Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale - SweetWater Brewing Company

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at the brewpub in Atlanta. Creamy soapy head on a light grapefruit colour. Hoppy and cramy maltiness, and good lace. Freshness.Suitable carbonation. I probably had it at the right place, and on-tap. Well malted bitterness makes it decent drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

02-10-2008 20:21:07 | More by northyorksammy

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bright orangish amber crowned by a light beige head that started out at three fingers due to an enthusiastic pour. The cap is moderately firm, hangs around for a bit and leaves a below average amount of lace in the end. I've seen better.

While the nose is pleasant enough, it could be more forceful. It consist of grapefruit zest tempered by sweet orange. Cascade would be my guess for at least a portion of the hop bill. Although it's a little on the one-dimensional side, it is in line with the style and gets the job done.

The beer is teasingly tasty at first, but the flavor profile and the body break down a tad too quickly for it to be a standout. The pale malt backbone could be a bit firmer and the top notes are simple, straightforward, cleanly bitter citrus zest. While the body/mouthfeel is relatively light, it manages to keep its composure throughout the entirety of each mouthful.

Sweetwater 420 Extra Pale Ale is an okay version that fails to impress in any one area, but still manages to be drinkable. A heavier hand with the ingredients would have resulted in a better beer. If I lived in Georgia, I'd probably stick with Sweetwater IPA. Bottle courtesy of au1sec.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2005 15:40:21 | More by BuckeyeNation

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.2/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured a 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. No realy over bearing flavor profile anywhere, overall will give it another shot when its warm out.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2007 00:46:51 | More by mikesgroove

womencantsail

California

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to Charlie for this one.

A: The pour is burnt orange in color with a fluffy white head.

S: The nose is quite floral with a light citrus component. There's also a tea-like note to it, which I'm still undecided on.

T: Like the nose, the citrus character is a bit light, but the floral flavors provide the bulk of the hop influence. Due to the highly floral nature of the beer, there's almost a honey feel to it.

M: The body is on the light end of medium with a crisp and plentiful carbonation.

D: This seems to be one of the quintessential beers in the south, and I can see why. Not my favorite pale ale, but a real easy drinker.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2010 04:26:54 | More by womencantsail

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a fairly clear golden color with a white head and a touch of lacing. The nose brings some pretty strong pine, floral, and citrus hops that work well together in tandem. The taste lays off a bit with some mild hop flavors and a bit of pale malt below. Light feel with good carbonation. This is an extremely drinkable pale ale with some nice characteristics all around.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2010 11:45:37 | More by Thorpe429

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's always a bummer to get local beers as part of a Beer of the Month Club shipment. =(

Appearance: Copper-orange in color, with tiny white sudsy bubbles comprising a thin head.

Smell: The scent is fairly tender, even after giving it some time to warm up and awaken. Still, though, there's a delicate aroma of light fruits (orange zest), bread, and honey.

Taste: Citrus hop flavor is low and nicely balanced with a modest amount of sweet malt flavor. A gentle grassy hop bitterness provides for a nice finish.

Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied with a good amount of carbonation (almost spritzy at times). Though it's a simple, mild beer, it is still crisp and pleasantly refreshing.

Drinkability: A good choice for a local session beer, and quite pleasant on a rather warm late-Winter day.

So, that's it. Another beer from Georgia.

And now, time to go back to... work.

Ugh.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2006 21:51:32 | More by ChainGangGuy

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle courtesy of Mr_Kimchee: Poured a deep amber color ale with a medium slightly off-white foamy head with average retention. Aroma of hops is well balance with some caramel malt. Taste of caramel malt with a slightly bitter and citrus finish. Well done for the style but nothing extraordinary either.

Serving type: bottle

10-31-2006 17:53:36 | More by Phyl21ca

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Another pretty good beer from Sweetwater. Enjoyed durring a recent visit to Nashville. Begins with a promising display of pale straw and modest copper coloring, withstanding head retention and adequate co2 with lacing later. Smells typical of pale ales with distinguishable citrus crispness and lightened malt character. Tastes similar to most good pale ales, but with lighter malt additions without becomming thin or grainy. Citrus dominant in the nose and flavors with an efforvescent livelyness. Nicely bittered with American hops and beefed up with a light biscuity flavor and texture. Feels light and airy with a co2 prickle. Finishes very clean and crisp with a light lemony zest in the end.

Serving type: on-tap

10-23-2006 17:15:03 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a light hazy amber with a thin wispy head,aromas of biscuity malt and somewhat floral.Taste is well balanced some lightly sweet bicuit malt and a touch of grassy hop in the finish.A pretty easy quaffer nothing spectacular but a solid well rounded ale,nice toasted malt and a decent hop bittering.

