Bass Pale Ale - Bass Brewers Limited

sommersb

Tennessee

3.7/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Tasted On: 06-02-2013
Freshness: Not indicated
Packaging: 12 oz. clear bottle, pry-cap
Glassware: Tulip pint
Purchased: 6-pack from Publix

My bottles were brewed in Baldwinsville, NY according to the label.

Pours with a good-sized offwhite head, on a medium to dark amber beer. No lacing really to speak of, but head retention is OK. The pleasant aromas feature sweet malts with a caramel aspect.

The taste has bready malts for a sweet start, with some spiciness and earthy hops. Bitterness is very low. The body is medium and there's a moderate amount of carbonation. Finishes slightly sweet and refreshing.

Overall a surprising beer - I liked it more than I anticipated. Simple but pleasant.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2013 22:53:54 | More by sommersb

scotorum

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

a. Poured gently into a tulip glass from a 12 oz. bottle. Three-eights of an inch of off-white head dissipates quickly with not much lacing. A gorgeous and perfectly translucent amber.

s: Like the skin of a citrus fruit, if you had just picked it out of a beer vat.

t: Sweet and mellow, with "barley" enough flavor to let you know you are drinking a good ale.

m: Light, goes down easy, perhaps moreso than its color would suggest. Extremely drinkable.

o: One of my favorite go-to beers to have with meals and anytime I want refreshment with some brew flavor. Bass never overpowers the food, usually compliments it nicely, all the while reminding you that you are drinking something worthwhile.

Recently it's been on sale near me for $12 a twelver, which I consider a real ale bargain...so to speak. I personally prefer an ale with more flavor when drinking it by itself, but at mealtime and when I'm thirsty Bass and I get along fine.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2013 04:02:08 | More by scotorum

alaimoa

Connecticut

2.69/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Pours brownish with creamy head that fades quickly. fairly bitter initial taste with honey aftertaste. medium to light weigh and I remember it being heavier. Not much to say about this brew other than its just ok but a solid beer to get if a bar has it on tap.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2013 12:13:43 | More by alaimoa

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

2.73/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Poured into a shaker pint glass. Reviewing the American version, brewed in NY.

Look: Clear light amber/copper color. The cram colored head recedes to a thin film with light lacing, if any sticking to the glass.

Aroma: Muted malts, subdued caramel sweetness. Tea-like faint hops.

Taste: A bitter, tea-like hop note filters over muted caramel malts. Not a whole lot going on here.

Mouthfeel: Medium to light in weight. Somewhat carbonated.

Overall: Very bland. Was expecting more.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 23:37:58 | More by JuicesFlowing

emmasrue1

Michigan

2.99/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

I like this beer. I have always liked this beer. 25 years I have liked this beer. It looks great in a stein and smells fine. It tastes delicious either warm or cold. I like it in the summer on the deck. Mouthfeel is not as good as a Hopslam or Centenniel but it is still good. The newer craft beers make it pale in comparison..
Overall, I like this beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2013 17:24:51 | More by emmasrue1

Auraan

Arizona

2.76/5  rDev -18.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3

Poured a clear amber with a thin white head that was gone in less than 30 seconds. The smell was entirely bubblegum, no floral notes at all. Taste was again bubblegum, with some caramel and a lot of apple juice. Hop character and bitterness were minimal to nonexistent. A lower hop flavor than an EPA should have for sure. The mouthfeel was moderately carbonated, but felt thin. Overall a mediocre English Pale Ale, not able to compete with the truly good examples of the style.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 03:02:18 | More by Auraan

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

2.94/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Pours a copper-amber color with clarity for miles. A medium, 2 finger head forms and retains pretty well. The head is frothy and pretty dense, with decent lacing.

S- Dull malt scents with a slight metallic hint are prominent. Only a hint of floral notes peak through the prominent malt bill. Caramel sweetness is present towards the end.

T- Starts off with an odd flavor profile. I think it's a mix of lots of malt and grain. No detectable hops bitterness. Hints of caramel malts in the middle, that are a little sweet. At the end, there is a bite from the heavy dose of malts.

M- Light in body and high in carbonation. Kind of watery, but still fairly smooth from all of the malts.

Overall, I'm not that impressed with this classic English beer. I've been wanting to get into more English style beers, and I hope in the future they are better than this.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2013 22:49:35 | More by boilermakerbrew

fnmfsm

1.94/5  rDev -42.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

It seemed to be more watered down that I remember. The carbonation was very poor and very flat. This used to be one of my favorites but not anymore. I guess thats what happend when the big guys take over our old favorites. This beer is now just a fancier Bud light

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2013 22:03:00 | More by fnmfsm

jjclick17

Indiana

3.21/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Can't remember the last time I had one... Or if I've ever had one

Darkish brown with slight golden appearance. Nothing memorable on the aroma.

