Whale's Tale Pale Ale - Cisco Brewers Inc.

4DAloveofSTOUT

Illinois

3.33/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

thanks to ChefBergo for this extra bottle. Thanks Shawn!

poured into a glass stien.

No freshness date to be found on the bottle.

Appearance: an orangish copper colored beer that is opaque. One finger of white head that drops to a minimal cap.

Smell: mild sweetness from the malts that smells of wheat and honey. Grassy hops and light citrus notes from the hops.

Taste: This beer is actually sweeter than I expected. Its malts taste just like caramel and honey. Really mild bitterness that is mostly grassy and a slightly fruity note that I can pick out specifically what fruits i am detecting here. I think that this beer is a little old. The hops just dont seem that fresh to me and the malts seem to over run this beers overall flavor profile. It almost tastes like a malt forward amber ale.

Mouthfeel: light to medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation. Easy drinker and well carbonated.

Overall: This is a nice beer. Wish that it was know when it was bottled. So that I knew if I was drinking the beer fresh or not.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 02:15:59 | More by 4DAloveofSTOUT

shand

Florida

3.53/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from an undated 12oz bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint.

This beer pours out a hazy orange color with two fingers of head. The aroma is sweet and bready, with some fruity and herbal hops. The taste is smooth and bready, with a bit of prickliness and fruitiness from the hops. The mouthfeel is medium-bodied and easy-drinking, and the drinkability is good. It's a solid English style pale ale. Won't blow your mind, but it's a good drink.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2012 01:10:20 | More by shand

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a crystal clear copper in color. The beer has a three finger tall creamy light beige head that reduces into a very dense finger tall head that is slightly thicker at the edges of the glass. Significant lacing is observed.

S: Light aromas of pale malts with moderate aromas of earthy and floral hops.

T: The taste of this beer follows the smell... The beer starts out with some pale and caramel malt flavors and then the hop flavors come in. The hop flavors contribute some earthiness and just a hint of floral notes. The beer is very well balanced.

M: Light to medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Very smooth.

O: This beer is very enjoyable and very easy to drink, I find it to be extremely well balanced. This would be a great summer beer for drinking at cookouts. I could easily pair this beer with lots of different foods. Definitely sessionable.

Serving type: can

05-17-2012 21:58:58 | More by dbrauneis

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Into a nonic:

A: copper colored body with a two finger thick off-white head that leaves a fair amount of foamy lacing in its wake, barely any carbonation is seen rising. No rings are left as the beer goes down.

S: balanced between the malts and the hops with a slight herbal aroma.

T: balanced between the malts and the hops. A good sweetness dominates the taste.

M: medium with a good smooth and creamy feel. It leaves a wet sweet finish. A medium carbonation is felt in the mouth. This is a pretty drinkable beer.

O: this is a pretty good brew that was balanced all around. Yet, it may be nothing to scream about, its still good. I would have this again.

Serving type: can

05-01-2012 00:20:03 | More by kangarooAdam59

Immortale25

Florida

3.73/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a pint glass. No freshness date.

A- Pours a medium copper color with a 1/2 inch off-white head that retains before becoming a thick ring around the edge of the glass and big bubbles of surface foam. Full ring of lacing.

S- Balanced aroma of bready malt and herbal hops.

T- Neutral flavor with the hops giving forth just as much bitterness as the malt does sweetness. Both are prevalent enough to provide a good amount of substance.

M- Smooth and calm. Medium carbonation.

O- Pretty much ordinary across the board. A good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 23:55:57 | More by Immortale25

areich6

Illinois

2.88/5  rDev -21.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pours very dark copper/amber color. After looking into English Pale Ales that isn't unusual.

S: Lots of malt and bite from something. Maybe hops?

T: Very odd. Don't really know how to describe this. I can taste some amber malt characteristics along with a tiny, tiny amount of hoppiness, and a bit grapefruit at the very end. However, even if this common for the style, I don't particulary like it.

M: A lot of biting carbonation.

