Flying Jenny Extra Pale Ale - Grey Sail Brewing of Rhode Island

Roguer

Connecticut

3.24/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A - Very nice clarity, coppery and clear. Little carbonation. Head was off-white and quickly dissipated, leaving a decent amount of lacing.

S - Bright and hoppy, hints of citrus, certainly grapefruit.

T - The flavor didn't really live up to the reputation or the scent. Grapefruit peel was highlighted, but there was little to no sugar to balance it out. It's not exactly a hop bomb, but when hops are the only dominant trait, without any significant balance, the consumer loses out. The only other flavors I noted were some slight pepper.

M - Mediocre, not terrible. You can definitely down this beer in volume, if that's what you prefer, but I found that it seemed a little too bubbly or alcohol-y to savor and swish around in the mouth. A little thicker, better feel might have allowed me to savor individual flavors better, instead of the immediate bitter, peel flavor on the tongue.

O - Not bad, by any means, and very drinkable. I just can't see picking this beer over any established IPA. This beer was talked up to me as a decent IPA (vice an APA or EPA), and after trying it, I agree: it has a similar flavor profile to a "decent" IPA. It's not bad, but it's not anything special. I won't mind ordering it at the bar, but I won't buy it in the bottle, or go out of my way to drink it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2013 01:37:17 | More by Roguer

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.7/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Cloudy amber color. Modest head from a vigorous pour. Little lace (a couple of spots).

Predominantly hop pellet aroma. Appealing, yet one dimensional.

Lightly toasted malt flavor up front. Good hop kick in the swallow. Lingering black pepper aftertaste. Full body and above average carbonation. Long lasting bitter aftertaste.

Serving type: can

04-21-2013 17:38:13 | More by smcolw

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.74/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Thanks to the legendary woodychandler for this beer. Poured from a 12 oz. can. Has a dark golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is very hoppy, almost IPA like. Taste is hops, pine, a touch of citrus, lots of hoppy goodness, kind of lacking in malts. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.

Serving type: can

02-16-2013 15:41:27 | More by tone77

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.31/5  rDev +8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The CANQuest (TM) CANtinues its salute to New England in the aftermath of Winter Storm Nemo! I scored a sixer of this last weekend while in West Warwick to visit my buddy.

From the CAN: "Raise high the Flying Jenny!"; "Our Extra Pale Ale is brewed with a generous mix of Columbus, Tomahawk, and Zeus hops for their complex citrusy and spicy flavors and aromas. Then, as an extra finishing touch, we dry hop with select Cascade and leave unfiltered to fully unfurl the taste. Hope you enjoy our EPA."; "[undersigned Jen and Alan]".

The Crack revealed another brimful craft CAN. I always feel like I am getting a Baker's Dozen when that happens. The inverted Glug threatened to be too much for my glass so I backed off and allowed it to settle somewhat. Easily two fingers of dense, tawny head sat above the beer with about two fingers of liquid still in the CAN. Color was a very hazy deep-amber, which was to be expected, given that it was left unfiltered. The nose reminded me of the cartoon with the frog, the kangaroo and the rabbit - lots of hops! Just as advertised, it had both a peppery spiciness and a grapefruit citrusiness to it. Mouthfeel was medium and the hops were actually jolting on the tongue and I mean that in a good way. Perhaps "riotous" might have been a better term, but either way, nothing was being held back. Where is the demarcation line between APA and IPA? This could have been either and as a self-avowed hophead, I was in love. The hops scrubbed away the weak, dead and dying taste buds from my tongue, leaving me with a fresh palate. Finish was gaspingly dry, not for the faint of heart. The reviewer who drank it straight from the CAN must have been panting for water afterwards. The lacing that remained as the head fell was sticky and will require a jackhammer to remove.

Serving type: can

02-10-2013 23:22:54 | More by woodychandler

Trilogy31

California

4.13/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Received in a trade and wasnt expecting too much but what a delish beer. Sadly decided to drink it out of a can while walking the streets off SF. Cant talk about the look or smell too much but the taste brings a gorgeous assortment of satsuma, grapefruit and some pine with a strong malty backbone - beautifully done apa/epa and i much prefer this snpa. Eye opening for what this style can be from a producer i never heard of.

