Bass Pale Ale - Bass Brewers Limited

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

soju6

Missouri

3.63/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a deep copper color with a good head that fades to ample lacing.

S: Aroma of roasted malt, with some caramel sweetness and bit of herbs.

T: Taste of roasted malt and some caramel sweetness. Mild bitterness and a clean finish.

F: Medium body, smooth with a creamy texture. Nicely balanced.

O: Good drinker that goes down very easy. Good for a few. Can't argue with a beer that has been around a long time.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 14:12:29 | More by soju6

Danny1217

Florida

3.4/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours copper with a small tan head. The head dissipates leaving nothing on top of the beer itself. There is some decent lacing on the sides of the glass though. The smell is not really there. Very faint. Some grains and some sort of honey sweetness. The taste is a bit more pronounced than the smell. I taste some caramel, apple, sweet bread, but no hops. A very malty brew. Medium body and carbonation.
I recall having this out of a cask while I was in the UK, and it was actually much better that way. However, since that was a over a year ago, my review stands for the bottled version, which doesn't have much going for it except that you can get it at a decent price in a twelve pack just about anywhere.

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 23:48:41 | More by Danny1217

BostonHops

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle served in a pint glass.

pours a clear, medium-amber tone while yielding a finger of off-white head; mediocre retention and not much lacing to speak of. nose opens with a light maltiness and secondary notes of caramel and a subtle, indistinct fruitiness. not the worst aroma in the world but fairly underwhelming.

flavor mostly follows the nose. definitely on the malty / sweet side. a touch of hops, especially in the finish. again, not terrible by any means, just sort of 'meh'. medium-light bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall, pretty much my definition of average - a mediocre beer i would accept if handed to me for free but would not pay money for. at least, i wouldn't anymore. used to be a staple back before craft, when i thought bass was the creme de la creme of the beer world. of course, would still take it over BMC.

(originally reviewed: 09-16-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 20:56:24 | More by BostonHops

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a pub glass. It has probably been 8 years since I last had this. The brew appears copper in color with finger of tan froth. It produces some patchy lacing effect as it slides down the edges.

The smell of this brew has the faintest indication of herbal hop elements mixed with a bit of mineral content. There is an overall grainy sweetness to this brew that lingers in the nose with a touch of sulfur.

The taste includes some toasty grain character
mixed with some alcohol fusels that produces a mild fruity hint. Some minerals are present mixed with caramel graininess and a touch of hebal hop flavoring wothout much bitterness.

This is a medium bodied brew with a light level of carbonation. It is sweet overall with some odd characteristics thrown into the mix to break things up. Without thinking too much about this, I wonder if the establishment serving me this only keeps this brew on hand to serve black and tans...

Serving type: bottle

06-11-2012 18:36:39 | More by stakem

Dave128

Kentucky

3.73/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

A - Golden straw body with a white head that is pretty fizzy. Nothing special. This beer actually laces a well for the style. Head retention isn't much.

S - Pretty inoffensive. Light grainy smell but not skunky like I was expecting.

T - Suprisingly tasty. This pale ale is sweet up front with banana-like esters in the middle. Finish is definitely not dry, this one is drinkable. Almost no hop bitterness or flavor.

M - Light bodied with adequate carbonation.

O - A drinkable english pale ale that isn't too impressive but best of all it isn't too offensive.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2012 04:53:44 | More by Dave128

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

3.18/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a nonic pint.

A – Crystal clear light copper tone with a one finger sized head of white suds which vanished almost instantly. Some patchy/clumpy lacing.

S – Clean smell of yeast and biscuit malt. A little mustiness as well.

T – Initial taste is bland, inoffensive malt with a hint of citrus. A considerable (and welcoming) amount of diacetyl lends a buttery quality in the mid palate. Hops prevalent in the finish are of the “earthy/musty” variety. Slight mineral astringency in the finish.

M – Thin and kind of watery. Obviously this makes it quite drinkable, but you can’t help but yearn for a little more. Well carbonated, which it probably has to be considering how thin it is.

O – Easy drinking, a decent flavor….it’s easy to see why this would be popular. That said, was it my cup of tea? In a word, no. I found it to be a little too watery, and a little too bland to truly be considered a great beer. That said, I certainly drank plenty of these when I was transitioning to craft beer, and I kind of feel bad for slamming a classic. A decent example of a simple pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 02:52:30 | More by TempeBeerMan

VncentLIFE

North Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pour is slightly darker than yellow, but not amber. Smell is balanced, no real hops, and a bit od diacetyl. Tastes sweet and smooth, no bitterness at all. Slightly earthy and very balanced. the buttery diacetyl makes it drinkable, but is a bit over the top.

