Dale's Pale Ale - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

jakester

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I got this as a single at Union Jack's on the Manatawny. I drank it in a goblet. "A Huge Voluminously Hopped Mutha of a Pale Ale" on the can. Also, "Gonzo Beer in a Can".

Pours a slightly hazy copper with a nice one finger head of off-white foam. The head falls to islands and a ring, with very good lacing. Carbonation appears medium.

Aroma is very nice citrusy lemons, very floral, and a good toffee candy like malt. Smell is clean and caramely.

Flavor is really clean caramel malt, fairly bitter, with a good citrusy lemon taste. Residual sweetness is fairly high. This has a pretty big malt character for as hoppy as it is. Very well balanced. Aftertaste is malty and hoppy and good.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with medium carbonation. Sort of smooth anbd creamy, feels good in your mouth. Finish is soft and fairly full.

This is one of the better Pale Ales I've had in a while. Well balanced, good malt character, good hop bitterness, good hop flavor. Makes me want another.

Serving type: can

01-20-2006 17:05:54 | More by jakester

Lnedrive14

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Beerpanther forced me to purchase this one at gunpoint (only kidding) - but it came highly recommended and I admit to being intruiged at the possibility of a good beer coming out of a can.

Pours a beautiful amber honey with a thick white head. Good lacing - almost looks like a cask.

Honey sweetness and citrus dominate the nose and palate. Lots of hops up front, but I felt that the bitterness didnt maintain through the sweep of the tasting cycle. A bit astringent of an aftertaste - not at all to be blamed on the can. Smooth going down. A very drinkable PA. I think I would have liked some deeper levels of taste - I felt that the beer had a lot of good flavors up front, but they dissipated into a barren wasteland of nothingness. I was waiting for the tumbleweed to start flying by...

All in all, a fine pale ale. It's no alpha king, but I would definitely drink it if I came across it again.

Serving type: can

01-17-2006 01:57:52 | More by Lnedrive14

MuddyFeet

North Carolina

2.7/5  rDev -31.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Nice burnished copper in color with a big foamy, white head that never really went away. Lots of lacing all around the glass. Nose is mildyl malty with just a slight hint of hops.

Flavor was at first full of fresh hops nicely balanced with a slight malt backbone. However, within minutes of being poured and beginning to warm the hop flavors quickly turned into a sour, bad vegetable offering. Maybe I just got a bad can but this was tough to drink. It eventually wound up being pretty sour. Medium body but a bit too tastebud-twisting in the finish.

Serving type: can

01-17-2006 01:17:41 | More by MuddyFeet

KroMagnon

Tennessee

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The beer is light coppery, with a beautiful rocky head, but its a little cloudy. The aroma is slightly malty and some moderate hop aroma is present as well - a piney, citrusy hop or hop blend. It could stand to be a little more intense but it suits the style. The flavor is great - a slight bit of caramel and malt up front, then a nice smooth hop bitterness and a finish that's lightly sweet and nicely bitter. Very nice. This is the 2nd best beer in a can I've ever had (see Old Chub for the best one). Great!

Serving type: can

01-13-2006 02:12:49 | More by KroMagnon

kmo1030

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev +2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

nick at bauer told me heard that this beer is supposed to change my perceptions about beer in a can... we shall see nick, we shall see... :P

very nice looking beer, coppery amber with a thick tan head that lasts and lasts, lacing well all the way down the glass.
grapefruity and slightly herbal hops greet the nose with a lime aroma and a bit of caramel. it can be a little harsh once in a while.
the taste filled with sweet tangy slightly resinous grapefruit. there is also the lime flavor found in the aroma. some light pine can be found too. the caramel takes a back seat to all of this, but it can be found towards the middle and finish, along with a leafy hop bitterness.
the body is medium and coating with light carbonation.
drinkability is good, an excellent beer to sit and have a few of.

overall i'm damn impressed with this beer. i would never have guessed it was from a can. consider my perceptions changed.

Serving type: can

01-13-2006 01:27:18 | More by kmo1030

Franchise

Oregon

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

This beer pours a rusty orange color and leaves a frothy head with holes throughout the froth. The smell of this ale is piney and citrus with some sweet fruit candy in the background of this nectar. The taste of this ale is so smooth it hits you with a very light carbonation followed by a sweet honey comb flavor finished with a bitterness that leave you wanting a little more. The overall flavor is a bit bland on the finish but this is still a quallity brew.