Lighter taste than I was anticipating. Some flavor, but was expecting more of a punch.

I'd say its a slightly above average pale ale

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2013 01:16:03 | More by jjclick17

Chico1985

Massachusetts

3.69/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

It's been quite a while since a new installment for the infamous series recently covered on FOX News - Free Beers From Work! I've never had this O.G. pale ale before, it seems to rest on the line between 'classic' and 'macro swill'. Will it lean more towards one side than the other? We shall see...

Darkish copper colored body. Decent off-white head settles to a partial cap, dots of lace left behind.

A scent full of pure, simple caramel and bready malts, good strength.

Solid flavor. Toffee, bready, mineraly, caramel malts abundant, with some light earthy hops and vague fruitiness. Some graininess there as well. Simple but quite enjoyable in my book.

Medium bodied with slightly high carbonation. Malty without being heavy.

Surprisingly quite good, I like the easy going feel and nice flavors for the ABV. It is easy to see how many English Pale Ales have followed in its footsteps. This leans more towards a classic for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 16:36:40 | More by Chico1985

Labeorphile

Texas

3.11/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass.

Pleasant coppery color with a one finger head with some stickiness that leaves a little lacing down the glass. Not much other than barley in the nose, even as it warms.

The taste isn't bad, it is better than most mass-produced beers, but it is rather unremarkable. No nuance of flavor, just kind of "beer-flavored". Carbonation seems about right for this style.

Overall, not a bad beer and not a bad go-to in restaurants with limited selection, but nothing very memorable. Not something I would buy or keep in my fridge.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 01:15:38 | More by Labeorphile

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

2.98/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Clear light amber with a decent head.

S: Straw like barley smell. Boring one dimensional.

T: Straw like barley and a tiny bit of honey. Not very fizzy, which I actually like. Very one dimensional.

O: Ales like this are the reason a lot of young men in the UK prefer Stella and San Miguel.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 08:52:06 | More by Hoppsbabo

fischerking

2.8/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bass Pale Ale from Baldwinsville, NY.

This beer had an average bread smell. Average taste that finished a little bitter and almost tasted slightly watered down. Nothing really special about it.

I drank it out of a bottle from Food City in Knoxville, TN on 1/1/2013 from a create your own 6-pack.

No/Maybe.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 23:33:57 | More by fischerking

chinchill

South Carolina

3.3/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle served in a snifter at about 53-58 degrees {F}.

Appearance - clear copper-amber with a respectable off-white head that reduces to a lasting ring. Decent lacing.

Aroma: mild; mainly malt with some spicy and earthy hops. Hints of metal, pepper and caramel.

Flavor - nearly as maltly as a typical amber, with some easily detected earthy and spicy hops. Mild bitterness as it fades with a mildly metallic aftertaste lingering. (14/20)

Mouthfeel: light-medium body, with nearly crisp with low-moderate carbonation.

Overall: better than acceptable quality but with nothing particularly interesting going on. Best served with food.

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 23:01:22 | More by chinchill

jab7

Ohio

5/5  rDev +47.1%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Best Pale Ale for every day drinking that I have come across. Not too Hoppy, not too bitter. Not an over powering after taste. Smooth and flavorful. Don't think it is made in England anymore though, I believe I heard Anheuser-Busch brews it now. Wouldn't that make it an American Pale Ale?

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 23:59:43 | More by jab7

buschbeer

Ohio

3.33/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle
Served in a nonic pint glass

A - It is amber to burnt orange in color. An inch of off white head paused briefly atop and retreated to the effervescent depths.

S - The aroma is toffee and bread.

T - The toffee and bread the I smelled came through in the taste, as well. Lacking a perceivable hop presence, this beer is malty in flavor and finishes crisp and clean.

M - It is moderate to thin, not as creamy as I recalled it being.

O - Bass Pale Ale is not a libation that I regularly pursue. It seems watered down as opposed to my recollection. I will probably not be consuming this beer any time soon after this six pack.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 21:24:05 | More by buschbeer

spoony

Colorado

2.9/5  rDev -14.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From the tap into a nonic.

A-The beer came to me with only a light ring of white-ish foam around the edge of the glass. The brew was amber/reddish orange in color with a few streams of carbonation.

S-Not much happening on the nose. There was a light whiff of cereal and toasted malt, but you had to really dig deep to pick anything up.

T-Taste is similarly weak with just a touch of caramel and cereal flavors. No real hop presence and the malts that were there were pretty subdued.

M-This was drinkable with fizzy carbonation on the front end and a clean finish. The feel was a touch watery, but not as bad as some brews.

O-I have had worse beers than this, but I have certainly had better. As noted above, the brew is drinkable, but the smell is non-existent and the taste is similarly light. The flavors are not bad, there just isn't much to comment on. Might be a good golfing beer.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2012 20:27:41 | More by spoony

Dools9

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Leftover from who knows, poured into a shaker pint.

