Restoration Pale Ale - Abita Brewing Co.

teromous

Virginia

3.45/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The body is a light shade of gold that is very transparent, and a lot of visible carbonation. It's lighter than I'm used to seeing in an APA. The head is fluffy and white, that leaves lacing rings.

S: I get a lot of citrus from the nose, more grapefruit than anything else. It's pretty mellow. I consider it fairly average.

T: Very light hop character at first, with some of that grapefruit-like flavor accompanied by its light bitterness. Then there is a subtle malt presence followed by a hint of alcohol flavor.

M: The mouthfeel has medium-wetness and just a hint of bitterness and carbonation bite. Very drinkable, but mostly because it is very light.

O: Overall I thought that the beer was pretty good. I felt that it would benefit from being a bit drier. I also thought that they could have either improved the hop character or brought out the malt a bit more to give the beer more distinction. It's not a bad beer or anything, it's just that the balance of the beer makes it feel a bit bland. Personally I think it could use more malt flavor, but I'm not holding it against the beer rating.

Serving type: bottle

05-24-2013 22:22:20 | More by teromous

jgurley

Florida

3.94/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Pours a rich gold in my tulip. One finger head dissipates to a thin layer and laces well. I smell the crystal hops. Citrus. Taste is crisp up front, not much at all across the middle, and hop bitterness on the back with an odd soapy aftertaste. A fairly unimposing and drinkable pale ale. Very refreshing mouthfeel.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 22:13:04 | More by jgurley

metter98

New York

3.5/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is crystal clear yellow in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high off white head that died down, consistently leaving a thin layer of bubbles covering the surface and some lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Light aromas of citrusy hops are present in the nose.
T: The taste is very similar to the smell and has flavors of orange citrus along with a slight amount of bitterness.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: This beer is really easy to drink and would make for a good selection if someone wants some citrusy hop flavors without the associated bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 21:12:06 | More by metter98

Kromes

Georgia

3.6/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A clear gold color with nice carbonation and a thick off white head that leaves lacing on the sides of the glass.

Toasted malt and a floral and grassy hop aroma.

The earthy and floral hop is dominant in the beer and the toasted malt provides a good balance. Sweet and just a little bit of citrus bitter from the hop. Medium bodied. The floral and lemony hop lingers in the finish.

A pretty decent pale ale here. A had it with some spicy food and it paired really well.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 20:04:26 | More by Kromes

Omnium

Pennsylvania

3.79/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Bottle > ST 2xIPA Glass
A - Pours a really nice golden color, very clear, nice head just under a finger, not really stellar lacing, but big deal.
S - Fresh breads, floral hops, a hint of lemon peal, wheat, some grapefruit.
T - Up front is the yeast and wheat, and not wheat in the sense of a wit or wheat beer, but just a hint of it, you get the floral hops once that fades, and some citrus flavors as well. They're light on the palate, but refreshing.
M - A mild bitterness hangs around for a little, and some of that bready malt.
O - The sum of abita is decent beer for a good price. No they dont make world class stuff, but is it reliable and inexpensive? you bet. I could drink this beer year round as just something to drink.

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 23:50:00 | More by Omnium

Mojo

Alabama

3.73/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

12ounce bottle -> World Market tulip glass

This one was a surprise. I have come to expect mediocrity from Abita and this one was a little above average. It pours up a deep gold/light amber with a nice one finger head. Retention is limited to a ring of foam and there is some lacing. The smell is very citrus and floral. Taste is pretty good. The hops are somewhat subdued but I get a lot of citrus. Orange, grapefruit , and aspirin. Mouthfeel is pleasant with no aftertaste. I'm glad to have had this one. I may not seek it out again, but I wouldn't refuse one if offered.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 00:44:23 | More by Mojo

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.45/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Two fingers of head, with an almost completely clear medium straw colored body. Looks good.
Mild smell. Pick up some pine, grapefruit and honey though. What's there is nice.
Taste is a nice balance of malt and mild bitterness. The malt maintains a low sweet profile.
Medium texture with moderate carbonation. Fits the bill.
A good pale ale that lets something other than the hops shine.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 01:00:20 | More by Fatehunter

plaid75

New York

3.53/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a light brassy hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured a mild caramel malt and soft grassy hop.

