Dale's Pale Ale - Oskar Blues Grill & Brew

fmccormi

New York

4.14/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Straight pour from a 1pt 3.2oz (19.2oz, I guess) can to my DFH IPA glass; canning date of April 22, 2013 printed in black ink on the underside of the can, apparently at 2:44PM in the afternoon (“CANNED ON 04/22/13@14:44 WHAT’S IT LIKE?”), so just under a month and just over four weeks old. Very specific.

Appearance (3.5): A solid three fingers of buttermilk-colored, dense foam comes off the pour, dying slowly to a thick-ish cap of dissipating head on the surface, leaving some fat strings of lace. The body is a warm, toasty golden color with amber tones, nearly crystal-clear. There’s some very light lacing, but not much until the end.

Smell (4.25): A very nice mix of juicy hop aromas (some sappy pinecones, limeade, some grapefruit flesh, more of the resinous character) and some amber-ish malt (kinda-sorta caramel undertone, some toasted slices of rich bread like brioche. It’s a nice nose, pretty damn good for the style.

Taste (4.25): This is mostly hop-driven, with a nice crack of yellow grapefruit peel that hangs on through to the finish. Lemon peel and very subtle lemon curd, a good solid toasted note and some nutty malt character underneath. Very clean, classic, West Coast-style American yeast note. The toasted bread note folds into the grapefruit peel bitterness very nicely, and it comes off very well-balanced. Again, great for the style.

Mouthfeel (4.0): This has a very satisfying feel, starting with a very soft, easy foaming action that expands easily, with a tingle all around the edge. The body is somewhat lighter than medium-weight, and finishes nicely dry.

Overall (4.0): This is kind of a benchmark APA in a lot of ways, except that it’s more like IPA strength. But in terms of feel, appearance, smell, and taste, it’s good to very solid in every respect. This has been and will continue to be a classic craft APA for years.

Serving type: can

05-22-2013 02:23:47 | More by fmccormi

keithmurray

Louisiana

3.81/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Appearance - clear copper color with white head

Smell - pine, citrus, honey

Taste - pine, citrus, resin, grapefruit, hops

Mouthfeel - medium bodied, medium carbonation, hop bitterness which lingers long afterwards

Overall - solid APA

Price Point - $3.19/ 19 oz. can

Serving type: can

05-19-2013 00:32:47 | More by keithmurray

nickapalooza86

Wisconsin

4.23/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Pours a clear light amber with a half finger of head

Smell is piney and herbal hops, nice malt, toffee, citrus is in there but light

Taste is blood orange, pine, herbal hops, caramel malt flavor, bittering pine and grapefruit in the end

Mouthfeel is on the heavy side of medium with medium carbonation, more of a amber/ipa feel

Is it a APA/IPA???? Who cares I love both and this is a great beer none the less...

Have been drinking it for a couple years decided It was time for a review!

Great beach/camping/picnic beer!

Serving type: can

05-18-2013 01:06:25 | More by nickapalooza86

AndyP612

Illinois

3.86/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Can poured into darkness snifter.

A- Golden ale with small off white head.

S- Not a huge nose on this one but it's hop forward with hint of citrus.

T- Follows nose as hops are the star here with a slight malt finish. Hides the 6.5 abv pretty well I am surprised this ale isn't coming off as hot as others with similar abv.

M- Medium light body slightly watery. Dry finish.

O- This was the first offering from Oskar Blues I have tried and I think it's a nice pale ale. This style kind of seems a bit old for me as my first craft brew I really appreciated was Summit EPA and this is very comparable to EPA and it kind of brings me back to MN drinking Summit. Whenever I crave Summit I will go straight to Dale. Cheers.

Serving type: can

05-16-2013 00:41:04 | More by AndyP612

Jacurdy60

Alabama

3.99/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Golden orange color. Effervescent.

S-Earthy, astringent hops, grapefruit, a bit malty

T-Piney hops, astringent esters, but they do not lose focus with the malty backbone of this brew. Very well balanced.

MF-Smooth. Mildly carbonated with a dry hopped finish.

O-One of the better APA's. Blurs the line between an APA and an IPA. As the can says "One voluminously hopped mutha" Agreed, it is very hopped for an APA, but it would be a great summer day brew.

Serving type: can

05-12-2013 23:05:42 | More by Jacurdy60

soundsfromsound

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

This was my first experience with Dale and I have to say, it was a very good one. This brew had terrific mouthfeel with a pleasant aftertaste. I found this beer to be very balanced and I could certainly enjoy several of these on a hot summer day.

Very drinkable, no issues there. Great session beer for sure.