A: Beautiful, reddish amber. Tho fingers white head retain to a cap, good ring lacing after each sip.

S: Light fruitiness and caramel malt sweetness, aroma is a bit faint.

T: Caramel malt sweetness, indistiguishable graininess a bity of toasty bread, quick hit of bitterness.

M: Lighter bodied, pretty smooth, carbonation is medium.

O: Overall, nothing special, but easily drinkable and somewhat tasty. One of the beers my dad used to drink when he wanted to by 'good beer.'

Serving type: bottle

10-08-2012 02:21:32 | More by Dools9

Poppleton

Virginia

3.38/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle at 56 degrees.

Aroma - mainly malt with caramel, slightly burnt and nutty; some fruity esters like apple come through. (8/12)

Appearance - clean copper with fine, white head that laces up well. (3/3)

Flavor - clean at first then sweet finish though some bitterness as it fades with a mildly metallic aftertaste lingering. (14/20)

Mouthfeel - crisp with moderate carbonation, light to medium body that blooms and fades quickly. (7/10)

Overall - Has a distinctive taste that is drinkable in quantity. Probably the most popular English Pale Ale but I'm not overwhelmed by it. This may speak more to my inexperience, especially with this style. (7/10)

Total is 39/50.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2012 23:33:28 | More by Poppleton

Arithmeticus

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured chilled in ale glass

A: reddish copper; really beautiful carb streams (clouds of 'em); decent head, drops down somewhat quickly; great lacing
S: all malt; quite sweet smelling
T: simple, straightforward malt-driven ale; I really like the slightly darker roast balance of the malt; hops are pretty subdued

For a session beer, this one is very inviting.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2012 01:07:22 | More by Arithmeticus

Curt_rowe

3.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is a beautiful brew. Nice red-amberish color with a small head that doesn't hang around. As far as smell goes I think it is the weak point of the beer. Taking a small sniff I almost drew an aroma of sweat from it (Pleasant analogy huh? But it is what came to mind!). But Bass is a wonderful pale ale, tasting somewhat spicy on first contact with a nutty finish. And overall I think is one of the best pale ale's in mass production, and probably in my top 3 favorite beers period.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 23:43:24 | More by Curt_rowe

Reinbeck11

Iowa

4.43/5  rDev +30.3%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

App: Wonderful cedar (tan, with hint of orange) color, thin white head that goes away quickly.

Smell: Very light too the nose.

Taste: Cool and soft nutty finsh.

Mouth: Excellent finsh of light carbonation, that complements the subtle flavors.

My favorite, go to beer, always a case in the fridge.

Enjoy it with meal and on its own.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 20:23:48 | More by Reinbeck11

LeeryLeprechaun

Colorado

3.65/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Beer pours an orange red color with a fluffy white head that does not stick around for long.

The aroma is a little fruity with some caramel and toffee mixed in, pretty standard for a pale ale.

The taste is fairly simple, a little sweet to start and a mild finish. Pretty typical toffee flavor throughout.

The mouthfeel is very nice, coating the inside of the mouth well with each sip.

Overall this is a good example of the style, it would be great as a session beer but that is about it.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 02:32:45 | More by LeeryLeprechaun

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.33/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Served on tap at the South Fork Country Club

A: Pours a crystal clear deep copper in color with moderate amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall light beige head that reduces to a ring of medium thickness at the edges of the glass and a thick film covering about half of the surface of the beer. Light amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light aromas of biscuit and caramel malts with some light fruity yeast.

T: Moderate amounts of biscuit malts with some lighter notes of caramel malts that contribute light sweetness. Hints of light fruity yeast and some light bitterness which disappears quickly.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation.

O: Sessionable and easy to drink with the mild flavor and aroma in the beer. First time I have had this beer since I worked in a pub about 15 years ago but it is exactly as I remember it.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2012 15:39:54 | More by dbrauneis

TheSixthRing

California

3.58/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance - Pours a clear, orange-ish amber with an off-white, 2 finger head, average retention, and it leaves behind a lace thi thin but consistent.

Smell - A touch of floral hops and caramel. A bit of fruitiness as well; close to apple.

Taste - Starts with some slightly bitter hop, floral with a touch of citrus, then a healthy dose of bready malt comes through. Finishes with a mellow red apple character and the faintest hint of earthiness. Good balance.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied. Lively carbonation leads to a nice tingle on the lips and tongue. Smooth and drinkable. Finish is semi-dry.

Overall - Really nice euro pale ale by Bass here. Obviously the old standby as the tan in a Guinness black and tan, but does just as well as a stand alone beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 03:33:59 | More by TheSixthRing