The Public Ale - DC Brau Brewing Co.

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.35/5  rDev -13.9%
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

Thorpe429

Illinois

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Rustico in Alexandria. Served in a pint glass.

Pours a nice orange color with a thick white head and some good spotty lacing as it makes its way down the glass. The nose is pretty hoppy with a bit of a malt undertone, though not too much of the latter. A good bit of pine, floral, and citrus hops. Cornucopia of possibilities right there, my friend. The flavor is along the same lines. Not too hoppy, but not too much malt, either. Really nice and drinkable. "Balanced" in the sense that it contained hops and malt, but the latter was more just a base helping out the mouthfeel than providing much flavor or sweetness. Good bitterness in the finish. Fairly light body. Really solid; can't wait for the cans of this to hit the market.

Serving type: on-tap

04-26-2011 01:03:21 | More by Thorpe429

UCLABrewN84

California

3.58/5  rDev -8%
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

brentk56

North Carolina

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Pours a cloudy copper color capped by a couple of inches; very nice retention and impressive lacing action

Smell: Biscuit and caramel, with pithy hop aromatics

Taste: Opens biscuity, with caramel building underneath; by mid-palate, the hops add bitter and floral balance, with an additional bit of pithy citrus in the finish

Mouthfeel: Medium to full body with moderate carbonation

Overall: A very nice APA, with requisite balance and good hop flavor

Serving type: can

12-18-2012 01:03:50 | More by brentk56

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Can: Poured a bright orangey/amber color ale with a nice big foamy head with good retention and some lacing. Aroma of citrus and grapefruit notes with dry caramel notes. Taste is very refreshing with solid floral notes of citrus and grapefruit with limited bitterness and some dry caramel malt notes also perceptible. Body is about average with good carbonation and no apparent alcohol. Solid rendition of the style with great drinkability factor.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2013 19:51:42 | More by Phyl21ca

metter98

New York

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The beer is clear dark copper in color and does not have any visible carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head that left lacing running down the edges of the glass.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of citrusy hops in the nose.
T: Like the smell, the taste is rather citrusy and has flavors of grapefruit and orange along with some hints of caramel malts.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: The beer is rather hoppy for the style, but is still easy to drink and has a good taste.

Serving type: on-tap

06-06-2011 02:44:41 | More by metter98

drabmuh

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%
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

akorsak

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at ChurchKey.

A: The pale ale is dark, darker than the Corruption that preceded it with a full ambery copper tone that retains its translucence. A white head, thin, comes with the pour but doesn't last long.

S: The nose has more malts than hops, caramel and biscuit aromas paired with a citrus hop profile. Grapefruit stands out but remains balanced.

T: A nice pale ale; I'm grooving to DC Brau's beers so far. Caramel and biscuit lead off, very bready with a flavor that seems to be in charge. Behind the malts, citrusy hops add spiciness without taking over. A very drinkable pale ale, hoppy enough to keep me happy.

M: The chewiness tends to push the hops to the side, but there are enough bitter moments to reel me back in. Seems sessionable, but that could be me drinking to ignore the pups in tow.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2011 01:23:58 | More by akorsak

mdfb79

New York

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

From 04/30/11 notes. Thanks to ahalloin for sharing a growler of this one; thanks Tony. Poured into my SAVOR snifter.

a - Pours a hazy bright orange color with an inch of white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of citrus hops, pine hops, and fruity malts. Lots of citrus hops up front.

t - Tastes of citrus hops, pine hops, fruity malts, and grapefruit. Light bitterness and citrus up front.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation.

o - Overall a very nice hoppy APA from a local brewery; I'm looking forward to trying more beers by them in the future. Lots of citrus hops, will certainly have it again.

Serving type: growler

05-07-2011 01:40:54 | More by mdfb79

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz can into a pint glass.

Pours a clear copper, with 2 fingers of thick slightly off looking white head. This retains with a ½ finger of creamy froth, leaving back sudsy lacing that sticks to the sides of the glass. The aroma smells floral and piney in the nose, with an underlying mix of zesty grapefruit and more herbal feeling tones. A soft sweet graininess sits along the back. This has a nice fresh power to it in the nostrils.

The taste has a bright zesty citric bitterness to it, which is just cut short by a lightly toasted grainy sweetness from the malts. This does have a strong resinous presence to it though that lingers fairly aggressively in a dry and pithy feeling finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and crisp feeling on the tongue with more of a firm bubbly creaminess to the carbonation as it spreads out into the rest of the mouth. There is a LOT of slick oiliness here from those hops that really keep this smooth in the mouth.

This is a very solid take on an American APA with a good bit of aggressive hop character. Almost too much in spots (especially the pine) but I think that the overall balance and ease of the body are able to dial this back just enough and keep this solidly drinkable. I see many more cans of this in my future.