The Dale that I found at my local liquor store was in a tall boy, so I highly recommend you seek them out if you can. This pale ale is worth it - a great all around brew!

Serving type: can

05-11-2013 14:48:43 | More by soundsfromsound

patpbr

Ohio

3.96/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Copper color that appears to be a little orange.
S - Citrus and pine hops, a bit of malts
T - Citrus hops, malty backbone, earthy. well balanced.
M - Medium body and moderate carbination. Easy to drink.
O - This is a good beer and blurs the apa/ipa line.

Serving type: can

05-08-2013 23:02:55 | More by patpbr

Goldopelgt

Ohio

3.94/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours an orange-ish copper color, from a can, with a fluffy white head, decent lacing...darker than what I was anticipating from a "pale ale," but not complaining by any means.

S: Citrus and piney hops up front, with some caramel malts and biscuit to round it out. Very nice.

T: Similar to the nose...resinous, citrusy hops with a nice malty backbone that balances nicely. Tasty brew, that's all I can really say.

M: Slick, with a bitterness that coats the palate and begs for another taste. Medium bodied and not overly carbonated.

O: Wether you want to call it a traditional "pale ale" or an "IPA" aside, this is just a damn good brew...nothing else really needs to be said. I would highly recommend it if you haven't tried it, and will definitely be revisiting it very soon. Cheers!

Serving type: can

05-07-2013 07:02:05 | More by Goldopelgt

dar482

New York

4.16/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Bottom of can says that it was canned on 1/28/13. The blue and red can is quite iconic with its huge font.

This pours out with an extremely fluffy and aggressive head. This comes a copper color with a strong orange glow. Lots of head sticking to the glass and a huge pillowy head that retains.

The aroma does not have much hops. It has decent bready malt sweet with almost a lemony tinge. Quite fresh, like of lemon peel candy. Almost like a spring Pinesol in a cleaned room with some earthy resin.

This is quite interesting for a pale ale. Then again, it’s 6.5% ABV, so it’s not exactly the definition sessionable low ABV beer. Nothing really standing out and screaming as a definitive flavor. Then the hops creep in and there’s a low dry bitter finisht that lingers and arrives up on you. It’s almost like an IPA with its hop character. Big pine and not much citrus as the aroma holds.

The aftertaste leaves a sweet biscuit and bready flavor. A wonderful mouthfeel that keeps it in the pale ale category kind of.

The beer is wonderfully balanced. Not really something I would absolutely consider a pale ale like Sierra Nevada Pale or Southern Tier Live because it lacks that refreshing light drinkability. However, instead, it reminds me of an IPA with big malt backbone, pushing towards Firestone Union Jack. Quite a lovely beer.

Serving type: can

05-07-2013 04:47:17 | More by dar482

Roman5150

Michigan

4.15/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

this review is based on drinking one out of the can (recommended), but for certain aspects of the review, i compared it to one poured in a tulip glass, drunken side by side.

appearance: amber-orange with decent white head

smell: earthy hops, citrus, grapefruit, resin, malts

taste: hop character of an IPA more so than a pale ale, pretty bitter, strong earthy hop presence, very flavorful and well balanced. I really like this. Maybe i'm crazy but it almost has a hint of lemonade after the initial hop bite...

mouthfeel: decent level of carbonation, no cpmplaints

overall: I would call this an IPA before a pale ale, but that's just me. Great beer from Oskar Blues, never dissapointed, I would reccomend this to basically any craft beer drinker as hop heads will enjoy the complex hop character, an earthy bitterness combined with subtle grapefruit notes. I prefer it out of the can, as I do with most Oskar Blues beers.

Serving type: can

05-05-2013 01:36:26 | More by Roman5150

ThisWangsChung

Maryland

3.69/5  rDev -6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

19.2 oz can partly poured into a pint glass.

A: Pours a copper color with good clarity. The head is a three finger offwhite shade. I really like how much lacing it leaves on the glass in particular, not to mention the fluffiness of the head itself.

S: The aroma is what you'd expect, grassy/piny Cascade hops and caramel malts. Hoppiness is amplified when inhaled directly from the can.

T: This is quite bitter to start. The leafy, herbal hop bitterness really comes through, though perhaps with not as much actual hop flavor as I'd like. Bitterness seems to cool off near the back end, creating something that's pleasantly drinkable instead of oppressive.

M: While the opening bitterness suggest this could be resiny and harsh, the finish is crisp and dry enough to scrub it away. Nice body and carbonation here, though I still think the back end is a little rough.

O: You know you have something pretty good on your hands when 19.2 oz. seems like the right size for this one. Word of warning though - this one might be too bitter for newbs.