Light and drinkable, and definitely sessionable.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2012 21:46:52 | More by VncentLIFE

hosehead83

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from classically-labled English bottle into a standard pint glass.
Deep gold color, with a nice two-inch head of bone-white foam.
Aroma-Faint fruiy/herbal hop note
Taste-Understated earthy/fruity hops, faint mineral note leading to a rather dry finish. Reserved and understated, refreshing and sessionable. A classic English pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2012 16:47:21 | More by hosehead83

claspada

New Jersey

2.5/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours a clear, amber colored body with a semi-frothy, white head.

Aromas begin a bit metallic upfront with a faint, meager bready/melanodin maltiness and slight English yeast fruitiness.

The tastes begin with light bready, semi-sweetish malts. Lightly English fruit esters emerge as it warms. Never really delivers much in the way of hops or bitterness.

The mouthfeel is medium-thin bodied with medium carbonation. A tad watery and metallic again in the finish.

Overall I wonder how much this beer has changed since it was purchased by InBev. I be it used to be much higher quality and a nice traditional English pale ale, but now there is no hop presence and the mouthfeel is this, watery rubbish. Hopefully I remember to never revisit this beer because for some reason I always forget and order it anyway.

Serving type: on-tap

03-26-2012 14:43:16 | More by claspada

NiceTaps

New Jersey

3.08/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

On tap in a pint glass.

A-caramel/red-orange color with a miminal head and practically no lacing at all.

S-very mild aroma, difficult to detect any character.

T-not bad at all. mildly sweet caramel malt flavor. No hop presence.

M-the malts help hold some body but I could go for some more carbonation, a little 'pop' is missing.

O-not too bad if a bar has little else to offer.

Serving type: on-tap

03-18-2012 20:52:11 | More by NiceTaps

ckollias

Maryland

3.25/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Enjoyed this 12oz bottle out of a large snifter glass.

A: Pours an amber-copper hue with a thin, white, 2-finger head that quickly dissipates into a wispy lace leaving a partial trail down the glass.

S: Slightly hoppy aroma with a decent caramel and butter malt background.

T: More sweet than bitter with some mild hops and a decent thin malt background.

M: Medium body and minimal carbonation

O: This is a decent pale – not a premium ale – but just a middle of the road beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2012 00:26:47 | More by ckollias

wages

Missouri

4.28/5  rDev +25.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - 4/5 - beautiful golden clear color. small head that quickly fades leaving no lacing.

smell - 3.5/5 - faint dough like aroma.nothing real strong.

Taste - 4.5/5 - very much a bread or dough forward flavor followed by slight but perfectly balanced hop flavor.

Mouthfeel - 4.5/5 - medium to heavy carbonation that contributes to the balance cleaning out the dough flavor leaving a hint of hops after the swallow.

Overall - 4.5/5 - easy to drink and refreshing.really among the best pale ales I've tried

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2012 15:49:50 | More by wages

secondtooth

Indiana

2.63/5  rDev -22.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Had this on tap at a local pub, and was quickly taken aback with how awful it was.

Appearance? A nice and clean amber, only light suds and no lace here.

Taste is malty sweet. Overbearing. The hops here are seriously dialed-back. I get a cloying maple syrup tone, and plenty of caramel malts.

A real disappointment here, after my review of Bass in bottles was much better 3 years ago. Maybe my taste buds have changed, but this one I didn't hesitate to deem "Ass ale" now. Will not return to this one anytime soon.

Serving type: on-tap

03-08-2012 00:02:06 | More by secondtooth

Luigi

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

(Pours a deep amber color. The Hops aroma come off kind of oily with some sweet malts holding it back. I can taste mineral water. I find this common and expected in an English beer. Sweet malts come out in the flavor and the Noble hops come out fairly strong. This beer is very English and I it enjoy very much. Bass Ale was one of the first English Pale Ales I tried and is still one of my favorite. Makes a great session beer!) Review of import version in '05.

03-06-12 This is first review of Bass Pale Ale that has been brewed in Baldwinsville, NY instead of the UK.

Pours out a clear rich amber color with an off white two finger head. Retention is decent as it sticks around the glass a little. A thin blanket of foam rest on top the ale.

The aroma does seem a bit fresher than the import. With cleaner malt notes and a light citrus from the hops. Notes of caramel and toasted malt.

Again the flavor of this ale has become more fresh because it does not have to cross the Atlantic. Toasted two row malt with a hint of caramel. The hops are much more present in this domestic Bass Ale. They are a little spicy, kind of black pepper like. One think I can notice is that that mineral water taste and diecytal butterscotch is not as strong. To me that is characteristic of any English Pale Ale, especially Bass.

Finishes mild and balanced with nothing over the top. Semi-dry with a mild bitter hops lingering. Medium bodied and easy to drink.

