The Public Ale - DC Brau Brewing Co.

ShogoKawada

Rhode Island

2.88/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz into tulip.

A- Orangey glow to the body and a creamy, sticky, 4-finger head. Looks like orange meringue. Really nice lacing.

S- Very fruity, orange and mango in the nose.

T- Spicy pine resin and caramel/toffee malt. Fruit peeks through too. A bit muddled. Sweet and bitter finish that's not the best. Almost minty, like mouthwash. Not bad, just weird.

M- Heavy for the ABV, strong bitterness. Thick, almost chewy.

O- A little odd for the style, expected something a bit lighter and drier.

Serving type: can

09-22-2011 22:16:39 | More by ShogoKawada

AshleyMiller

Vermont

3.18/5  rDev -18.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

thanks to yourefragile for this extra.

a - pours a finger and a half head over a cloudy lighter brown though not completely opaque, leaves noticeable lacing

s - slight honey over piney hops

t - bitter hops, slight lemon, lasting bitterness.

m - lighter bodied with decent carbonation, finishes dry

o - not a bad pale ale for the commoner, hence the namesake.

Serving type: can

12-07-2011 01:10:16 | More by AshleyMiller

jpmclaug

South Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -16.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Can poured into a Sam Adams perfect pint glass. Bottle courtesy of drabmuh. Thank you.

orange brown on top gives way to a golden color, pretty prominent off white head. kind of dark for the style. caramel and biscuity malt sweetness mingle with a light citrus hop aroma. Pretty sweet for the style. the malt seems to overtake the light hop presence. Reminds me a bit more of an amber ale. Still this beer is decently drinkable and there isn't anything offensive about it. medium bodied with a good deal of carbonation.

Overall a decent beer but nothing too memorable. I'm glad to have tried it though. Pretty cool looking can with an interesting fact about voting in DC.

Serving type: can

09-11-2011 23:04:02 | More by jpmclaug

KeefD

Minnesota

3.3/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Woohoo! Another tick! CAN courtesy of woodychandler in the Nice Cans BIF. Glad to tick off another "state". I'll be up to 51 in no time!

EDIT: Awww.... This doesn't count as a state. Booo-urns!

Pours is fantastic. Slight chill haze permeates the solid orange/rust colored body with a two finger head that fell slowly, leaving sticky lace all over the glass. Aroma has a nice piney/citrusy element, a bit of doughy malt in the background, and a touch of herbs. Taste is pretty good! Nothing really stands out, not overly hoppy, but has a good bitterness. Hops bring a decent pine and grapefruit flavor, but it's rather subdued, a brief candy-like sweetness midway through, and finishes dry with a cracker/bread like maltiness. Body is medium, good carbonation. Overall, a rather easy to drink pale ale that's not offensive in any way, but could use a bit more hop flavor rather than just the mellow bitterness. An easy drinker. Tasty burps.

Serving type: can

09-06-2011 15:30:28 | More by KeefD

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

crystal clear pale amber with a white head that cleared quickly leaving just a tad of lace. Smell was slight earthy, grass malts, with a hop hint. The taste was light and highly carbonated, but this is to be expected from an Extra Pale. This would make a good summer beer as it essentially goes down like water

Serving type: can

10-22-2011 01:16:47 | More by mikesgroove

oline73

Maryland

3.38/5  rDev -13.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a can into a Samuel Adams Perfect Pint.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy orangish amber with a finger of off white head. The head fades to a small layer on top of the pour and leaves some mild lacing.

Smell: Mild smell, some malt and fruity hop notes. Light and crisp.

Taste: Stronger than the smell. The hop bitterness covers up the malt a bit. Lots of citrus peel hops. The finish is quite bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with smooth carbonation and a slick finish.

Overall: This is a nice beer to sit and sip. I would have another.

Serving type: can

01-27-2012 18:07:36 | More by oline73

beerwolf77

Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev -11%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Huge thanks goes to Thorpe429 for sending a cans of this to Andy. I've been itching to tick a DC beer ever since they announced plans to can.

A: Slightly cloudy orange amber hue. Two fingers of thick creamy beige head. Good retention. Thick sticky lace clings to the glass.

S: The citrus hops give off a pungent, juicy aroma. Moderate caramel malt backs up the hops keeping things balanced.

T: Heavy citrus bitterness bites my tongue. Bordering on acrid. A bit resiny and medicinal. A touch of caramel malt comes out in the finish with each swallow. A bit out of balance for me.

M: Creamy medium body with a good amount of carbonation.

O: Not bad but nowhere near some of the best APA's I've had. Happy to have the tick nonetheless.

Serving type: can

08-31-2011 22:29:02 | More by beerwolf77

CaptCleveland

Ohio

3.48/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz can (no dating) poured into Bruery tulip.

Thin, white head settles to a ring of tiny bubbles over opaque red-orange elixir. Small amount of lacing.

Hops, orange rind, malt.

Floral, hop bitterness, caramel, biscuit malt.

Medium-light body, crisp, well carbonated.

Good APA. Would like to have fresh.

