A little weak, but pleasant. Taste is definitely a step up from the nose. Hops come to the front in the taste, and a nice malt backbone on this APA. No alcohol taste present. Feel is highly carbonated, and has a little bite to it. Overall, this is a good beer, and I'm glad to support this local brewery by consuming their products.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 20:18:59 | More by jayhawk73

TheDeuce

New York

3.15/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Port City Essential Pale Ale…in the bottle at Old Ebbitt Grill restaurant in Washington D.C

Appearance-medium gold with a pale white head, I gave an aggressive pour and came back with three fingers of off white head that stay around for a little while and then summarily disappear.

Smell-light hoppy swirls arise first, alcohol along with bready malt, caramel in the nose as well.

Taste/Mouthfeel-light hops, fruit mixed in with a nice refreshing flavor, more citrus than piney, light to medium mouthfeel, a little thin but flavor doesn’t suffer much. Finishes with one last light fruit note, otherwise clean. I note that malt is very very subdued here.

Drinkability-fruit notes of the hops are refreshing, no issues.
Overall-an enjoyable and promising beer from these new guys. Not outstanding but a nice example of the style. I enjoyed it and will look forward to trying their other creations.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 03:30:31 | More by TheDeuce

mralphabet

Virginia

4.75/5  rDev +34.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into pint glass

A: Poured a golden honey color with nice finger & a half worth of head that settles to a nice ring with good lacing.

S: Strong hops smells here.... Very floral with a touch of tropical and citrus notes. Wonderful smelling

T: Start much sweeter than I was expecting. But quickly turns on the hops... Wonderfully floral flavors with hints of grapefruit and pineapple, but the hops are not too over powering. Just right mix here.

M: Medium bodied with low to moderate carbonation. Feel is a little on the sticky side, with of hint of alcohol warmth.

D: A very good session beer, good ABV, great range of flavors and smells. I'm not a big hops guy, but this is a fantastic Pale Ale.... Well worth looking for.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 16:44:19 | More by mralphabet

tlazaroff

Virginia

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

A: Pours a golden honey color with a thin white head. No visible carbonation, and it has a tad of haze.

S: Sadly, noting too noteworthy. I get some fruit on the nose, pineapple, tropical, that kind of thing.

T: Sweeter than I expected. It has a good flavor, the hops are present but not over-powering. Nice hop taste too, just like the nose, pineapple and tropical fruits.

M: Medium bodied with low to moderate carbonation. A tad sweet so its a tad sticky, which coats the palate.

D: High, this is an easy drinking, good pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2011 05:33:14 | More by tlazaroff