Citra Pale Ale - Free Will Brewing Company

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

This citra pale ale from a new Bucks county start up is pretty good. Has a rich amber orange hue with excellent carbonation. Head is a good size and dense, but more of a soapy dense.
Aroma is citrusy hops actually quite pungent with a malty backbone.

Taste is good. It's quite hoppy with citrus, herbs and a hints of floral a good malt bill balances out.
feels medium on the palette smooth and a bitter finish. It's pretty assertive.
A pretty good beer with alot of upside. All the beers I've had from this place are all good and worthy of seeking out.

Serving type: on-tap

09-16-2012 13:27:58 | More by micromaniac129

BuxMontBeerLover

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

05-16-2013 14:04:22 | More by BuxMontBeerLover

twenty5

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -21.7%

05-10-2013 19:43:18 | More by twenty5

justforrazors

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

05-09-2013 23:28:13 | More by justforrazors

muletrane

Pennsylvania

2.5/5  rDev -28.8%

05-09-2013 22:07:46 | More by muletrane

jackrodgers77

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -7.4%

05-03-2013 20:29:05 | More by jackrodgers77

rydev24

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

05-03-2013 03:44:48 | More by rydev24

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +6.8%

04-30-2013 21:55:57 | More by Tucquan

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.01/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.25

Free Will Brewing Company Citra Pale Ale
12 oz. bottle. The code on the bottom of the bottle reads "2532 A1 1322" but I think that may just be a bottle manufacturer code.

Appearance: Pours a cloudy golden body that appears orange-ish where the yeast is heavier. The last half ounce of the pour left yeast suspended at the top, dropping down towards the bottom in streams, giving the look of a jellyfish floating in the glass. Perhaps I should have carefully decanted it first, or even swirled the yeast before I poured it. The fairly dense white head holds fairly well before dropping and becoming shorter but more creamy. Lacing is slightly better than average.

Smell: Yeasty, and overly so. It smells like home brew. Perhaps I've got a bad batch...? I find some oxidized malt and a hint of citrus rind. Certainly, the Citra hops don't shine. Not very inviting.

Taste: The taste is better than the aroma, but I still find the oxidized malt and heavy yeast distracting. Some Citra hops do come through, with a little bit of tropical fruit and citrus (mainly pineapple), and a hint of spruce in the lingering finish. Overall it seems kind of woody. Fairly well-balanced with a solid 50 or 60 IBU thump.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied. Crisp, standard carbonation at about 2.6 volumes. Some astringency.

Overall: I hate to make a decision based on one six-pack, but first impressions do count, and this one drops the ball. With that said, I think I owe them at least a second chance and now I'll have to find more of this, hopefully on tap, to make a final decision. As it stands I have to give this one a thumbs down. The basic recipe may be good, but production flaws fail it immensely.

Serving type: bottle

04-30-2013 02:36:54 | More by NeroFiddled

Jason1337

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

04-25-2013 18:20:30 | More by Jason1337

IdrinkGas

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +6.8%

04-19-2013 23:29:36 | More by IdrinkGas

bacher468

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

04-14-2013 01:40:42 | More by bacher468

wesley14

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -7.4%

04-13-2013 21:28:57 | More by wesley14

ElderPuma

Wisconsin

2.86/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Actually it looks a lot like Heady minus the shit floating in it from the bottom of the HT can. Pours a pretty murky straw to amberish color with a huge, and I mean HUGE, head. Took a handful of pours to actually get this one in without even being agreesive. Head did end as a nice fluffy champagne style that laced nicely down the side but that doesn't make up for the rather lackluster appearance overall.

I am not sure how old the bottle is as it was an extra with no date on it but overall the aroma is rather weak on hops and big on the caramel malt. It has a bit of an off note in there as well that I am going to label as belgian but to me it is a cross between biscuit and banana. Overall, the nose does not leave me impressed and am not that excited to try it.

Well the nose was right. Almost no hop flavor, very light bitterness, mostly just a watery weak belgian tasting ale. Certainly not what the Citra Pale Ale name would imply. Rather disappointing in all actuality as I would call this anything but an IPA.

Mouthfeel is the one maybe saving grace. It is smooth and a touch creamy but also rather thin and somewhat watery with just a touch of astringency.

Overall, a perfectly drinkable beer but I would certainly never crack one of these again if there was a different option.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 02:07:41 | More by ElderPuma

JeffTheJuice

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

04-05-2013 00:35:30 | More by JeffTheJuice

BWED

Pennsylvania

3.14/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle into a pint glass

A- Hazy gold with an off white head: foamy and one finger. Some thick lacing but not much of it.

S- Biscuity with some strong citrus. Almost smells like a citrus scone.

T- Strong malt character, with a dull citrus bitterness, a little grapefruit.

M- Quite light, and the dull bitterness hangs around. Moderate carbonation.

O- Only okay. I was expecting a big hop profile, especially since the bottle states that Citra, Simcoe, and Warrior are used. But in all honest, I just got a lot of malt. It doesn't taste bad, it just wasn't what I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 02:00:27 | More by BWED

ridgeline23

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

03-26-2013 01:01:32 | More by ridgeline23

gafferjohn

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +6.8%

03-23-2013 14:55:32 | More by gafferjohn

rjvanston

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -14.5%

03-21-2013 01:24:53 | More by rjvanston

cclark67789

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

03-19-2013 02:10:00 | More by cclark67789

acurtis

New Jersey

3.25/5  rDev -7.4%

03-16-2013 19:35:49 | More by acurtis

djrn2

New Jersey

2.75/5  rDev -21.7%

03-16-2013 19:06:41 | More by djrn2

TheFightfan1

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%

03-16-2013 01:47:44 | More by TheFightfan1

chefjack428

Pennsylvania

2.98/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

The appearance of this beer is beautiful. Burnt orange with a nice white foamy head. The aroma opens up with a big hit of metal, followed by cereal grains, faint orange, some lime and some tropical fruit. I do not smell citra hops, or a lot of any hop for that matter...very boring aroma.
The taste isn't much better, starts off pretty bitter, like chewing on the pith of an orange. Some light sweet citrus flavors and some pale malt. Has a decent mouth feel, but nothing special. Overall I am a bit disappointed. There is no date on the bottle, however the bottle shop where I got it is not one to let old beer sit out. Didn't even finish the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2013 22:05:46 | More by chefjack428

TheBigBoy

Pennsylvania

1.75/5  rDev -50.1%

03-02-2013 01:16:12 | More by TheBigBoy