O: My experience with "English" pale ales is very limited. In fact this might be the only one I have had. However, even if this beer does in fact stay true to this particular genre of beer, I still must say that I disliked it based on the taste alone. But since it is getting some high reviews, Im going to give it a few points based on the fact that I must be somewhat ignorant to this style and therefore cannot completely accurately rate it.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 04:25:13 | More by areich6

pschul4

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -19%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Shared with areich6

A- Pours very dark but after looking in to EPA's it's not out of catagory.

S- Smells like your basic Pale ale (citrus/malts) with something else there.. something not so great... molassis?

T- That molassis-ish flavor from the scent is back. And it's the only thing you get out of this taste. Ugh this is gonna get chugged...

M- Best part of the beer (a very low bar) nice and light with some great carbonation

O- If this tasted better it would be an awesome beer... Didn't mean to state the obvious

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2012 04:19:25 | More by pschul4

barnzy78

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle, pours amber in color with a foamy beige head, decent retention and lacing. Aromas are bready malt, caramel, and herbal hops, very earthy. Tastes are bready, earthy, herbal, caramely, peppery, rye, citric, leathery. Mouth-feel is medium bodied with ample carbonation, smooth, creamy, finishes bitter and overly dry. Overall, nice complexity, I'm not a big fan of the herbal characteristics, but this was pretty good, and what I'd expect from the style.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2012 20:08:28 | More by barnzy78

slader

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A tasty ale for the long term. Full disclosure: After my first sip I was ready to commit the unthinkable: chucking out the 12 pack into the trash. But this beer grew on me. By my fourth can in as many days, I was a respectful admirer. Tastes like the sun dried leather tethered to a harpoon after a day long Nantucket sleigh ride ;) Proof that change is constant and that if you open your mind your palate will follow. P.S. The color is amazing. Authentic copper with a bit of haze.

Serving type: can

04-13-2012 02:27:51 | More by slader

chodinheaven

Maryland

3.63/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A bit hazy in this light amber ale with a medium sized white and seafoamy head on top that dissapates pretty quickly. It does leave some snakey lacing. The aroma is a bit musty and fruity, apricots coming to mind as well as orange rind and tangerines. Pleasant aroma even with the mustyish smell, which isn't overpowering at all. More of a hint.

Caramelly and biscuity malts up front that form a base for the other flavors of the beer. Light to medium body that works for the style, but doesn't really satisfy overall. The mustiness does come through a bit in the taste as well, as subtle as the aroma, but leaving a somewhat odd aftertaste. Tangerine taste comes out a bit, but not in abundance. The citrusy hops come in at the end with a bit more than slight bitterness and a touch of grapefruit, cleaning out most of the other flavors. Dryish finish with that odd aftertaste that doesn't really do much for me.

Not a bad beer overall, easy to drink and pretty classic to style. Not one that I would seek out however. Just a bit lackluster in this tasting, but don't let that stop you from trying it.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2012 03:29:49 | More by chodinheaven

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

3.63/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I poured this one into a pint glass. It has a nice golden copper body with a 2' foamy head. The smell is of citrus and some malts. The taste has more malt than hop to my taste buds, nothing out standing. The mouthfeel is good and overall this is a ok beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2012 02:21:48 | More by chefhatt

StonedTrippin

Colorado

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a pretty good pale ale. pours a hazy copper color with a rather small off white head. smells crisp and refreshing, lemony hops and a healthy dose of english malts lends a nice light doughy smell. flavor is refreshing too, a nice pale ale for springtime. the english malts give it just enough body, but the hop profile is the star here. a little fruity without being sweet, and crisp without being at all bitter. excellent with a grilled veggie burger. full enough body to stand up to all kinds of food, i will buy this one again.

Serving type: can

03-26-2012 18:37:27 | More by StonedTrippin

FosterJM

California

3.75/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

1151st Review on BA
Bottle to Pint
12 oz

Purchased from Total Wine Tampa for $1.79

App- A super dark orange color. Don't remember when I had this 7 years ago and it was a good looking 1-1/2 finger head with a white color and some good dotty cling.