Serving type: can

10-24-2012 17:11:56 | More by Kegatron

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I was initially going to trade for this beer and then a college buddy who was working in Baltimore asked me to come down and hang out for a few days. For me, any trip to BALTO needs to include a visit to my maternal aunt and uncle in DC and they made the mistake of asking what I would like to do on the Saturday of my visit. "Let's visit a brewery!" I exclaimed, and after some initial eye rolling, they flashed on the great times that they have had with me on other brewery tours and acquiesced. By the time the tour and tasting were over, their regrets had vanished and I was flush with beer.

From the CAN: "DC Statehood Facts [:] In November 2000, the D.C. Department of Motor Vehicles began issuing license plates bearing the slogan: 'Taxation without representation'"; "Serve in a tulip, goblet or enjoy from the CAN".

The Crack & Glug produced three (!) fingers of dense tawny head with great retention. Color was an oh-so-slightly hazy orangish-amber. Nose was an interesting combination of a light citrusiness coupled with a slight malty sweetness. Mouthfeel was medium with a greater bitterness than I might have expected, based on the nose, but it did not really strike me as an APA, either. The finish was semi-dry, very pleasant, but still not my idea of an APA. Stylistically, it was not really making it, but in terms of hop presence and bitterness, I liked it. In fact, that was the consensus around the table after my maternal uncle came down to pick me up and run some errands. It certainly has a place in the cooler, but it should not supplant a more stylistically correct APA.

Serving type: can

10-09-2011 18:02:24 | More by woodychandler

stakem

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Cheers and thanks go to Kegatron for continuing to spoil me with seemingly 1 of every DC brau offering he can get his hands on and for being 90% responsible for every canned offering I have tried/reviewed. 12oz can into a standard pint. The brew appears a hazed color of copper with a finger of yellowish stained cap. As the cap fades, it leaves a thin film across the top and produces some webby pattern of lacing on the glass. A light swirl revives about a finger of yellowish stained froth and some chucks of yeast hang in suspension.

The aroma is pretty nice with a balance of caramel malt sweetness contrasted by a fruity to floral quality of hops. A mild tingle of estery alcohol is present along with a citrus to zesty pulp hop character that is mildly herbal and flirts into pine-like territory. As the brew warms up, this really draws focus towards floral with a bit of sweetness that gets progressively more candy-like instead of malty. Interesting and enjoyable.

The taste is no surprise when considering the aroma. Caramel malt is present with a bit of residual sweetness blending into almost a candy appeal. Hops provide seemingly more flavor than bitterness. Flavors of citrus and zest like grapefruit initially blend into a bit of mango and hints of tropical quality. The tropical aspect gets really exaggerated by the residual candy sweetness and really plays a part inside the mouth tasting like ripe tropical fruit before the onset of rindy and herbal bitterness come into focus. Once the bitterness latches hold of your tongue, flavors of herbs, pine and a bit of catty quality emerge.

This is a medium bodied brew with a moderate amount of carbonation. It is light in body with a moderate amount of carbonation that is perfect for the style. I think the contrasting sweetness was a bit much at times but it really made the brew effortlessly drinkable. I would have preferred the flavor of the residual sugar to be more malt based in character instead of candy-like with a sugary aspect. Regardless this was solid and I finished my glass at an alarming rate. I would drink this again.

Serving type: can

11-14-2012 02:30:01 | More by stakem

mactrail

California

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
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

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Awesome... The elusive DC tick!! Received this in a great trade with Kmccabe33.. Thanks a ton Korey!!

Poured into my slim tulip... light khaki head sticks around for quite a while leaving good lacing... the brew sorta looks chill hazed, but is a deep golden.

Big ole mash-up of hops ... plenty of citrus, but floral and piney undertones are also present... some background maltiness... caramel malt probably..

Fairly balanced brew with all the above aromas translated onto the palate, but with a little bit of toastiness... Nice hoppiness.. very drinkable.

good body and carbonation... but somehow sorta a creaminess makes me want another sip.

Thanks Korey for a great trade.. let me know if you want to do another.

3.5/4/4/4/4

Serving type: can

08-16-2012 04:25:34 | More by JohnGalt1

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer is slightly hazy, appearing copper orange in color. The off white head is an inch thick, and leaves substantial lacing on the pint glass. The aroma offers citrus and malt, with a nice hop character. The flavor brings balance, slightly in favor of hops. The feel is medium bodied, with appropriate carbonation. Personally, I prefer less balance and more of a hop forward pale ale. That said, this is well done. I look forward to more tasty beers from this new local brewery.

Serving type: can

07-25-2011 01:25:45 | More by Huhzubendah

largadeer

Kentucky

3.88/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks!

Appearance: Dark muddy amber body capped by a big frothy head. Doesn't look like a pale ale at all, more like an amber/red.

Smell: Nose is hop forward, yeasty, estery. Toasted malt, pine, citrus and floral notes. This brewery seems to have a strong house character - their IPA had a very similar yeast character.

Palate: Bready toasted malt, citrusy/floral hops. Touch of stonefruit from the yeast. Spicy, floral. Firm bitterness that doesn't overwhelm. Body is curiously big for a supposed pale ale. Finishes bready and yeasty with a mild hop bite. Pretty damn good, this stuff.