Serving type: can

04-28-2013 21:19:24 | More by ThisWangsChung

keeganfrank

Ohio

4.19/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Tea-colored ale with a thick, foamy head that retains well. Aromas of faint citrus and sweet bread with hints of berry. Flavors of sweet fruit and bread with a slight citrus rind tartness. Has a really complex and well-balanced profile. I can certainly understand all the hype behind this brew.

Serving type: can

04-28-2013 16:01:14 | More by keeganfrank

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Golden with good lacing.

Smell: Refreshing mown grass balanced with caramel malt.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Nice balance of grass and caramel. Very dry, but a bit too flat.

Overall Drinkabiity: Seems like this is a cult classic, so I was glad to find this. I would definitely drink this again.

Serving type: can

04-27-2013 23:59:49 | More by tjsdomer2

barnzy78

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +7.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can, it's a deep golden ale topped with a frothy, ivory colored head holds great retention and leaves thick, chunky lacing. Aromas are floral hops, bready malt, citric, caramel, a bit tropical. Tastes are bready, caramel, pungent grapefruit, and pine. Nice mouth-feel here with a smooth creaminess, while being medium bodied. Overall, solid APA, and holds a bit of nostalgia for me as I highly sought after this beer a few years ago before it was available in IL.

Serving type: can

04-27-2013 01:21:09 | More by barnzy78

armiakhe

Michigan

3.03/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25

The appearance was an amber/gold with a lot of bubbles with a foamy head when poured. The smell definitely had some hops to it and smelled of citrus with a touch of pine. The taste overall was OK to me it had a very strong hop taste so it was a little overwhelming to me.

Serving type: can

04-26-2013 12:46:42 | More by armiakhe

kangarooAdam59

Connecticut

3.85/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

Nice find for me at least being down here in DE:

Into a mug:

A: somewhat hazy yet clear orange/brown body with a one finger foamy white head, clingy foamy lacing

S: hops up front, light malts come through once it warms

T: mainly sweet becomes slightly bitter once it warms, sticky sweet aftertaste and finish

M: light to medium, sessionable, carbonated just right

O: glad I finally found it and tried it as this is good for its style and good for me

Serving type: can

04-24-2013 20:38:49 | More by kangarooAdam59

mjurney

Texas

4.46/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance:
Amber-gold color, touch of haze. Lots of small bubble rising up. Thick rocky head.

Aroma:
Citrus, piney, sweet caramel malts.

Taste:
Strong hop character, but not overwhelming, citrus, piney, grassy. Rich malty background, bready, caramel. There's some fruity ester. Bitter-crisp finish. Body is robust, crisp, semi-dry, very smooth.

Overall:
Taste more like an American IPA than American Pale Ale. Highly drinkable, 6.5% ABV is well hidden. Very delicious beer.

Serving type: can

04-21-2013 23:49:42 | More by mjurney

DaveBlack

Virginia

3.89/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Light copper, maybe a 1/2 finger's worth of head, with long retentin and a good amount of lacing.

S: A slight toasted, grainy maltiness on the nose, but the vast majority of the aroma comes from the grapefruit/citrus of the hops.

T: The taste doesn't deliver anything that isn't promised by the nose. The initial flavor is that of toasted cereal grains, a some biscuity notes. They are quickly swept away, though, by the aggressive hopping. The hops come through with grapefruit and an intense woody flavor. The finish is dry and crisp.

M: Fairly heavy body, bready and almost chewy in texture, with a decent amount of carbonation which brings a nice crispness.

O: A solid beer. It packs a lot of flavor, between the aggressive hopping and the intense bready malts. i would almost say that they over-did it if they really want to call this a "pale ale" Definitely a big beer, and it goes down easily.

Serving type: can

04-21-2013 18:08:51 | More by DaveBlack

KFBR392

Illinois

3.74/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Appearance: Strong copper color with some slight orange tint. About a finger worth of head on the pour which stuck around very lightly overall. Heavy lacing on the glass which stuck with each drink. Below average carbonation throughout drinking.

Smell: Light citrus front on this brew. Kind of a sticky malt body in the aroma. Some cinnamon sugary spices in the aroma. But overall pretty subdued.

Taste: A ton of malt. Some APA go on the hop side, this is not one of those. Very sweet molasses front which transitions into a syrupy malty body. The hops are felt on the finish, a heavily dry hop finish.

Mouthfeel: Dry, but at the same time some sugary sweetness going on here.

Overall: A decent APA. Goes hard on the side of malt for an APA but is a very solid representation of the style.

