Bass Pale Ale - Bass Brewers Limited

bondjedi

Washington

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

On tap at the Fiesta Henderson.

One finger of off-white foam, into a schooner instead of a pint glass. Very nice copper color, translucent. Goes down very well, with a sweet malty finish.

Dee-licious! I can drink this till I collapse. I like to drink it from the bottle, but from the tap it's arguably the best brew pound-for-pound on the planet.

**UPDATE

Ever since the Bass destined for US consumption has been brewed in upstate New York, the Beer Advocate ratings have slumped. This is a case of "haters gonna hate." Bass Ale is still the best g-damn beer out there, and the keg of it that I just bought the other days attests to that.

Serving type: on-tap

03-22-2011 05:51:26 | More by bondjedi

servo12

Ohio

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

What can I say, this is my absolute favorite beer. I should not even review this. It is that old friend that I can always depend on. It is easily available at my local pub. I will admit that it is a mass produced beer. However, among the others it stands out as a time tested favorite of generation after generation of brew aficionados.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2011 04:21:11 | More by servo12

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

sfsean28

New Jersey

4.8/5  rDev +41.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

I can't go wrong with Bass in a bottle but I prefer it on tap. I know a few good pubs that serve it very well and others that can ruin the whole experience for me. Who wants to drink flat beer? I love it and I tell others who don't like it at first taste that it may take a few samplings for the taste buds to get used to all that flavor and hoppiness.
Although its dark I still insist on drinking it during the hottest days of the summer. Its refreshing as iced tea. Theres a sweetness to it from the malt that quenches my thrist but also makes me crave for more.

I always enjoy hearing what people say about Bass ale. Its been a long time favorite of mine and every steak dinner I have is always with a Bass ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2008 15:09:08 | More by sfsean28

skeetermoses

Oklahoma

4.7/5  rDev +38.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I don't know what happened tonight but I feel like I have rediscovered this beer. It poured a nice brown amberish color, and tasted pretty damn good. I have recently quit smoking and seemed to have gained a new taste for beer, I would definately have to say this is now one of my favorite pale ales.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2007 07:23:38 | More by skeetermoses

86MonteSS

Connecticut

4.68/5  rDev +37.6%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

Ok, so it's my favorite beer. I've had some of the world's best, but Bass' flavor is second to none. The only complaint I have is that it is a little too watered down. If it was a little stronger, it would be too good to be true. Perfect color. Perfect "roasted" flavor, even if you have to concentrate on it. They say it's not the same beer Napoleon cherished, but so what, I love it to death.

Serving type: on-tap

04-20-2003 23:06:40 | More by 86MonteSS

rell

Maryland

4.68/5  rDev +37.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This is by far one of the better beers I've had in my time. It pours out with a nice healthy head and a rich glow. The smell is not perfect but definitely intruiging, and the taste - it goes down extremely easy, begging you to take another sip. The mouthfeel is pure - it tastes good and can't steer you wrong. I'd recommend this beer to anyone and always keep it stocked in the fridge.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2007 23:39:21 | More by rell

Jordan1985rec

Maryland

4.6/5  rDev +35.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Let me preface by saying that Bass is one of my all time favorites, always a go to when I see it in the pint bottles. And that is the the point, for some reason the smaller 12oz bottles do not taste quite as good as the pint bottles, more like the pub I suppose. Anyway in my opinion a very, very good beer for almost any occasion, I am a fan of Ale style beers though, so perhaps I am a bit biased.
A-Pourned clean with appropriate amount of head.
S-Standard ale smell, really when you think about it this is probably the template for ale.
T- Amazing, one of my favorites, really standard ale taste. Yes I know there are better ones out there, but I always enjoy this one!
M- Normal for an ale
D- I usually drink these whist hanging out with all my mates at the pub, so I believe that explains the amount a person can drink of these.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2007 00:39:14 | More by Jordan1985rec

kdawg105

Georgia

4.6/5  rDev +35.3%
look: 5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Pretty good Pale Ale. This beer looks very refreshing. It has lots of fruity notes in the smell just not what I was hoping for kinda of musty not sure if they mean for it to be that way but doesn't throw it off any! It is a great tasting beer leaving lots of sweet fruit notes as the finish, light mouthfeel almost not noticeable overall a good beer drink up!

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 20:53:03 | More by kdawg105

SargeC

Japan

4.53/5  rDev +33.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Appearance: Deep golden-tan color with a manila colored head. Nice movement for an ale.

Smell: Strong malt aroma that is apparent from several feet away. Accents of toffee and a touch of coffee.

Taste: Burnt caramel toffee. Strong malt character with minimal hop accents.

Mouthfeel: Excellent body. Perfect balance of refreshing and hearty.