Smell- A little small hops with some candy like tangerine and even a small malty note.

Taste- A nice hoppy little pale ale. I don't remember it being this good. A small bit of sweet with some sugars and also some caramel thrown in.

Mouth- A fuller medium body with a medium carbonation and leaves a good citrus hoppy note on the end.

Drink- It's a tasteful little pale ale. Has a nice rounded flavor and lends itself to the malty english note which I expected. I would take another bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2012 20:50:10 | More by FosterJM

Tartarus

Pennsylvania

4.05/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A&S: Pours with about a fingers worth of head despite a delicate pour. Looks fantastic. Smell is citrus with a bit of malt, nothing stands out too much.

T&M: Taste is a balanced blend of malts, hops and citrus flavor in a very smooth mouthfeel. This is my third or fourth can of my 12 pack, and I've noticed that it seems a bit off-puttingly smooth when poured aggressively, so I've tried to take that into account during the pour. With a delicate pour there is a nice crisp hint of carbonation.

O: Very solid. Pretty tasty and not too pricey. A nice session ale that won't rip your taste buds off but that still has a good crisp taste.

Serving type: can

03-04-2012 03:22:27 | More by Tartarus

NoLeafClover44

Delaware

3.85/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz. can poured into standard pint.

A - Pours a deep, hazy, amber with a one finger head. Retention is good and the lacing is great.

S - Biscuity malt, toffee, sourdough, grain, and a sweet fruit background. The hops are not very prominent in the nose.

T - Follows the nose with an overwhelming buttered bread flavor. Mildly sweet in the beginning, with the hops making an appearance for the finish. The hops are slightly bitter, rounding out the flavors. Very enjoyable.

M - Slightly chewy feel with decent carbonation.

O - I support this brewery whenever I can because of the great times I have had at the brewery while visiting on Nantucket. This is a very respectable flagship beer from Cisco in what I consider to be an underrated style. I think it is a bit thicker than I would like from a beer that claims "perfectly suited for your next session" but I would definitely drink a few. The all-blue can stands out among the rest and I appreciate the simple artwork. Very well done from Cisco Brewers.

Serving type: can

03-01-2012 02:52:33 | More by NoLeafClover44

CheezyBlaster

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Long time drinker, first time reviewer of WTPA. Both this and Ipswich Ale are solid, local English style pales. I like this guy more lately because it's a tad brighter. This has a nice sweet biscuity back to it with a mild fruity hop and an ever-so-tiny citric tone. Nose exposes the entire flavor and body for what it is up front, and I like that. If you've had Ipswich, or any other Northeastern American takes on the English Pale then you'll know where this is coming from. A little less buttery than Ipswich, but in the same delicious realm.

While not a session beer, this is definitely sessionable, but at 5.6 that doesn't mean go drink 12 of them.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2012 00:48:04 | More by CheezyBlaster

9InchNails

New Jersey

3.98/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at Poor Henry's.

Copper color head. Light lacing. Not much of a head.

Brown sugar? Weird in a pale ale. Dough and caramel nutty taste, bread crust or toasted bread. This is a more malt based pale ale than hoppy.

Light to medium body, medium carbonation, easy drinking.

Overall, unique pale ale. I would called it lighter style of a brown ale. It reminds me of Olde Burneside Ten Penny Ale, which certainly isn't a bad thing.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2012 06:46:52 | More by 9InchNails

RyanLigeia

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Cloudy golden brown with a decent white head that doesnt disappear too quickly. Small amount of visible carbonation bubbles are visible slowly trying to make their way to the top.

The smell is a little weak. Sort of bready, pretty generic.

The taste is a little better. Subtle notes of citrus/fruits, some sweetness, a little bread and a somewhat bitter aftertaste.

Just enough carbonation to stir up the body (which is on the heavier side of medium Id say) without making it fizzy or thinning it out.