Serving type: can

01-06-2006 23:05:32 | More by Franchise

brentk56

North Carolina

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

Appearance: Pours a hazy burnt orange color with a very nice head that leaves plenty of lace

Smell: Biscuity smell combined with a background of citrusy hops

Taste: Starts out with a nice bit of biscuity malt but that is quickly subsumed by a dose of bitter hops; the hops dominate for quite some time, but the malt returns on the finish to provide a bit of residual sweetness; there is also a bit of sour rye in the finish as well

Mouthfeel: A bit thick and slick with relatively low carbonation

Drinkability: A very nicely executed pale ale, with a balanced flavor profile

Serving type: can

12-25-2005 00:30:02 | More by brentk56

LuckySevens82

Florida

3.68/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz aluminum can courtesy of ppoitras.
Pours a coppery orange with a decent sized egg-shell colored head. Good retention and lacing.
Smell is light fruits (grapes, peaches, etc.) some hops and a lot of caramel or toffee.
Taste is pretty well the same as smell although the hop flavor is much more intense than I would have thought from the smell. A bit buttery in flavor.
Mouthfeel is a little thick for a pale ale, but overall a pretty good beer.

Serving type: can

12-09-2005 03:10:52 | More by LuckySevens82

aleyeast

South Carolina

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

Had to try, great packaging and a very good beer indeed. previous reviewer is pretty accurate, minimal to no head. Carbonation is light which equates to an extremely drinkable can beer (like say yoo hoo). I drank out of the can and then poured into a glass. Definitely an American IPA by anyone's standards. How many 6.5% pale ales are there? Definite floral hops and a fairley dry finish althjough enough of malt back up. I thought I found my new summer pool beer until I saw the abv.

Serving type: can

12-07-2005 21:04:46 | More by aleyeast

Mitchster

Michigan

4.43/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Be careful when you open these cans as they fill them to the brim and they tend to splash all over you. This one pours out to a hazy caramel amber with little flecks of sediment, trying hard to eek out a modest head with a vigorous pour....soapy in nature with poor retention and minimal lacing. Carbonation is mild to absent. The aroma is very nice, especially for a canned brew...sharply hoppy with floral, grapefruit, vanilla and pine notes...not pungent, however. Malts are nicely evident with some husk and skunkweed when swirled. The mouthfeel is slick and wet with a medium dense body. The taste is rich and pungently hoppy with a lingering malty sweetness throughout. Bitterness is mild to moderate and leafy in nature with a dry hop finish. Aftertaste of grapefruit rind.

One hell of a pale ale, probably closer to an IPA in nature. A very good brew, and the best canned beer I've had to date.

Serving type: can

12-04-2005 23:41:32 | More by Mitchster

BillyB

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Nice amber/copper color. Can opened with no fizz. A nice white head. I poured half in a glass and will drink the other half old school style. Citrusy floral hop aroma. Very hoppy taste. Slight carbonation. A little thick or syrupy. Drinking from the can is like drinking orange soda with hops. Not bad. If I had to drink canned beer I could definitely drink this.

Serving type: can

12-03-2005 04:21:15 | More by BillyB

barrelman

New York

4.38/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

To stay with the spirit of beer in a can, I did not pour this beer into a glass. Thus, the appearance is metallic and colorful with blues and reds offset by silver highlights. It has been quite awhile since I have drank beer out of a can. The last one I had was undoubtedly a beer from the great brew city of Milwaukee. This, needless to say, buries those brews.

Aroma from the mouthhole is moderately hopped and cold when the aluminum touches your nose(Although I don't really trust my sense of smell that much right now as I got Acid Brite #2 up my nose while cleaning yeast off the brewery floor. Such is life). Mouthfeel is just about perfect for a pale. Taste is well balanced with malt up front and a clean hop finish.

The drinkability is fantastic. Maybe it's just the giddy feeling I get by drinking a good beer out of a can, but this brew is a refreshing change while watching the Bucks dominate the offensive glass. Cheers!

Serving type: can

11-19-2005 04:06:22 | More by barrelman

Billolick

New York

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

12 ounce CAN, yeah cans, a good beer in a can is a bonus, we need more decent canned beer, why? its lighter, more portable, many more fit in a cooler or fridge for that matter and Its just good for variety in packaging reasons. Anyway, enuf of my pro can ranting. This one pours a nice dark honey amber, clear and sports a nice long lasting off white creamy head. Leaves tons o' lacing to boot. Nose is citrusy hops. This is a better then average P.A.. Respectable hopping rate is evidence and in general, this one hits the note. Nice going Dale's, wish I could find this one regularly in the NYC area.