Drinkability: Classic taste, one of my long time favorites. Very consistent.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2007 06:08:44 | More by SargeC

SSJPhatMatt

Oklahoma

4.53/5  rDev +33.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

It pours a clear reddish amber with a decent tan head that dissipates quickly. You want your imperial pint glass filled to the brim with nothing but the good stuff, and that's how this beer is designed. The aroma is mostly the sweet malt.

It's a balanced beer, though. Plenty of flavor, but nothing dramatically interesting. Those sweet caramel malts register first, then the hops give it just a touch of a bitter ending, barely worth mentioning. The flavor coats your mouth for awhile. You don't forget what you've drank after the swallow. It's light or barely medium bodied, but the taste sticks around.

Serving type: on-tap

02-13-2011 17:22:47 | More by SSJPhatMatt

Sigmund

Norway

4.5/5  rDev +32.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Consistent indeed - with nearly 100 reviews, all the qualities of this excellent pale ale have been pointed out already. Great on tap, great bottled. Forget that Bass is now owned by Big Bad Interbrew, and just enjoy it!

Serving type: on-tap

09-25-2002 13:50:14 | More by Sigmund

TechMyst

Illinois

4.47/5  rDev +31.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Container Volume: 355ml

Container type: bottle

Head: dissapates to <1/2 inch

Lace: good

Color:
Reflected- yellow/red tint
Transmitted- yellow

Aroma: sweet

Mouthfeel: medium

Palate: adjusts quickly

Taste:
Start- bitter
Middle- sweet
Finish- bittersweet

Comments: PERFECT balance between sweet / bitter. Palate adjusts well to making the ale taste smooth. One of my standards.

Conditions:
Mowing/Working on car- n
With Friends- Y
Sipping- Y
Get my buzz on- Y

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2006 06:41:46 | More by TechMyst

beershrine

California

4.45/5  rDev +30.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I might be a little biased since... I love this beer. After drinking hundreds of different brands over 20 years this beer just keeps tasting better. Even since a mega brew company took over a few years ago this beer taste like the classic PALE ALE I want to drink.
The cost in our area 9.99 per 12 pack!... is very nice.
Why spend 7+ dollars for 6 ?
I won't go into the geeky flavor profiles witch I love..but this one is a classic...
One note i've noticed...This beer on draft doesn't have the same hoppyness as the bottle. Maybe the old keg is the reason.

Cheers...

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2004 05:52:38 | More by beershrine

Nixon

Washington

4.45/5  rDev +30.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I really like this beer. It features the perfect dark amber English ale color with a really nice flavor of malt and just the right amount of hops. The gravity is at the proper level too so you get the right amount of both flavor and refreshment. Bass features the mineraly, hard water of the region where it's brewed which sets the perfect foundation for this well balanced, classic English ale.
The packaging is nice too with a parchment-style label, making it look the way it probably did a hundred years ago.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 23:30:03 | More by Nixon

auxiliary

Rhode Island

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

appearance - Amber color, some head but then goes low after awhile. Not much lace here.

smell - Nothing interesting, sweet malt smell.

taste -Nice balanced beer, sweet malt taste.

drinkability - Nice beer on tap, never tried it in a bottle. A few times on tap though.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2007 05:03:29 | More by auxiliary

MrHurmateeowish

New Hampshire

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

568ml brown bottle obtained at McKinnon's in Salem, NH. Pours a crystal clear dark amber body with a good inch of slowly-dissipating off-white head. Smells biscuity with some husky caramel and a tinge of herbal English hops. Biscuit, caramel, toffee, hints of nut, licorice, just the lightest touch of diacetyl (butter), with a good bite of herbal slightly minty and piney hops. Very well-balanced and in many ways subtle in flavor. Medium bodied with moderate carbonation. An easy-drinker for sure. It's been years since I've had this beer and I have a new appreciation for it. Balanced and enjoyable, bright, drinkable... A bar for the course to be sure. Just plain good.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2009 23:44:03 | More by MrHurmateeowish

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

Mark

California

4.4/5  rDev +29.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I broke out some tasting notes from my trips to London and will post the reviews of those beers spaced over the next few days or so. Bass from the cask is where it's at! The bottled version we get here pales in comparison. Nice inviting copper color with nice head. My British pint glass was sheeted with lace. Cask conditioned smoothess, and drinkability are it's trademarks. Man I miss London!

Serving type: cask

06-25-2002 20:37:03 | More by Mark

RedBaron

Illinois

4.4/5  rDev +29.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

No doubt about it, Bass was one of the flagship ales that started me down the path of appreciating beer styles other than lager beer long ago. I used to drink bass quite consistently (back in college, 12-odd years ago, a buddy got me a case of Bass for Christmas). I recently bought a six-pack of this beer, and it's been a long, long time since I've done that. What I found didn't disappoint in the least.