Serving type: can

04-16-2013 03:24:08 | More by KFBR392

matjack85

Illinois

4.01/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I picked this up at the Binny's store in Bloomingdale, IL as part of a build-your-own six pack for $9.99, making them $1.67 each for a 12oz can. No freshness date.

The beer poured a cloudy apricot color with a big 4-finger white head that lasted a long time and left tons of good lacing.

Big fruity and hoppy aroma. Mostly getting orange with a touch of pine.

Big orange citrus hop flavor with a touch of orange rind and mild pine hop bitterness. PPenty of caramel malt sweetness for balance.

Medium bodied, just short of creamy with medium carbonation.

This is a very good canned beer.

Serving type: can

04-15-2013 07:18:22 | More by matjack85

Hendry

Vermont

4.5/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Heady Topper hath taught me that canned beer is not sacrilege! Dale's APA is simple, unpretentious, and hits all the right notes, particularly at the price point.

Unlike the BA photo of the can, mine says "Brevard, North Carolina" at the bottom.Pours a clear amber/off orange with a medium white head, and has an appealing no-nonsense nose: plenty of naval orange and pink grapefruit citrus, plus piney with a well balanced mix of sweet caramel maltiness. Medium bodied and mouthfeel, well carbonated for the style.

Flavors are a straightforward good, really good. The delicate balance of hops and malt backbone are nicely achieved, and the citrus/piney characteristics are certainly present in both the initial flavors and the aftertaste. Dale's Pale Ale should satisfy APA fans that appreciate a snappy hop presence, and at the $10 six pack price point, it is a solid value well worthy of trying.

Serving type: can

04-14-2013 05:39:58 | More by Hendry

Dave_in_GR

Michigan

4.24/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured from a can into a pint glass. Pours a beautiful light orange color with a good finger-width of head that hangs around. Great lacing on the side of the glass as well. The smell is very gentle, just a hint of citrus and hops. Taste is much more assertive, great citrus flavors and a decent hit of hops, really nice and balanced. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a nice amount of carbonation - very easy to drink. One of the best pale ales I've had, so glad Michigan has this now

Serving type: can

04-13-2013 21:46:58 | More by Dave_in_GR

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

3.63/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Consumed 4/12/13

Note: Poured from the rather odd 19.2oz "imperial pint" can

Appearance: Clear, medium orange in color with some gold highlights - average size, off-white cap, fades to some wisps, leaves some decent lacing

Smell: Nice citrus and pine aromas - moderately hoppy in a juicy way, with fleshy orange and grapefruit - some peel as well - herbal, earthy notes and some pine - somewhat balanced with a pale malt background, with some caramel - bready, with a sweetness that reminds me of honey

Taste: More or less matches the smell, perhaps a little less hoppy - wet, juicy oranges, with some orange and grapefruit zest - some pine - pale, bready malts with some caramel - earthy and herbal, with a light spiciness - some sweetness, perhaps crystal malts - somewhat balanced, would go well with food, kind of becomes watery over time

Mouthfeel: Medium body, very smooth, nicely carbonated, notably quaffable

Overall: I'm glad we finally met, Dale

This is the first can of this I have ever had. I've had samples on numerous occasions, and I never got around to reviewing it. It's a solid APA. It slowly loses some of its charm over the course of 19.2 ounces, but I still think it would be good with food. Worth a try, for sure.

Serving type: can

04-12-2013 05:44:38 | More by angrybabboon

hossua34

California

4.69/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

A - Deep, rich amber color. A respectable head that leaves lots of lacing.

S - Sweet honey and floral notes. Delicious.

T - A hoppy, but well-balanced, candied floral taste that just explodes in your mouth.

M - What can I say? Full and smooth without being overly carbonated or any other such negative characteristics. Pretty much perfect.

O - Maybe I just got an incredibly fresh batch of this, but my god. This is one of the ten best beers I've ever tasted. I drank this after a large bottle of Hennepin (another personal favorite) and this beer blew it out of the water... Let me just put it this way: I stopped posting on BA about 2.5 years ago because I just kinda got bored of it. This beer inspired me to come back and post a review. Between this and the also-exceptional Fat Tire Shift Pale Lager, I am quickly becoming a canned beer convert. If you see it, try it.

Serving type: can

04-11-2013 23:38:53 | More by hossua34

andrewjraab

Michigan

4/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Pours a dark and golden tone with good clarity and forms a soft pillow of head. Good retention and nice lacing.

S - Citrus, orange peel, some malts, caramel.

T - Not a hop bomb, but a nice snappy crisp hop balanced with some malts. Easy to drink.

O - Very solid APA that I could drink all day. This is a nice one to keep in the fridge.

Serving type: can

04-11-2013 00:04:54 | More by andrewjraab