Overall its a solid beer. Nothing groundbreaking, nothing over the top or special about it, just a good pale ale like it claims to be.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2012 18:43:01 | More by RyanLigeia

emerge077

Illinois

3.45/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Looks nice, burnished copper orange with a steady plume of rising carbonation. Creamy dense foam, offwhite color and slow to fade. Plenty of lingering frothy lace inside the glass.

Crusty bread, dried apricot, sweet moist shortbread aromas.

Flavor is bready and fruity, though something is slightly off (old?). Light toasted malts. Apricot, apple core bitterness, a slight stale malt oxidation. Medium bodied, lightly astringent. Dry aftertaste, slight bitterness again. Something here doesn't jive and it's hard to put a finger on.

Don't know how old this could be, date is smudged on the bottle, but it's only been in the market for a couple months.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 02:57:37 | More by emerge077

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Very slight haze on a deep copper body. Head is bright-white and drops to a thin cap pretty quickly. Carbonation looks to be moderate.

Smell: Apples, biscuits, minerals, and a touch of grass. Juicy red apple coupled with a doughy biscuit. Some sweetness from caramel malts. Slightly toasted. Nailed the English thing. Faint hints of citrus round the whole thing out.

Taste: Biscuit malts and minerals. Big doughy malts coupled with some caramel sweetness and apple skin. A touch grassy and loaded with the delicious flavor of English water. So many biscuits! Brightness from the hops drops citrus. Very well balanced.

Mouthfeel: Moderate body with moderate carbonation. A touch dry on the end of the sip. Smooth and slightly creamy.

Overall: A well-made English Pale Ale. Nice balance.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 02:18:43 | More by Goblinmunkey7

ferrari29

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer poured from bottle into a Nonic shaped-pint glass

A - Beer pours with a healthy, thick, and frothy looking off-white colored head; about one finger in size; beer has a dark copper, almost brown colored look; well-carbonated; stringy lacing forms around the glass; slightly cloudy looking body

S - Nice and fruity hop aroma; deep roasted malt nose and plenty of citrus pop

T - Smooth malty taste; roasted malt flavor; light fruit and citrus hop flavor; touch of brown nut ale flavor; bit on the burnt side

M - Frothy and creamy feel, turns thin and leaves behind a slight bitter taste and nice lingering roasted malt taste

D - Great tasting drink; smooth around the edges and very enjoyable; malt flavors touch of hops keeps this beer well-balanced and enjoyable no matter what time of day or meal

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 04:58:38 | More by ferrari29

jtierney89

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a pretty clear orange/amber hue with an off white head. earthy herbal and minty on the nose

Big apple fruit flavor with earthy undertones. some caramel sweetness and a semidry hop finish. a little thin in body but it works with the beers subtle flavors. some spiciness comes through on the finish and compliments the beer pretty well. surprisingly good.

thought this beer would suck but not bad whatsoever. my favorite english style ale yet to date. could definitely suck down a few of these subtler flavored brews.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 21:00:49 | More by jtierney89

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Golden orange, very light head, constantly fizzing

S - sweet, fruity hop smell

T - sweet and malty with the right hint of bitterness from hops, wheaty after taste

M - very light and sweet, smooth going down

O - this is an excellent choice for a refreshing drink

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 16:05:05 | More by facundoCNB

BeerLover99

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: brown/orange body, trace white head,
good lacing

S: caramel, malt, lemon grass, nutty

T: sweet grain, malt, nutty/semi-dry finish

M: med/light body, smooth body

O: Nice session brew, recommend
and try again. Very nice
american brew of a british beer.

NICE, MUST HAVE!

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2012 20:15:31 | More by BeerLover99

scruffwhor

Illinois

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

Pale copper color with a little thun film of foam on top. OK bubbling, the hue is what dominates the appearance.

The nose is nothing but caramel and citric hops. Simple and sweet. A little more American than English though.

Soft resiny palate bitterness, upfront and throughout. Some minerl malt biscuits and piney, citric hops mix up for a classic Northeastern American Pale Ale. I'm glad I tried this beer, but the Northeast has nothing on the Midwest.

Serving type: bottle

01-08-2012 00:38:21 | More by scruffwhor