Serving type: can

01-22-2013 03:10:04 | More by Trilogy31

gcamparone

Rhode Island

4.48/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 12 oz can into a pint glass. Purchased 20 miles from the brewery.

A- Pours a slightly hazy honey color with a thick white head that reduces to some chunky pieces of foam and leaves nice lacing. Good so far.

S- tropical and juicy , grapefruit, piney.

T- Citrus and grapefruit with some hoppy bitterness on the finish. Nice malt backbone. Quite impressive

M- Low carbonation, Medium body. Drinkable.

Overall quite an impressive brew from a lesser known brewery. Definitely better than most pale ales/ipas I've had in the past. Fresh and balanced. I could see this taking off
if gray sail expanded their distribution. I can confidently compare to the big apas , particularly zombie dust.

Serving type: can

12-03-2012 00:15:58 | More by gcamparone

Goblinmunkey7

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Darkish gold. Clear. Head is bright-white, creamy, and drops to asmall cap in short order. Some sheets of lacing. Pretty standard affair.

Smell: Citrus and some earth. Grapefruit zest. Light bready malts. Crackery on the back. Some backing sweetness. Touches of pine as well. Very mellow, but some nice things peeking through. Some tropical elements. Caramel malt sweetness. Floral a touch.

Taste: Pale citrus. Some tangerine coupled with grapefruit zest and a floral aftertaste. Light caramel malt sweetness. A little bready. Very clean. Slight bitterness. Undercooked biscuits and snappy cracker. Building levels of orange and earth as the beer warms. Decidedly floral.

Mouthfeel: On the lighter side of medium with a moderate carbonation. Slight lingering dryness.

Overall: JENNAY!

This is a good beer. It's not anything to write home about, but it has enough flavor to be interesting and manages to be incredibly drinkable. I want more beer like this.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2012 21:39:18 | More by Goblinmunkey7

woosterbill

Connecticut

4.03/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can (courtesy of vonschplieffen) into a Duvel tulip. Always happy to try a new canned craft offering.

A: A straight pour results in a hazy medium-amber body presided over by almost three fingers of dense off-white head. Terrific retention and lacing. Other than the slight lack of clarity it's stunning.

S: Nice balance of toasty malt and aromatic, floral hops. Simple and enjoyable.

T: Clean floral and piney hoppiness up front, with some apricot and bready malts toward the end. Significant, crisp bitterness on the finish and dry aftertaste. Flavorful and refreshing at the same time. Very good.

M: Light and lively, with plenty of creamy carbonation. Pleasant.

O: Impressive beer - way, way, way better than this brewery's Flagship Cream Ale. The substantial hoppiness was a very pleasant surprise, especially in something called "extra pale." Definitely worth a shot, although I'd still probably choose SNPA over this, and would most definitely take a Sea Hag when it comes to canned hoppy brews.

Serving type: can

09-17-2012 01:44:26 | More by woosterbill

Billolick

New York

3.98/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce can, shared by my non BA member drinking buddy Josh IPA (JIPA).

Pours darker amber, cloudy. The head is off white and quickkly it is loosely clinging to the side of the glass.

Sniff reveals a respectable pine infused hop presence. Not bad…

This pale is better then moderately hopped. More pine, more hop resins. Smooth and easy enough to drink and enjoy. Hops in control, but enough of a malty underlayer to provide a bit of balance.

Decent to pretty darn good pale ale. Worthy selection if you see it in your area and are looking for a decent brew in an easily portable can.

I believe JIPA found it in Connecticut…

Serving type: can

09-05-2012 22:10:40 | More by Billolick

Durge

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A hazy golden amber colored brew with a sizeable egg shell colored head and full web of lacing. The aroma is a nice creamy pine-malt blend. Very nice and along the lines of a solid IPA. Maybe a little citrus as well. The flavor offers a bit of the same as the aroma but it's just a bit weaker, as one might expect from a pale ale. The hop bitterness turns into much more of a grassy bite rather than the sweeter pine noted in the aroma. This is a very drinkable brew with a thin feel although the body is closer to medium-light. Carbonation is very polite but adequate. Flavors include nutbread and light caramel but grassy hops dominate with just a hint of pine. A pleasant surprise for a pale ale, a decent hop quotient, but not anything I would go out of my way to revisit. Still, worth a try and probably a decent choice for a beer to go with some grub.