The taste consisted of some caramel sweetness, lightly tasted bread coupled with an earthy leafy hop.

The mouthfeel was round and smooth.

Overall a decent pale ale. Nothing offensive, yet nothing too remarkable either.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2012 22:25:14 | More by plaid75

kylehay2004

Florida

3.68/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Two finger head with nice lacing on a clear golden body with a very slight orangey hue. Aroma is very good with breads, pale malts, earthy and light citrus hops. Very nice for the style. Nice combo of caramel malts and earthy hops. Slight resin and sour citrus hop flavor. Medium body and moderate carbonation. This one is a little simple and "safe" but its well balanced and very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2012 23:17:22 | More by kylehay2004

grittybrews

Washington

3.48/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured brilliant orange with a small cap of bright white head. Mild aroma of sweet orange and pine.

Moderate carbonation and a crisp, light mouthfeel. Biscuit and mild toast up front with light floral hops and some stronger pine bitterness on the finish.

Clean, easy-drinking, but not too memorable.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 21:44:00 | More by grittybrews

nimrod979

Maryland

2.9/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a lighter golden shade. Lighter than I would have expected. Small white head that didn't last too long and spotty lacing here and there.

Aroma: Not much here. Faint pale malt. and slight citrus hop

Taste: Actually starts out with some grainy,pale malt before a little spicy citrusy hops with a nice little fruity and citrusy finish. Personally, I think it's a little boring.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium mouthfeel. Moderate carbonation. Grainy. Flavors don't really stand out and are muddled together and there isn't much to the finish. Nothing to really get me excited about this one and I would consider it more of a golden ale than a pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2012 02:19:39 | More by nimrod979

Thads324

Connecticut

3.73/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a clear golden yellow, fizzy white head. Good lacing, moderate dissipation of head.
S : smells of basic bread malts and sweet citrus hops. A bit of fruit juicy hops and no alcohol.
T : starts vibrantly malty with toasted malts, then hops come in. A round flavor of grassy and guava fruit hops. Mild bitterness and caramel malt flavor at the rear. A bit less hops flavor then you would think from the strong aroma. Lots of straw like malts.
M : medium to light bodied. Mildly sticky bitterness and heavy bubbles on the tongue.

An ok beer, but a bit light and a lack of vibrant hop flavor like in the aroma.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 03:37:26 | More by Thads324

BeerNoobNC

North Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From a bottle in an Abita Party Pack 12 pack. This beer has the balanced taste that you expect from a pale ale, with a complex hop flavor. However, this beer seems somewhat watered down in flavor, though not in mouth feel. The flavor definitely seems a little light compared to some of the better pale ales I have had, but it still seems to have the same consistency and mouth feel of a beer of this style. Overall, this is not a great representation of this style, but it is definitely a drinkable beer that I will not hesitate to drink.

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 01:00:49 | More by BeerNoobNC

superspak

Michigan

3.68/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best by 9/27/2012. Pours hazy golden amber color with a nice 2 finger dense off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Some spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass as well. Aromas of grapefruit, orange zest, pine, herbal, floral, caramel, honey, and bread. Pretty nice aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of grapefruit, orange, pine, herbal, grass, floral, caramel, bread, and cracker. Lingering notes of citrus, herbal, pine, cracker, and caramel on the finish for a short bit. Good flavor balance; with a good bitterness/malt balance as well. Feels watered down though. Medium carbonation and body; with a nice crisp and smooth mouthfeel. Alcohol is well hidden with pretty much no warming noticed at all after the finish. Extremely easy to drink. Overall this is a nice pale ale. Feels a bit watered down; but still has a good hop and malt flavor profile. An enjoyable offering, very sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2012 04:01:31 | More by superspak

bump8628

Oklahoma

3.28/5  rDev -6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear gold with a decent build of white foam that sticks in a few spots. Toasted biscuit malt flavor outpaces a tame floral Cascade hop flavor. Clean and dry. More drying bread notes on the finish. Not bad. But not really hoppy enough to be an American Pale Ale. More of an easy drinking, balanced, grainy blonde ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 20:36:56 | More by bump8628

schoolboy

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev +16%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This is a great session APA. It has a bunch of the appropriate APA hoppy bitterness but it is easier drinking than most.