Overall, this American brewery obviously produces a fresher product, but there is a few characteristics missing that can be found in the UK brew. Either way, this is a classic Pale Ale that set the standard. Cheers, the fresher version seems to appeal to me a little more. I mean fresh is better.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 21:31:34 | More by Luigi

curasowa

New York

2.4/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Appearance: Medium copper color with one finger of head that fades to a thin cap with a decent curtain of lace.

Aroma: Sweet and grainy with hints of brown sugar and lemon.

Taste: Sweet and fairly thin upfront, then mild bitterness and decent carbonation in the middle leading to a fast, clean and uninspiring finish with a touch of lingering graininess.

The Rest: Hugh letdown. Back in college, Bass was a real treat, and I definitely don't remember tasting this poor. I would have a hard time in a blind taste test telling this apart from Bud. There are countless Pale Ales out there that are better than this.

Additionally, it's not brewed in England anymore. It's contract brewed by AB in their Baldwinsville brewery. The label states that it's brewed in the finest British Tradition. I find it pretty dubious that there's much fine British tradition going on in Syracuse, NY.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 00:09:07 | More by curasowa

wafers

New York

3.98/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Burnt orange to red coloring, moderate carbonation throughout
S: Light aroma, bready malts
T: Right up front some malty, toffee, flavors; nice sweetness throughout, almost like sugary candy; ends with a decent hoppy bitterness with hints of berry flavors
M: Crisp, light, somewhat dry
O: Bass is very drinkable and flavorful, and is usually a solid choice that can be found easily anywhere

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 04:13:50 | More by wafers

VaterRoss

North Carolina

2.98/5  rDev -12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

on-tap at Brixx, served in a tumbler

Pours a clear amber with an off-white head that quickly recedes to a ring. No lacing. Smell is extremely fruity: floral hops and caramel malt. Taste again is very fruity and sweet with ripe banana tones and not much malt. What malt can be picked out is of the English variety. Mouthfeel is watery, light-weight, and very low carb.

This beer is just too fruity and weak. If it had more malt presence and higher carb it could be saved. A boring beer. Hops are there providing aroma but very little bitterness leading to a watery feel. Quite disappointing as I remember this being an alright beer when sampled in London.

Serving type: on-tap

02-20-2012 03:32:15 | More by VaterRoss

CowsCanBark

Pennsylvania

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

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into Samuel Adams pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a nice amber-golden with an eggshell three-finger head. Decent lacing is left on the glass.

Smell: The hops do not really shine much at all here, I mostly smell sweet malts and a metallic tinge.

Taste: Much like the smell, really malty in flavor, tastes like slightly burnt caramel. The taste also has a slight metal aftertaste, and a very slight bitterness throughout. Really hard to taste any kind of hops, though.

Mouthfeel: Light bodied and high carbonation, easy drinker. Good for the flavor.

Overall: A pretty decent pale ale that is really malty and not high on the hops.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 21:58:21 | More by CowsCanBark

plfahey

Minnesota

2.73/5  rDev -19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 oz. bottle poured into an imperial pint glass.

Appearance-Burnished gold/light copper in color. Brilliantly clear. Tall, meringue-like beige head has decent retention and shows some nice lacing.

Aroma-Big buttery caramel with a hint of toasted bread and biscuit thrown in for good measure. Hint of diacetyl. Slight fruity esters include apples and the faintest whiff of raisins. Hops are almost a non-factor, with the faintest suggestion of green hop character.

Flavor-The flavor packs even less punch than the aroma. Some nice toasty, biscuity malt flavor up front but this fades quickly. Brief flash of caramel in the mid palate before it dries out and fades to almost nothing with moderately low hop bitterness, slight mineral notes, and a hint of soy sauce umami, which leads me to believe that this bottle may be past its prime.

Mouthfeel-Medium body with moderate to moderately low carbonation. Feels rather thin in the finish.

An all around unsatisfying trial of "The World's First Pale Ale". I can imagine this being a much better beverage when fresh, and I can also imagine that it's difficult to find it in such condition here in the US. Alas.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 05:20:07 | More by plfahey

tbeckett

Ontario (Canada)

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

Pint at Auld Dubliner. From notes.

A - Poured dark copper. Bright. Strong carbonation. One finger of eggshell head left great thick lace and a solid finger of retention.

S - Earthy, metallic, grapes, fruitcake.

T - Metallic, earth, citrus, some sourness, grapes.

M - Good carbonation, but more than an EPA should have IMO. Lighter end of the medium spectrum for body, mild minerally finish.

O/D - Used to love this beer when I first started drinking different beers. Now it just doesn't have the affect it used to. It's rich and flavourful, but not complex like alot of other quality EPAs. Tasty but uninteresting at the same time.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2012 15:41:43 | More by tbeckett