Serving type: on-tap

08-15-2004 17:01:58 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.47/5  rDev +21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

From a fresh bottle, 2 weeks old. Gotta love their dating system!

Sweetwater's 420 Extra Pale Ale pours a hazy orange-amber body with golden highlights beneath a frothy 3/4" head of off-white foam. The head holds well and eventually drops but leaves a complete surface covering and some nice lace about the glass. Very nice.The aroma offers bright, fresh, floral & citrusy hops over a sweet, doughy maltiness. The body is medium with a delicate, fine, natural carbonation. The flavor delivers a combination of lightly tangy, citrusy and floral hop flavors and a bready, caramel & biscuit maltiness backed by a firm bitterness. It finishes dry with a short lingering hoppy bitterness and a residual bready/biscuity maltiness. Very well balanced. Nicely malty and hoppy. Highly drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-04-2006 19:55:49 | More by NeroFiddled

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

hey, 420, that's my apartment number! they must have brewed this for me, right? very sly suggestions on the label at the real inspiration for that name..."kind" beer..yeah, huh!
clear, light, peachy/amber color, thin, but staying bone-white head.
Nice, hoppy aroma...cascades and such...some citrus, peach, lemon, a nice fruity bouquet...lovely.
Taste: smooth, yet crisp and hoppy, a trifle spicy, then mellow...a gentle, peachy/fruity flavor, very tasty, drinks like a dream...a very agreeable pale ale, even if it's inspired by dope addicts.
Much better than the numbers, a very nice ale.
Cheers to Southernbrew!

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2005 07:01:55 | More by feloniousmonk

drabmuh

Maryland

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

Beer served in a shaker pint. Beer is yellow and has a slight haze to it, thin white head, diffuse, some lacing, low carbonation.

Aroma is grainy with a mild pine hop scent.

Beer is light to medium in body, easy drinking overall, mild hoppiness, mild bitterness, mild overall. It's a little sweet and a little dry at the end. Decent.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 00:25:00 | More by drabmuh

Mora2000

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Thanks to angrypirate06 for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours a clear yellow-light orange color with a white head. The aroma is citrus and resiny hops. The flavor is grain and bready malts with lots of hop flavor including resiny and grassy hops. Thin mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2010 23:39:26 | More by Mora2000

zeff80

Missouri

4/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, golden/orange color with a good deal of carbonation. It had a two-finger, off-white head of big bubbles. It left some nice rings of lace.

S - It smelled of pine, citrus and burnt toast malt.

T - This is a good APA with piney/resiny hop bitterness, a touch of orange peel and sweet burnt toast maltiness.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A light to medium bodied ale that finished very dry.

D - This is a good beer. I'm glad I finally found a 420 Extra Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2010 23:24:51 | More by zeff80

metter98

New York

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer is clear yellowish amber in color and poured with a thin white head that quickly dissipated and left lacy patterns of bubbles on the surface.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of citrusy hops and hints of biscuit malts in the nose.
T: The overall taste is very well balanced between the malts and hops; there are notes of caramel and citrus flavors. It has a mild amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light-bodied and somewhat crisp on the palate and has a low to moderate amount of carbonation.
D: The beer is easy to drink and is also quite refreshing. I could easily have a few of these in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

12-27-2010 02:58:59 | More by metter98

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4.2/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Acquired from unclejedi through the Little Guy BIF, so a big “Thank you” goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light amber color with a thin white head that fades quickly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of caramelized malt, hops & fruity citrus and is very well-blended.

T: The taste is quite nicely balanced with flavors of hops, citrus & caramel all hitting at once and all complimenting each other. There’s a decent malt character and the hops presence strengthens a bit as the beer warms. The after-taste is slightly bitter.

M: Smooth and very crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, clean and dry finish.

D: Very tasty, goes down easily, not very filling, good representation of style, I could drink quite a few of these over the course of an evening.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2007 01:43:11 | More by TheManiacalOne

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.22/5  rDev +15%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap when was back home in NC at a bar on Lake Lure, nice suprise!

Poured amber with a 1" white head. Great lacing & good head retention

S: Fruitty & floral hops

T: Snappy floral hops & fruittyness up front. Finishes fruitty with a a good dose of peppery hops

M: Medium bodied, perfect balance & carbonation

Middle of the road take on the style with some nice flavor enhancements, this went down like mothers milk on a warm summers day! Liked this better than the bottled version

Serving type: on-tap

10-15-2006 07:15:06 | More by russpowell

Halcyondays

California

4.18/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. bottle, courtesy of Andrew, I finally get to try the legendary Sweetwater 420,

A: Pours a lightly hazy orange with a soft white head.

