Mt. Nittany Pale Ale - Otto's Pub and Brewery

mjc410

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from the growler into my HopDevil nonic...

A: A very dark, somewhat hazy amber color. A thin head appeared that quickly turned into a very minimal lacing and some surface bubbles.

S: Mild nutty melt, a slight hoppiness.

T: This is much more potent than the smell. A great nutty flavor throughout, with no perceptible alcohol in the taste (a bit warming, though). Hop character is not very high. There's a good bit of malt sweetness, as well. Not very bitter. Low carbonation.

M: Medium, smooth.

D: Pretty nice, but only because it's not too complicated. An easy drinking, relaxing beer, to be sure.

Serving type: growler

02-27-2006 23:11:14 | More by mjc410

tdm168

North Carolina

3.81/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

A - amber with a soft, white head that has good retention

S - light malt, some caramel, mild piney bitterness

T - caramel, pine, some toasted malts, some citrusy notes, moderately bitter finish

M - medium bodied, smooth, well carbonated

This is a nice, refreshing APA. It doesn't offer a dominant flavor, but it does have a decent, balanced character that makes it very easy to drink. I would like a bolder hop presence in my APAs, but I did find myself enjoying this one nonetheless. It's worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 00:57:59 | More by tdm168

JWU

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -18.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle poured into a curved pint glass.

A- a light amber color, lots of carbonation sticking to the sides of the glass. A small white head, that dissipated quickly.

S- Soapy. A bit of citric hops, and some malt sweetness.

T- Some floral and citric hops hit up front, a bit of balancing sweetness. Not much going on there. Pretty much run of the mill APA.

M- Aggressive carbonation for the style. Light to maybe medium body. Not overly dry on the end.

O- not bad, but nothing great.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 17:27:53 | More by JWU

Shibbykaiyai

Michigan

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I bought this on a recent trip to State College, PA at Kildare's Pub.

A nice amber colored APA, with a malty smell. A smooth APA, it was a good APA, not too strong and not too hoppy.

A good session APA. Not anything great, but it goes down easily.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2012 02:11:34 | More by Shibbykaiyai

pburland23

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.

I had this one on tap at Otto's last Friday but I wasn't reviewing then so we got a six pack to go and here we are.

Appearance: Beer pours a dark hazy orange with about half a finger of eggshell white head. Decent head retention and not much lacing.

Smell: Hoppy with some citrus notes. Decent balance with a hint of pale malt. Smells nice but not anything over the top.

Taste: Very nice tasting Pale Ale. The Centennial and Cascade hops provide a very American hop punch...citrusy and fresh. There's some subtle maltiness which provides some balance.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied ale. Smooth and very drinkable. Nicely carbonated and refreshing.

Overall: It tasted better on tap but even from the bottle this is a tasty pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2012 11:10:29 | More by pburland23

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pretty much a IPA or DIPA in color wouldn't expect this dark for a "pale ale". Head is minimal and settles to a mild lace ring and even agitation of the beer results in some bubbles that quickly make them self's scarce.

S - Actually smells quite balanced. Not very hoppy or pale in aspect just balanced pale malts and bittering hops.

T - A very smooth drinkable pale in my opinion. You get pale malts then slightly bittering hops. Then in the finish some sweet breads and a mild hop presence. It's very smooth.

M - Light to medium, borderline session able.

Overall again as expected with the red ale and DIPA being very good this one is also tasty. The only drawback again is no place to find six packs or singles but I can mix it in a sixer for 10 bucks and that gives it some props. Good pale guys!

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2012 00:57:33 | More by DrDemento456

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Lightly orangey/peachy dark golden that is very bright and clear with a nice amount of bubbles rising to the reasonably big off-white head that dimples a bit as it settles with okay speed. It retains a nice skim and leaves fairly good lace.

S: Plentiful bright citrus hops – fruity grapefruit mostly. Behind that there is some biscuity pale with toasty & caramel hints and some quite minimal sweetness. A bit of a bready yeast note comes in as it warms.