Serving type: can

11-14-2005 01:48:36 | More by Billolick

skynxnex

Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

No freshness date. Can I sampled was several months old at least. Pours a nice one finger creamy whitehead. Slowly shrinks leaving lacing. Color is slightly cloudy orange/copper.

Smell is all citrus and floral hops. Taste is nearly all hops (although restrained), with a hint of sweet malt peaking through. Slightly astringency at the very end. Leaves a good combination of sweet matched with bitterness behind.

Easy to drink. Perhaps a touch too much carbonation to begin with, but well within the normal range of a pale ale. Medium body. It feels almost creamy initially. Very nice.

Serving type: can

11-13-2005 04:37:24 | More by skynxnex

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4.58/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

12oz can purchased as part of a six-pack from Whole Foods-Annandale/Alexandria, VA.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 1/2" off-white head above the orangey amber brew. Head recedes slowly, with good lacing. Aroma is substantially of citrus and piney hops. Taste has it all going on, light sweet melt upfront, balanced and then some by tangy hops that pretty much steal the show. Mouthfeel and drinkability are excellent, and the can packaging makes it even that much more drinkable in some locales. As good (or better) than I had heard/expected.

Serving type: can

11-01-2005 21:57:28 | More by ppoitras

bultrey

New York

4.18/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

It's true -- this is probably the best craft beer in a can you can find. Can opens with a lot less fizz than I would have expected, but maybe that's because I'm used to opening soda cans or beer cans that have so much carbon dioxide added the effervescence hits your face when you open it. Poured rather vigorously into a pint glass, this was a beautiful coppery color, with a modest but short-lived head. The taste is pure West coast pale ale, with storng citrus and pine hops supported by a delightful amber malty backbone. The mouthfeel is a little disappointing -- I actually wish it was a bit more carbonated.
An excellent beer that may end up being a pioneer in the movement back toward putting good craft beer in a can. Your Bud/Miller/Coors-from-a-can drinking buddies (if you have any), would probably find this has waaaay too much taste, which is one of the best things you can say about it.

Serving type: can

10-31-2005 17:18:43 | More by bultrey

WesWes

New York

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

The beer pours a hazy, dark gold/amber color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great. It has a very complex malt scent that boasts of pale, crystal, and bisquit malts along with a heavy hop aroma; quite bitter. The taste is awesome. It has a smooth malt flavor that goes down easy and finishes bitter and slightly sweet. It has a solid malt bill and hop character. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is an excellent pale ale. It has complexity in both the aroma and taste; a good drinker. This has got to be the best canned beer I've ever had.

Serving type: can

10-16-2005 00:37:47 | More by WesWes

Backer2004

North Carolina

3.63/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It's great to see a craft brew Pale Ale in an aluminum can. The representative at the World Beer Festival gave me a six pack in a bag of ice for a presentation on Beers in the News for the World Beer Festival. Not sure why it was in the news but learned that a bottle versus a can is no different anymore . . . all of it should be poured in a glass. If I could find this in North Carolina, I would definitely buy it for parties, barbeques, etc. Not nearly as snobby if you bring your craft beer in a can. Don't let this one fool you, it's a very good choice.

Serving type: can

10-10-2005 00:39:12 | More by Backer2004

TongoRad

New Jersey

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

It pours a clear pale amber color with a large tan head. There is a steady stream of bubbles rising from the bottom and the head lasts a surprisingly long time.

The aroma is a great balance between fresh hops and caramel malt. The overall impression is of citrus (orange/kumquat), some mango and an underlying resiny quality.

The flavor follows through on the fruit/resiny characteristics and adds a ton of malt sweetness (perhaps a bit too much). Bitterness is at a sufficient level. Unfortunately there is also a detectable mineral/metallic quality. Still- this makes a great case for beer in cans. I enjoyed it.

Serving type: can

09-06-2005 00:27:02 | More by TongoRad

Bleedingshrimp

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +10.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a can (yep a can) into a pint glass. Upon pouring, this beer produces a nice one and a half fingers of thick, marshmallow cloud foam. A beautiful orange speckled with lots of tiny sediment makes this beauty sparkle. Truly a sight to behold. Crazy amounts of lace coat the glass in huge ridges. The head sticks around for a while; dimpling and begging to be gazed upon. The smell is all clean..pine and citrus..with bright floral hop notes. Mouthfeel is medium and just crisp enough. Taste is all pine sap and orange with a nice warm buttery glow on the tongue. Hops are all over the place and leave a great piney-hop aftertaste. I could pound these bad boys all night. Definitely a sleeper and for the price you'd be hard pressed to find anything this tasty. I can't say I noticed an aluminum or canned taste in the slightest. I'd easily recommend this to anyone as a great standout IPA. This brew is clearly in need of a review revisit by some who have been blinded by the can.