Serving type: can

08-27-2012 03:26:07 | More by Durge

chimaylvr

Rhode Island

4.35/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into tulip glass.

App: thick, intial 1.5 finger foam; color is typical - bronze like gold, hazy; light lacing retention

smell: citrusy to pine hop aroma; hint of dicetyl notes, buttery

Taste: a well balanced hop profile, starts tart lemon, also grassy, then that dicetyl butterscotch hits the back end

feel: somewhat low carbonation level but not too puckering, sour, acidic or malty

overall: given the abv - 5.3 - the classification of pale ale applies but you could have fooled me, the hop aroma and taste along with the color speak IPA. this makes a great seesion beer and has a wonderful hop balance. Sierra Nevada has nothing on this beer. Wish i had another - only got one in a mix a six

Serving type: can

08-01-2012 05:00:14 | More by chimaylvr

Jwale73

Rhode Island

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz. can served in a nonic pint. Canned on 7/2/2012 tagged on the six pack. Pours a dull golden/burnt-orange hue with a hazy clarity. Head is frothy, off-white and embedded with pinpricks and craters and eventually settles into a fairly consistent 1/8th inch skim. Some spots and swaths of lacing are present during the session. Nose expresses grapefruit, citrus rind and a piney/herbal quality. Taste follows nose with the addition of pleasant earthy hops bitterness that lingers between quaffs. Wow - this is a freakin' tasty APA! Mouthfeel is light-medium with a lively, almost prickly carbonation and a pleasant, palate-cleansing acidity. This beer is really top notch and has great complexity for such a low abv offering. I'm super stoked to find such a drinkable local, and year-round to boot.

Serving type: can

07-20-2012 01:31:45 | More by Jwale73

hmph

Virginia

4.18/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Received a 6 pack in a trade with Robtobfest, beyond thanks to him for that. I had heard a few things about flying jenny and wanted to get a taste for myself. Reviewed and taped.

A - hazy murky golden brown with an inviting bubbly white head

S - Citrus hops with some floral notes, strong hop presence with sweeter malts as a companion

T - Smooth, delicious, fruity bitterness with a sweetness right before leaving your palate slightly bitter and asking for more

O - Delicious, I would even venture to say the best APA I have had thus far in my craft beer experience. An amazing ale from a smaller brewer with what should be a burgeoning taste regiment

Serving type: can

07-19-2012 21:38:47 | More by hmph

sukwonee

Washington

4.25/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Cloudy golden body with 2 finger head. Lots and lots of lacing.

S: Citrous, grapefruit, all hops and not much malt.

T: Citrous, grapefruit, lemon, finishes with slight hop bitterness. Very refreshing!

M: Light and good amount of carbonation. Dry finish.

O: Good APA (whatever APA is)!

Serving type: can

07-16-2012 04:36:21 | More by sukwonee

uustal

Rhode Island

4.35/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a deep orange/amber with a big, frothy, two-finger off-white/cream head. Very good lacing. Hoppy aroma. Mostly citrus, a bit of earthy spice and malt as well. This is what I'm looking for in my Pale Ales. Definitely feel the hops, but stays true to the style and drinkability. Good grapefruit and milder citrus notes to start before more complex hop flavors kick in. I get floral notes as well as more earthy, spicy hop tones. All balanced by a slightly sweet malt... in the background. Finishes with slightly bitter pine, but with everything in this beer, it's true to the style and not overly bitter to IPA levels. This is an excellent offering from Grey Sail. Do not be afraid of the "pale ale" label, this is a beer with great flavor and excellently crafted.

Serving type: can

06-28-2012 22:06:00 | More by uustal

PicoPapa

Connecticut

4.08/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz can with a sticker that says 6/05/12 on one of the cans. Pours a murky burnt orange with an inch of frothy head. Minimal lacing. I could smell this one as soon as I cracked the can open. Great hoppy aroma. Some citrus and tropical fruits. The taste isn't as hoppy as the aroma but there still is a good hop presence. Bitter orange peel mixed with some malt flavor and tropical fruits. A bit of a dry mouthfeel. Wickedly drinkable. One of the hoppier Pale Ales I've had. Overall, worth seeking out for sure.