The beer poured vigourously, with a nice off-white head which sustained throught the drink. The color is an inviting medium-copper. When I pour a Bass, I can tell by the color that I'm in for a treat.

The smell is of the classic British, biscuity and lightly roasted malt, with the understated yet unmistakable 'earthy' English hop aroma. (Sidebar: the one thing I appreciate with bitter English beers--they don't have to kick your face in, like many American ales, to prove that they're genuinely bitter beers).

The taste pretty much follow suit from the aroma, with the biggest difference coming in what surely must be described as the 'Burton water effect'. The hardness of the water lends itself immeasureably to the character of this beer. Yes, you still get the subtle sweetness of the malts and the understated bitterness of the hops, but the tangy motif of this beer comes, I believe, from the hardness of the water in middle England. The Bass folks know how to play it to their advantage, and millions of fans can't be wrong! This is a medium-bodied beer, and will pair nicely with a Chicago-style pizza, or BBQ chicken.

A highly drinkable beer, my only critique is that I enjoy it slightly more on draught. Having said that, this really is a wonderful beer, often overlooked by the average beer geek. Don't take this well-made English ale for granted, even if the marketing department at Bass promotes its product all over the place these days.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2004 03:22:26 | More by RedBaron

atrus138

Kentucky

4.4/5  rDev +29.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured this from a brown 12 oz bottle with "Pub Pour" (not exactly sure what that means). Nice deep amber color with a weak head and moderate lacing.

Smelled nice and bitter with plenty of hops present, which is what I'm looking for in a good pale ale.

Taste was nice and bitter, though it was followed with an unpleasant metallic aftertaste. This subsided after letting it warm a bit to be replaced with a sweeter caramel flavor. Let it warm up a bit, as the flavor improves significantly.

Felt nice in my mouth. Nice and smooth with just the right amount of carbonation.

Bass is normally one of my favorite drinks, but the metallic flavoring was an unwelcome surprise. Definitely allow it to warm a bit before drinking or just have it on tap.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2007 03:00:58 | More by atrus138

Keblar

New York

4.4/5  rDev +29.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

mmm...malty

great color, even straight from the bottle.

Great balance all around. nice head. maintains.

slightly sweet, malty without being excessive.

Hops not a significant factor, but not lacking.

can't expect much more from mass production.

A perennial favorite.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2009 06:17:37 | More by Keblar

GDBEERMAN

Colorado

4.38/5  rDev +28.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle into brew fest mug.

A: Pours a slightly hazy orange body, with medium levels of carbonation and a white blanket of one finger head. Retention is good, but sinks to a thin layer on top. Lacing is light and sinks slowly.

S: Aroma is English malt forward, with a subtle grassy and earthy aroma. The intensity is medium for style and well balanced. Slightly buttery aroma.

T/M: The taste is classic English Pale, with great balance of hops that allow to showcase the malt and texture. The mouthfeel is creamy, while still quick off the palate. Lingering effect is nicely malted with low levels of bitterness. Hop flavor is present, but does respect the style and takes the back burner.

O: Overall, this is a very well balanced EPA, with classic characteristics and great smoothness. Very well represented as a benchmark for the style.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2011 17:11:08 | More by GDBEERMAN

manofmanners

Connecticut

4.35/5  rDev +27.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

To me Bass on tap is a step down to Bass in the Bottle. Depending where you go and the shape of the keg will make a difference. Sometimes it will have a bit of a tinny taste to it, but thats is very rare. And when that happens to me a few minutes later they kick the keg and start fresh. If you get Bass from a fresh keg Bass is the king of beers. Nothing will beat it, maybe Sam Adams, but it is a close fight. It has a good dark, amber color, witha perfect head on it. It can either go down quick or you can take your time with and enjoy it. It is a bit more bubbly in the mouth as compared to the bottle, but not enought to really notice. But all in all it is just like the bottle, but just enought to be different.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2004 19:02:24 | More by manofmanners

nightcrawler

Illinois

4.35/5  rDev +27.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 5 | feel: 3 | overall: 5

What can I say? If you find a place with clean lines, a cold mug of this beer is about as good as it gets. It is easy to drink and smooth.

The golden brown color draws you to the glass. While the smell is fairly plain, the taste is crisp and clean with a great slightly hoppy aftertaste. The mouthfeel is middle of the road by being a bit thin. Nothing special there.

But it is easy to sit with friend and drink pitchers of this beer. I know I have.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2009 02:33:24 | More by nightcrawler