T: Like the nose in that it is more hoppy than malty. More complex though. Hops add a bit of rind to the grapefruit and also a touch of pine & some grassy/herbal character at the end as well as some dry resin in the lingering finish. Good bitterness that grows with consumption. The pine and resin hop note grows as well. Some of the fruitness (not all that strong) seems like it could be from esters. Malt backbone is quite solid while serving as a nice platform for the hops. Malts are biscuity, just slightly toasty, some mid-range caramel, pleasant & subdued sweetness, and just a hint nutty on the backend. It is pretty dry and steely overall.

M: Evenly medium body with a firm yet softly expansive carbonation. Quite well attenuated with some texture from hops & a lightly drying finish. Pretty refreshing.

D: A good session strength American pale with a nice balance. Nothing non-attractive. Looks sexy, good feel, aroma & flavor that while not amazing are very solid and quite fine for the heft. A nice little quencher with plenty of good character. Good & tasty, but won’t slow you down.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2012 17:37:49 | More by SickGnar

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.35/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into a pint glass

Appearance – Pours a nice golden color with not too much head. There is a moderate amount of lacing upon the quick dissipation of the head.

Smell – Carmel malt is the most prevalent. While not very potent, there is a light amount of pine and citrus hop mixed in.

Taste – A very nice malt backbone with a slight roasted barley flavor which is lightly sweetened by a bit of toffee flavor. The lighter hop flavor then comes into play toward the middle and the end. Mainly pine and earthy in nature, it leaves a nice finish to the taste.

Mouthfeel – A little thinner then would be desired with an average level of carbonation. Pretty standard for the type of brew.

Overall – Not bad, but noting too special. Easy to drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2012 02:43:52 | More by Darkmagus82

erosier

Connecticut

3.5/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

L: Pours a nice amber color with a medium sized and light bodied off white colored head that leaves a little lacing as it fades fast.
S: Smells of sweet toasted malts, hints of crisp earthy and citrus hops.
T: Tastes of sweet roasted malts, a nice mix of earthy and citrus hops that aren't too overpowering and mix well with the malt base.
M: Crisp, refreshing, perfect amount of carbonation, medium to light bodied. It was a nice session beer.
D: Overall it was a very sessionable beer where the malt flavors and the hops mixed well together and made it enjoyable to drink.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 11:11:58 | More by erosier

AgentZero

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - Brownish gold colored beer with a white head that didn't last long.

S - Doesn't smell great, a little bit soapy, perhaps some citrus in there. There's a lot of sweetness from the malt backbone.

T - Meh. This has a somewhat unpleasant tea-like quality that I just don't care for. There is some citrus, some soap. Not abhorent, but this isn't particularly good.

M - Medium bodied, crisp, good carbonation. This aspect of the beer is fine.

O - Don't care for this. Nothing real good, and there's a couple of things going on that I didn't really care for. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 16:31:29 | More by AgentZero

MasterSki

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -21.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Bottle shared by AgentZero. No discernible freshness dating. Served in a Darkness glass.

A - Quick-dissolving white foam settles to some wisps and a thin collar, leaving behind minimal lacing. Transparent bronze body.

S - Smell is very understated, but there are some orange and soapy Cascade hops present, as well a surprisingly hefty brown sugar malt backdrop.

T - Very bland. Some light citrus, and a strange tea-like astringent finish. There's really almost no flavor.

M - The feel is surprisingly excellent considering how bland the beer is. Zesty, medium carbonation, dry texture, resinous and oily, and a hefty medium body. Crisp, clean, and pretty good!

D - Weird beer. The smell is overly soapy, but that's not totally unexpected for a generic American Pale Ale. The taste is just perplexing, as there was almost nothing there. Easy to drink...I guess?

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2011 15:53:17 | More by MasterSki

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a foggy dark gold with some white head

Smells like grains, some aromatic hops, and spices: cinnamon..

Taste is more hoppy than the nose with some well rounded hop flavors leading into a touch of bitterness, more cereal and grains and a grassy aftertaste

Mouthfeel is a little thin

Overall this is a good pale ale..not the best from Otto's

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2011 23:59:30 | More by TheMultiYeast

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.43/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