Serving type: can

08-30-2005 05:09:40 | More by Bleedingshrimp

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is my first experience with United States brewed craft beer from a can. Feels retro somehow, those 1000s of Bud cans in my past coming to mind? Takes a little getting use to, but overall, a cool new experience.

First off, there is a frightening lack of sound when opening the can. I feared that it was completely flat. Fortunately, nothing could be farther from the truth.

A light amber body, crystal clear, with an opening burst of swirling carbonation bubbles, topped by a fairly level two inch slab of bone-china-white froth. Good lacing.

A very subdued nose, with just a nice but quiet dollop of citrus hops. Pleasant enough, though.

Taste kicks off with a big, solid platform of sweet maltiness, laying down a foundation of caramelly goodness. Then the hops roll in like they are shooting the rapids in the Colorado River, splashing everything in reach with waves of balancing bitterness, finally merging with the sweetness in a delightful balancing act as they roll over the falls and down the throat together.

Very good medium mouthfeel, works for all conditions. Very easy drinkability, and a high desire for another.

The cans give it a niche market, and I'll be back for more of this for those "no glass" occasions, like poolside on summer vacation. However, this would be a very nice pale ale if it was only available in those boring brown bottles. Cans do.

Serving type: can

08-16-2005 02:35:09 | More by RonfromJersey

Citadel82

New Jersey

4.53/5  rDev +14.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

What a delightful thing it is to find a pale ale in a can that is as BIG and TASTY as this one is. I waited anxiously for this beer to come to Jersy so that I could try. I was relying on the strength of the reviews on this site and on the New York Times Article on Pale Ales from about a moth ago. This brew does not disappoint. Pours a clear copy with an abundant white head that leaves clumps of creamy lace. Aroma is spicy, floral citrus and biscuit notes. Taste is sharp floral hops with muted malts with a medium bodied mouth feel. you need to try this beer. The can may put some off but do put it aside and give this and the Old Chub a try!

Serving type: can

08-13-2005 11:56:18 | More by Citadel82

UncleFlip

Alabama

4.2/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I was thinking it had been a long time since I've had a canned beer- but then I thought of the obvious Guinness in the nitro can. I was thinking more along the lines of normal cans- the memories flood back from Saturdays spent with my forensic psychologist dad, who would work on cars while sipping PBR, leaving the cans lined up beside the vehicle. It's a nice memory brought back to me by my friend Chuck, who sliced this can over my way.

Nice honey colour, with copper overtones...looks very nice. Medium head sticks around for a bit before slowly going away.

The smell is all about a nice fresh fruity hoppiness that carries overtones of oranges and spice. One of my favourite smells!

I get an earthy, fruity hoppiness soon as it hits my mouth. A woodiness hits over that, then a sweet, medium maltiness comes out from under. The woodiness stays until the end.

On the mouth, it's slightly thicker than I would have expected. The carbonation is a bit restrained, but stays in place for a bit. Very consistent.

This is one of the best beers out of a can I've had in a long time. I'm rather happy with this one (thanks, Chuck!), and I could drink it in a long session!

Be well
-UF

Serving type: can

07-29-2005 05:38:47 | More by UncleFlip

gus

Virginia

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

Appearance is somewhat hazy with a light copper coler. Head was slightly off-white and maintained a good consistency while drinking, some lacing on glass. Taste is best described as bitter,somewhat hoppy, but once inside the mouth it goes down smooth creating a good mouthfeel You can smell the hops,adding to your drinking pleasure. Very surprized how good this was considering it came out of a can. Will look forward to drinking this again and would highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys an American Pale Ale.

Serving type: can

07-28-2005 23:47:34 | More by gus

merlin48

Kentucky

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

Found a can of this at the Vintage Cellar, Radford, Va. Pours a clear copper amber body with a surprising, two finger beige head. Retention is decent and some clingy patch lacing is left on the glass. Aroma is assertive, with prominent malty notes of fresh toffee and caramel. Fruity hops add accents of grapefruit, orange, and pineapple. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with moderate carbonation and some chewy malt. Taste is sturdy, with lots of sweet malty caramel and toffee, and an equally powerful menu of tropical fruit bitterness, mostly pink grapefruit. Lots of flavor, and well balanced. More like an American Amber than an APA, but an excellent and very drinkable brew no matter what it is. I'm convinced that canned microbrews work just fine.

Serving type: can

07-03-2005 21:31:04 | More by merlin48