S: Green tea, bacon, wildflower honey, a weird complex mix, I liked it a lot.

T: Definitely has a real floral hop component, honeysuckle nectar. Nice light caramel malt type flavour for balance, quite nice.

M: Crisp carbonation, biting, medium-bodied, very easy to drink.

D: The standard bearer for Southern craft brews has made a fan out of me. This isn't a go crazy hop bomb like many of the new pales are trying to be. Just good, classic American Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2010 03:09:03 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +13.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: clear orange in color with a one finger head that lingers around a while. Some mild lacing develops on the side of the glass.

Smell: orange slices and floral hops are bold and easy to detect.

Taste: the malt profile is nicely balanced with orange citrus, pears, and a floral hop bitterness. This keg was recently tapped and the freshness of the flavors really shined.

Mouthfeel: lightly crisp from start to finish. Brief citrus burst sticks to the tongue during the aftertaste. Medium bodied beer.

Drinkability: as usual a fresh beer makes a happy customer. This was easy to quaff and a few can be had in a session especially with the lower alcohol content.

Serving type: on-tap

07-03-2007 23:38:44 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

3.45/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours light amber with a thin head that soon becomes a spotted, lasting patch. Some lacing is left.

The smell, at first, was similar to a graininess typical of a macro lager. A second smell showed improvement - some citrus with a floral aroma, with an earthy undertone.

The taste is of crisp, mellow citrus upfront. Some grainy malt comes through afterwards, but the hops stay ahead. The hops, though, remain on the mild, but ever-present, side. A touch of salt enters through in the middle, but vanishes before the finish. There is an underlying weakness under the hops, even at the times the grainy malt makes a background appearance.

The water thins it quite a bit, though some of the bitterness hangs on. There is a certain smoothness despite the weakness.

Overall, it's a decent brew. It has potential as a lighter version of a pale ale, but, among other things, could use a bit more balance. The mellow hops control this too much. It could also use more body, even for a lighter interpretation.

Thanks to SilentSabre for sending me a few of these (had two, traded other with a friend.)

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2006 22:20:52 | More by jwc215

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 12 oz bottle from a recent trade with limesmut.

A: This extra pale ale is just that, a pale amber color that shows off some kolsch-like colors are the narrow points of the glass. The head neared three fingers in my Ommegang glass and retains a certain size as I drink it.

S: The nose is malty but has a distinct hoppiness that has floral aromas. The scent is exciting, stronger than I expected.

T: The first sip reveals a solid malty foundation, grainy with biscuity cereal flavors. The bready cereal flavors support some light hops, zesty but not as strong as you'd expect from the nose.

M: The mouthfeel is relaxed, a decent APA with nothing that makes it stand out in a crowded field.

D: I certainly wouldn't turn one down, but it doesn't push any boundaries for me.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2007 17:31:19 | More by akorsak

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to LeftmindedRighty for the trade. Appears gold with a tall, off-white head that leaves lacing.

This is an excellent session beer. The malts and hops are in perfect balance, and the body is on the thin side. 420 starts with grapefruit hops and dry biscuit malts in the aroma. Both flavors carry over onto your palate with the addition of very lightly roasted caramel. Very clean flavor profile and of the self-proclaimed extra pale ales, this reminds me more of Steelhead's EPA than Summit's.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2008 11:42:41 | More by tempest

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

It looks nice, but if I were trying this blind, the nose would certainly not lead me to believe it was an APA. Very muted with a mild malt and sweet tone there that is just odd. Flavor is not too bad. Hearty, but not brash. I consider this an "old school" APA. You know, old school as in 6 years ago. Before we went for palate obliteration and all.It's easy to drink and nice. I'd be interested in trying it on cask as it strikes me as more English than American in style.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 20:46:43 | More by RblWthACoz

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.23/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

A: Poured a transparent, light amber color with a small white head.

S: Nose is malts and some old, hops.

T: Taste is astringent, soapy and weak for an Extra Pale Ale.

M: Very thin on the mouthfeel and not an easy drinking brew at all.

O: Disappointed and will not try again.

Serving type: growler

07-26-2011 22:51:18 | More by barleywinefiend

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +1.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Honey gold in color, clear. Moderate head. The aroma is mild--slight hop, fairly neutral.

The flavor is more encouraging, a touch of sweet malt. The hop bite is dominant but certainly not overpowering. The body is similar to skim milk while the carbonation is lower than expected.

This is a pleasant, easy-to-drink beer. Non-descript but satisfying.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2005 00:35:45 | More by smcolw