Serving type: can

06-30-2012 08:20:41 | More by largadeer

dirtylou

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
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

kylehay2004

Florida

4.3/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

A: two finger head with excellent retention and lacing on a murky amber brown body with slight crimson hue.

S: mid range degree of floral and citrus hop aroma. Lighter on the breads and malts.

T: Very well balanced pale ale. Caramel malts form a nice body with well represented earthy, metallic and citrus hops with slight grassy bittering in the finish.

M: medium body and moderate to high carbonation.

Overall: my first from this brewery. I am impressed with this one. I m usually either disappointed in pale ales out there because the lack flavor or are hopped more like an IPA. This represents the genre very well.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2012 22:46:34 | More by kylehay2004

TurdFurgison

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I had this on tap at Rustico in Alexandria VA, thanks to a solid recommendation from Mike. The beer is a pale golden orange color with very little haze and a tightly celled foam. A nice hoppy aroma as befits the best APAs, pine needles and citrus, a little malt character beneath but this leans comfortably towards the hops.

More balanced in taste, still the hops take the lead but the malts give some sweet counterplay. Good carbonation, no flaws to be found anywhere. A solid if not entirely remarkable representation of the APA style, definitely an easy choice to make again in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2011 19:34:32 | More by TurdFurgison

DefenCorps

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Can from Chevy Chase.

A surprisingly dark amber with a dense, off-white head with good retention and nice lacing, this beer looks nice. It does have a moderate density of floaties, though. The nose is decent, and in many ways, what I'd expect of a flagship pale ale - moderately sweet and moderately hoppy with a pleasant enough aromatic hop character. The Vienna malt is a nice touch, rounding out the sweetness. The hop character is rather juicy, with a mild pine, a little citrus and some melon as well. Solid.

The palate is a lot hoppier than the nose would suggest. Quite aggressive in its bitterness, there's flavors of grapefruit (nicely done too), a sharp, mildly minty pine character flavor and bitterness. The malt character is moderate, lending sweetness (caramel, a little bit of a smooth and rounded bready Vienna malt flavor). Mildly resiny and moderately bitter on the finish with a hop pungency that's pretty intense, this beer is medium-light in body and moderately carbonated (a shade too high for me). This is where I apologize and say that this is anything but an expected flagship pale ale. I would drink this again.

Serving type: can

06-28-2012 04:21:21 | More by DefenCorps

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.38/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz can poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint.
6% ABV, "Serve in a tulip, goblet or enjoy from the can", no date.

Thopre429 deserves a big thank you for sending two cans of this my homeboy and I!

A - Lightly hazy golden caramel cube in color, The Public is topped by a loose cream head with tons of staying power. Not much lace is left on the glass though.

S - Tons of dry hopping with Cascade in thus hop-forward pale. Strong citrus; lemon, grapefruit, and light grassy notes flourish in front of a caramelly pale malt backbone. Hop-forward but well-balanced so far.

T - Toasted wheat bread and caramel notes with pils sweetness lay the foundation for this well-balanced pale ale. Hops plop on top with a coaxing mild bitterness like that of grapefruit, a bit of lemon grass zest pulls out, and a faint piny finish closes 'er.

M - Medium-bodied and smooth, The Public has a well-carbonated, fantastically balanced bitter finish that asserts itself slowly and carefully. As I've reiterated quite a few times, it's very well-balanced.

O - A fantastic American Pale Ale, The Public keeps it real with nice hop additions but never goes over-the-top with them. The level of balance DC Brau has achieved with this beer is exceptional. Despite the bigger hops, the malt is still enjoyable and allowed to stand on it's own in the background. Very nicely done.

Serving type: can

08-31-2011 12:07:32 | More by BeerFMAndy

smakawhat

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Finally get a chance to try this in the can, pouring into a tulip glass as recommended by instructions on said can. Brought right from the brewery premises.

Tight creamy foam comes right out of the can, not gushing, but ready to play. Hits the glass nicely and forms very evenly with the tiniest of bubbles. Body is a great orb cloudy but not as dull on tap opaqueness orange amber. A great glowing orange orb beauty. In my opinion this looks better than on tap.

Bouquet is virtually identical, but there's a little bit more bread punch, to go along with the wet minor hop bent and maltyness.

Taste is a carbon copy of it's on tap brother, orange citrus, hop bent, light malt feel is a bit more wet though and feels considerably more light bodied. A little steely also, perhaps a hint of ferrousness, but nothing extremely noticeable or off putting.

Overall still a great beer to be had for people of DC.

Serving type: can

07-15-2011 20:23:40 | More by smakawhat

FosterJM

California

3.55/5  rDev -8.7%
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

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

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. . Hop flavors are certainly present,but seem some what muted, along with some very bready and caramel malts. Overall I will have to find this more fresh and change my review someday because I am sure my can was over 2 months old. Hard to tell without a best by date...

Serving type: can

02-15-2013 16:58:31 | More by DrDemento456

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -6.7%
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