Serving type: can

04-20-2012 02:00:20 | More by CaptCleveland

THECPJ

Delaware

3.53/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes:

appearance: copper orange with a 1 finger off white head

smell: grass, pine, hops, caramel, malts,

taste: grass, hops, malts, bitter finish

mouthfeel: mild carbonation, medium body,

overall: decent pale ale. glad I got to try this new brewery out of Washington DC.

Cheers,l
The CPJ

Serving type: can

08-14-2011 00:08:36 | More by THECPJ

Durge

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Another new brew for me to try at The Carpool bar in Herndon, VA. This one shows hazy amber colors with a decent sized frothy off-white cover and complete lacing! The aroma offers a simple pleasant citrus hop and biscuit tea, somewhat herbal. Subtle, nothing to wow you but fairly decent. The flavor brings a bright grapefruit biscuit with slight herbal tea caramel ideas. This is on the light side in body with an effective, tingly carbonation. It eases in a bready caramel flavor that blends naturally with the citrus bite. A very drinkable brew with good hop character. Light but legitimate for sure. Drink many.

Serving type: on-tap

09-12-2012 17:44:07 | More by Durge

mactrail

California

3.55/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Attractive amber in the glass, nice and sudsy. A lovely whiff of hops. The aroma is the best thing about this. Light body. Nice mouthfeel with a fine carbonation.

Very hoppy, after a brief flirtation with the malt. Some biscuit flavors, a little bit of honeydew melon in the aftertaste. Quite bitter. A slight flowery hint to the hops, but more about the grapefruit.

Not my favorite style, but a promising introduction to this brewery. A good quaff, if you're in the mood for the hoppy aggression. From the 12 oz can.

Serving type: can

06-04-2012 01:19:15 | More by mactrail

FosterJM

California

3.55/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

1476th Review on BA
Can to Goblet
12oz

No canning date

Thanks to my brother in law for this one.

App- Copper, bronze, gold and yellow all mixed and inter twined. A small 1/4" off white head that left a couple dors and a small ring of bubbles.

Smell- Its a very large caramel malt aroma with slight slight citrus and tinge of hops. Imagine a Devil Dancer just reduced in a pale ale form. One sided lacks depth.

Taste- Its a okay pale ale. Lots of caramel malts and thats about it. Maybe a trace of hops with a thick zest flavor. Like the nose a bit one sided. Not a pale profile I enjoy really.

Mouth- A thicker medium body with a thicker medium carbonation even for a small abv pale ale. Just okay.

Drink- Its okay. I am not the biggest fan of Vienna malts so this was just an affirmation of that. Decent pale ale. Just not my style.

Serving type: can

08-29-2012 14:14:44 | More by FosterJM

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had this special brew on tap from several places. Poured from a growler into a pint class. Pours a beautiful hazy amber/golden body along with a thick head that retains its lacing throughout the session well. Aroma is moderately sweet, pine, some lemon/grapefruit, and orange zest. Taste is medium sweet, somewhat malty, pine/grapefruit, some lemon. I am also picking up some sticky hop pellets throughout. Overall light-medium body, resiny. A very nice introduction to DC Brau Brewing after 60 years in Washington, D.C.

Serving type: on-tap

05-17-2011 17:09:21 | More by CuriousMonk

MaxSpang

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a pint glass.

APPEARANCE

The beer pours a hazy yellowish-orange. The head was about 1-2 fingers and disappeared fairly quickly, leaving some very nice lazing along the side of the glass. The color makes the beer very inviting and mouth watering.

SMELL

The beer has some nice American hop aroma. I am getting orange juice and citrus zest, as well as a dry malt backbone (is that an oxymoron?). There is even some spice notes in there, almost like coriander. Overall, the smell is fairly light but pleasant.

TASTE

This beer has a nice crisp flavor. Very clean malt character with a fairly high bitterness - not as much as an IPA, but still fairly high. The hop character from the nose comes through on the tongue, bringing some nice citrus and orange zest flavors. There appears to be a wheat-like flavor in here, reminding me of cereal. The beer also has some tasty sweetness that lingers after the swallow. This is a nice blend of having a full flavor while still being nice and refreshing.

MOUTHFEEL

This is a very easy drinking beer. It's got a decent amount of body with a clean, dry finish. The carbonation is almost perfect, but it could be perhaps a tiny bit more. It's almost perfect in terms of mouthfeel.

OVERALL

This is a super solid beer. This could easily be an every day beer, lawnmower beer, or a fine craft beer worthy of a place at a good tasting. The can features some really nice artwork and typeface, but that's just coming from a guy who works at an advertising agency. I would definitely recommend seeking out this beer and enjoying it after a long day's work.

Cheers.

Serving type: can

02-02-2012 00:25:30 | More by MaxSpang

UCLABrewN84

California

3.58/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to drabmuh for sending me this one!

Pours a slightly hazy dark orange with a 2 inch foamy off-white head that settles to a large craggy cap on top of the beer. A latticework of lace forms around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of malt and some herbal and hops. Taste is of herbal hops up front with the malt coming through on the finish. There is a medium level of bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeeel. Overall, this is a pretty good but basic pale ale.