We pour a brew holding a deep copper color. It supports a well-retained one and a half finger head of cream colored bubbles. They eventually recede into islands of larger bubbles, with a thick ring around the perimeter of the glass. There is a slight haze, but no sediment is noted, and carbonation appears to be standard. The aroma is lofty, with a faint sweetness of cream and a light toast. There is a biting metallic yeast and some apply acetaldehydes. The notes in the far back ring of a mild spice, with cinnamon and white pepper as the forerunners. Throughout the entire nose there is a permeating booze. As we sip, light apricot and cooked citric hops start things off. The malts are darker, with adjuncty grain. The middle moves forward with more steely grain, earth and mineral, and a light bready toast. We finish with lighter flavoring, of grassy hops, fresh barnyard hay, and little sweetness. The aftertaste breathes of wheaty grain, bittering yeast, citrus, and more light toasting. The body is light to medium and the carbonation is medium. There is a fine coating, with little drying. The mouth experiences quite a fizz, despite the standard carbonation. The beer drinks easily, helped along by the easy abv.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was its lightness. This beer presents as decent for the style, but the flavors and aromas were not as robust as they could have been. This, too, is also to its benefit, as it was not overwhelming with inappropriate and overly stark flavors or aromas that may have otherwise been off putting.

Serving type: bottle

10-10-2011 21:35:40 | More by TheBrewo

TheDreadnought

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +12.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I really enjoyed this beer. Bomber bottle, poured into a Tiffany mug.

Poured an awesome apricot color with a large head that returned quickly. Nose of fruit and flowers, most notable apricot/malt flavor. Taste was typical malt/spice for an APA, fruity/hoppy/spicy with good carbonation.

Overall, this beer came off a "Wow, that's pretty damn, good" suprise for my first Nittany.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 19:49:34 | More by TheDreadnought

merc7186

New York

3.48/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I had this from a 12oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

The appearance is a nice orangish, copper color to it with a nice head and some lacing on the glass. It is a very well carbonated beer. The smell had a nice malty aroma to it with some hints of citrus to it and hops. The taste is decent with a good bitter hop taste and a nice malty finish which is well balanced. The mouthfeel was a little disappointing with a mildly bitterness to it that lingers but nothing else. Overall, a decent APA from a brewer I had previously been to and wished I worked closer to. I wouldn't go out of my way for this but wouldn't turn it down either.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 23:51:49 | More by merc7186

nhindian

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle poured into a Sam Adam's Red Lobster Perfect Pint.

A - Pours a nice, deep golden orange. This is the color I'd instantly think of when I think of a typical, drinkable beer. It's clear as a blue-bird day, and it has some visible carbonation rising and sticking to the glass. A pillowy, white, 2.5-fingered head sits gracefully on top, with good retention and generous lacing that leaves thick clumps of foam around the glass.

S - The nose is nicely balanced. Bread and slight caramel give some sweetness and depth to the nose, paving the way for the slightly spicy hops to come across. Mild tones of citrus make up the hop profile, with a floral finish. Subtle, yet clean.

T - The flavors bring an all-encompassing taste to the aromas. The spice begins a bit earlier, mingling with the biscuit-filled malts. Pretty malty and balanced. The citrus seems to take a back seat in the flavor, with perhaps some light orange coming through near the finish. Speaking of the finish, it is spicy and somewhat dry. Solid, yet a bit pedestrian.

M - Mouthfeel is medium-bodied with moderately high, yet acceptable carbonation. This beer really feels nice in the mouth, and the carbonation mixes well with the spice and flavors to really help them pop. As mentioned earlier, it has a drier finish.

D/O - Drinkability is moderate. It's not an incredibly overwhelming beer and it won't make you rush out to buy it again, but for what it is, it's pretty solid. Combine that with a cheap price, and it's definitely worth it. A solid drinking beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2011 21:42:47 | More by nhindian

DanThomas

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- A very orange copper, bright and clear. No head or lacing, some bubbles shooting up through the beer.

S- Full bodied caramel and toasted malt create a good base for the aroma. Crisp, spicy hops on the nose. Scent indicates a very dry beer.

T- Toast and bread dominates the initial flavor, and as it moves to the back of the palette the hops take over. They don't provide a lot of flavor except for a slight grapefruitiness and spiciness, but they give the beer a pleasant and refreshing bitter/dry finish. The aftertaste lingers awhile and it has nice caramel and nut characteristics.

M- A very dry beer. Medium to full-bodied because of the malt, carbonation is prickly but still refreshing.