Serving type: can

06-28-2012 18:19:28 | More by PicoPapa

DrunkPagan

Rhode Island

3.78/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I wasn't very fired up about the Flagship Ale, but when people started raving about the Flying Jenny, I had to give it a whirl. Imagine my surprise when it turned out to be quite good!

For a newbie brewery, and for a micro in a can, this brew surprised with its crispness and complexity. The hops are dominant, but not overpowering, mingling with the background maltiness in perfect harmony and balance. It's light, but not without enough body to remind you that you're drinking a real beer.

My next goal is to try this brew on tap and see if it's better than the can, but however it's served, this is a decent little pale ale in a can. Check it out for yourself.

Serving type: can

06-24-2012 12:18:22 | More by DrunkPagan

angrybabboon

Rhode Island

4.13/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Consumed 6/22/12

Appearance: Somewhere between burnt orange and golden orange in color, clear, pours with a creamy off-white head - remarkable head retention, keeps a nice cap - some spotty lacing

Smell: Hoppy and earthy - lots of citrus, with some tropical notes - oranges and grapefruits, fleshy, pithy, and floral - hoppy, but not really aggressive - caramel and pale malts, with a nice level of earthiness

Taste: Nicely balanced - hoppy, but not at an IPA level - orange and grapefruit flesh, with lingering pith - moderately bitter - pale and caramel malts, bread dough, and lightly cooked biscuits - lightly sweet

Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth and a little chewy, nicely carbonated

Overall: I don't know what an Extra Pale Ale is, but I do know that I like it

As far as styles go, this is really at the intersection of APA and IPA. It's hoppy and highly quaffable. It's similar to hoppy American pales (e.g., Daisy Cutter), but it's also unique. I had this on-tap at The Malted Barley in Westerly, RI. It was fantastic with a pretzel. I'm glad that it is now in cans.

Serving type: can

06-22-2012 06:40:30 | More by angrybabboon

Robtobfest

Connecticut

4.05/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up with low expectations

Appearance is a beautiful orange amber with a stcky billowy head

Aroma is fantastic. Reminds me a bit of the hop profile in Bells Two Hearted but maltier. A ton of citrus and and some sweet malt.

Taste is also great. So much flavor packed into this at just over 5%There is not much bitterness but rather a candied fruity citrus hop flavor. Really nice.
Mouthfeel is medium and a bit heavier than expexted for an"extra"pale ale.
Overall this is a really a nice surprise! Really easy to drink and a welcome local addition.
Im ordering a log of this fo r this weekend! Its that good!

Serving type: can

06-20-2012 02:14:10 | More by Robtobfest

greybeardloon

Rhode Island

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Dated June 5, 2012

A: Dark for a pale ale, dense head with decent retention and lacing.

S: Bitter herbal and tropical fruit hops. An interesting and unusual hop character on the nose.

T: The hops are prominent again. Lime and other tropical fruits without the juiciness I usually get along with tropically fruity hops. More a bitter fruitiness... Malt is somewhat subdued but sufficient to support the hops. This is like a half IPA but without the prominent caramel malt (and I guess that's what they mean by the extra)--the malt profile is like a pale ale, but the hops are a bit...extra. It's quite tasty, and it tastes good even at fridge tempurature.

M: A bit thin. A bit more body would be good.

O: Good stuff, and lots of flavor at a modest (albeit over 5%) abv.

Serving type: can

06-19-2012 02:02:30 | More by greybeardloon

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

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

On-tap 5/1/2012 at Track 84, in Warwick, RI served in a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep golden brown color with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick on the glass.

S: The aroma contains fruity citrus, caramelized malts and a good amount of hops.

T: The taste starts with a quick burst of hops bitterness that is quickly followed by sweet flavors of citrus and caramel. The malt character is hearty but not too heavy and provides a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sweet.

O: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, this is a nice solid beer to pound down for a long time.

Serving type: on-tap

05-23-2012 03:18:01 | More by TheManiacalOne