Serving type: can

04-12-2012 03:16:03 | More by UCLABrewN84

Florida9

Illinois

3.6/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Very cloudy orange in color. Forms a very large, very rocky, light tannish colored head. Excellent retention and copious amounts of lacing.

S: Smells of malts and grains, then a mix of orangey citrus and herbaceous hops. Kind of dirty smelling.

T: More grainy malts. A light pine quality. Seltzer. Cracker.

M: Medium bodied and thicker than one would expect for an APA. Good carbonation. Mild-to-moderate bitterness.

O: Rather one dimensional and not overly exciting, but still a decent, drinkable, pale ale.

Serving type: can

11-09-2011 03:14:30 | More by Florida9

flexabull

California

3.6/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Can courtesy of joshdykema, thanks again!

Pours a hazy gold color with a pretty nice white head.

Aromas are hand candies, grains, light grapefruit, and pine. Smells pretty good.

Taste has some caramel notes up front. Slightly creamy and sweet. Finish is crisp, grainy, with some mild pine and grapefruit hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel is a bit too thin for my liking, carbonation is decent though.

Overall, a simple but drinkable pale ale. Another pretty solid offering from DC Brau.

Serving type: can

11-11-2012 22:04:16 | More by flexabull

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to woodychandler for his surprise visit to my job with this and other beers for me. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a cloudy caramel color with a 1 inch head. Smell is of citrus and hops. Taste is the same, lots of hops up front, some citrus flavors. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a good quality beer.

Serving type: can

08-20-2011 14:24:47 | More by tone77

SummitVA

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Nice golden pour with fluffy white head and steady carbonation.

S - Pine hops most dominant, but followed with a good bit of citrus. Some bready-iness, as well, giving a nice hint of malt in the background.

T - Resiny pine strikes the palate first, rounded out nicely by a hint of biscuity malt character. Less citrus hop flavor than the nose would suggest. Nice balanced beer, but I find the finish a bit muddled with a sort of soapiness.

M - Nice and light.

O - A solid first beer from DC Brau. Looking forward to trying their other beers and having this again.

Serving type: can

05-13-2011 21:38:11 | More by SummitVA

beergoot

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Taken from notes during a recent visit to Washington DC. Enjoyed at the Capitol Hill Hyatt Regency...

- Orange body, thin head

- Sweet malt in nose; spicy, citrusy hops; some aroma may have been killed off since they poured it into an iced glass...

- Nice, soft malt flavors, good bitterness

- Clean taste, finishes dry, bright carbonation

- Good beer, but rough around the edges...

Serving type: can

06-17-2012 22:24:42 | More by beergoot

dirtylou

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz CAN, provided by "blackie" on his latest seattle residency

appearance: served in a hilliards can-pint pale orange body, nice 1/3" white froth, good lace

smell: toasted malt, tangerine, light citrus

taste: good flavor profile, but a little unadventurous. bready malts, a light citrus hop profile, tangerine

mouthfeel: light slick body, light bitterness

overall: good, but pretty pedestrian

Serving type: can

08-27-2012 01:34:32 | More by dirtylou

ehammond1

California

3.7/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Can

Thanks for sharing MrHirschybar!

Deep and dark clear amber with a thin white head. Nice lacing down the glass.

Very balanced aroma consisting of lots of bready malt character and a touch of caramel. Some pine hop presence balances the aroma nicely.

Hop flavors are certainly present, nice accompanying bitterness, along with some very bready and caramel malts. Incredibly easy to drink.

Medium to thick body.

A pleasant and flavorful, balanced and simple pale ale.

Serving type: can

09-21-2011 15:53:17 | More by ehammond1

mchodge13

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

One of my go-to beers around DC. The Public Ale acts more like an IPA than an APA. Hop aroma and amber hue make the beer very enticing. Good flavor, but hoppier and more bitter than most pale ales. Not a bad thing if you're a hop head but perhaps makes it a little untrue to the style.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2011 21:19:25 | More by mchodge13

drabmuh

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beer is amber with some haze, low carbonation some lacing thin head.

Aroma fades quickly but initially it is quite hoppy, piny.

Beer is medium to thin bodies on the front with a strong hop finish. Pretty bitter. Dry on the end, lingering bitterness. Decent apa, I would have it again. There is a slight solvency to the finish that comes more obvious the more you drink of it or as it warms. Overall it's a good beer though.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2011 23:58:17 | More by drabmuh

n2185

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a slightly hazy orange with two fingers of white head that fades into a dense cap with great lacing.

S: Some pineapple and grapefruit notes up front with pine bringing up the finish. The nose is a little muted, though.

T: Grapefruit and pine dominate up front with slight notes of pineapple. The finish is earthy and lightly bitter.

M: Medium body and carbonation, this beer is nice and lively feeling.

O: A pretty decent pale ale overall. The nose is a bit muted, but it's tasty and refreshing.

Serving type: can

06-15-2012 01:48:19 | More by n2185