D- All in all, from ABV to taste to mouthfeel, this is an ideal session beer. Interestingly, it calls itself an APA, while BeerAdvocate lists it as an EPA. In many ways, I understand the confusion. It drinks like a classic English bitter or pale ale but has a lot of the flavor characteristics of an APA. Very impressed.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2011 19:30:24 | More by DanThomas

CliffBrake

New Hampshire

3.53/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bright, light amber color with a nice head; leaves good lacing.

Bready malts dominate the aroma. Herbal hops with a bitter finish. The main hop character seems to be the bitterness. There is a slight sourness that dominates and lingers.

Mouthfeel is a little prickly. The carbonation seems a bit coarse. But refreshing, non the less.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2011 02:26:15 | More by CliffBrake

ExpertAndrew

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Otto's must be doing something right because they have moved into a much bigger building in November. However, they only have 3 beers on tap. I dont know if I had a bad batch but I was not as impressed as the other reviewers. The beer was a nice copper color. The beer was very drinkable but the taste seemed to be one note. I hope to head back to State College soon to try this and others beers when they are fully up and running.

Serving type: on-tap

01-01-2011 22:01:34 | More by ExpertAndrew

eyncognito

Wisconsin

3.5/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22oz. bottle courtesy of akorsak, thanks Adam.

Pours a wonderful amber into my New Glarus pint glass. Incredibly clear with orange highlights, 1 finger white head recedes to a collar. No lacing. Aroma is bready, grainy, with hints of herbal hops. Really quite pleasant on the malt front.

Taste is biscuity malts and mild caramel-not too sweet, hints of citric hops with a more herbal character. Kinda creamy, the malt really shines here with a mild bitterness and clean, dry finish. Mouthfeel is thin, I was surprise how thin the body was. Moderate carbonation.

Incredibly drinkable. Unassuming really, but a real gem. If I lived in State College PA this could easily be a go to session beer. I put this bomber down quickly and thirst for more.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2009 03:33:43 | More by eyncognito

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

From notes. On tap at Capone's...
Appears a light gold with a small white cap that fades into a gentle collar. Tiny speckles of lacing are left around the glass.
Smell is of huge amounts of spicy yeast and herbal hops with fruit candy aromas coming through to make it interesting enough for me to rouse the beer again for a second thought.
Taste is of the mentioned yeasty, herbal, spiciness. The flavors almost remind me of Jujubes candy with some herbal, pine notes.
Mouthfeel is chewy, herbal, and medium bodied.

Serving type: on-tap

12-06-2008 16:21:04 | More by weeare138

Voonder

Alberta (Canada)

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to jac5084 for this one.
Pours deep and clear amber colour with one finger white-ish head. Dissapeared fairly quickly leaving lots of lace. Smell - hoppy, citrusy, very strong and nice. Taste is pretty much the same - citrus and hops plus some spices perhaps. Smooth and rich, very balanced and very refreshing. It's drinkable, I'd love another one.
I'd say it's a typical pale ale, but really good one.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2008 04:32:31 | More by Voonder

WesWes

New York

3.98/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer pours a dark golden/amber color with a creamy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is good. It has a nice citrusy hop nose along with a solid malt bill of pale and crystal malts. The taste is as well. It has a well balanced malt and hop flavor that is quite bitter, but not at all offensive. The malt taste is good. It's basically pale malt with a 60l crystal malt to add color and some malt character. It could use some more body IMO. The mouthfeel is decent. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is very good pale ale. It's hoppy with some malt complexit; a good drinker.

Serving type: bottle

09-27-2008 22:02:54 | More by WesWes

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Decent American style pale, brought back the bottle from the brewpub. C-hop aroma, along with malt, and in taste. A bit drying and a cut under average mouthfeel. Some orangey taste.Centennial and Cascade were present. Most drinkable.Slight orange colour with significant off-white head.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2008 02:15:49 | More by northyorksammy

sholland119

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A clear amber with a thin white head and some nice lacing.

Smell has some floral hops with a faint citrus hop and a mild malt in the background.

Taste is pleasant, starting off with a mild malt sweetness with a modest hop bite kicking in about halfway through. Finishes clean with a bit of graininess.

Mouthfeel is crisp and carbonation is good.

A good session pale ale, moderately interesting to drink.

HV

Serving type: on-tap

08-30-2008 22:12:08 | More by sholland119