It looks pretty, like these usually do, and it ia aromatic. The taste is right where it should be - hoppy, not much malt and very little yeast. Very sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2012 01:05:12 | More by schoolboy

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.53/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

It amazes me that most score this thoroughly average while I've seen so many other average or mainstream beers scored so much higher. This poured a 2" custard head with quite a long life. The body is a clear golden yellow with the tiniest of bubbles on the move. Smells kind of BMC with grass and corn yet nicer, stronger. The taste mirrors the smell, a little sweet, and has a mild hoppy finish. Mouth is smoother and richer than BMC though. To me this is kind of an every man's beer, close enough to BMC the mainstreamers can drink it yet crafted enough that the rest of us can still enjoy it along with them.

Serving type: bottle

08-02-2012 08:51:35 | More by MoreThanWine

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.13/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from bottle into pint glass

(Not sure if they recently changed their recipe, but the brew is listed as 5.1 % abv on bottle dated best by 10/28/12)

Appearance – Pours a clear golden color with a big white head. The head had decent retention, eventually fading to give a medium level of lacing.

Smell – The aroma is heaviest of citrus hop upon pouring. Mixed the citrus were some notes of biscuit, caramel and a very light pine.

Taste – A very dry and doughy flavor meets the tongue. It has only the tiniest caramel sweetness upfront, which rapidly disappears as the taste moves on. A very dry but lightly hoppy citrus taste comes to the tongue and brings on some bitter. In the end a dry slightly bitter biscuit taste is left on the tongue.

Mouthfeel – The body of the beer is rather thick and creamy for an only 5.1 % pale ale brew and is quite nice. The lower level of carbonation accentuates the creaminess, although some extra carbonation level would have added a bit more excitement and complexity to the brew’s more bland taste.

Overall- the look, aroma and mouthfeel were all really very nice. Unfortunately the taste was not the greatest. It was somewhat bland.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2012 00:27:16 | More by Darkmagus82

jwhancher

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Sam Adams glass. Appears clear gold with nice rocky white head with suds that cling to the glass. Citrus hop character with some good pale & crystal malts to back it up. Tastes hoppy with nice upfront bitterness and enough pale malts to give it some backbone. Of course, not so hoppy by today's standards. Feels light and refreshing. This one is pure nostalgic for me as I recall sucking down plenty of these in volunteer efforts post-Katrina. A solid beer all around that's nicely balanced and refreshing in the Southern heat.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 00:52:57 | More by jwhancher

CraftBeerTastic

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Ba Review #173
Served On: 06/17/2012
Glassware: Pint Glass
Labeled ABV: 5.1%
Date/ Code: -

This was in the 2012 spring mixed 12 pack.

Look: A semi-clear yellow with a thin film making up the head. Sporadic lacing was around for the duration. Carbonation bubbles were noticeable, but sparse. Rather golden for a Pale Ale.

Smell: Aroma was of faint spice with some slight citrusy hops.

Taste: Fist off was a dull grapefruit mixed with a dry honey sweetness and some English hop qualities. Then a brief moment of carbonation seemed to cleanse the palate. Finish was still rather clean with a dry bitter aftertaste.

This was a solid APA with qualities found in others like New Belgium's DIG and Saranac Pale Ale. Still, nothing really seemed to stand out flavor-wise. Just your typical Pale Ale here.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2012 18:08:27 | More by CraftBeerTastic

jar2574

Missouri

3.05/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Smell is sweet, slightly citrusy with some sweet malts as well. It pours with a nice head and OK lacing. The taste is slightly hoppy but this beer is too watery and boring, unfortunately. The mouthfeel is a huge let down. The beer started out promising and ended average.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 01:00:37 | More by jar2574

charlzm

California

3/5  rDev -14%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Consumed May 11th, 2012 at The Abita Brewpub, Abita Springs, LA.

This beer is a clear light golden color with a fine white head.

No aroma I could detect.

Caramel malt upfront, a touch of citrus with low bitterness on the finish. That's it!

A little thicker than water with adequate carbonation.

Not much to say about this one. Inoffensive but uninspiring.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2012 20:01:59 | More by charlzm

magine

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a pint glass.

Pours a lively clear slightly hazed golden yellow. Tons of bubbles race to the top for the glass forming an action packed off white head. Head settles to a chunky island initially. Head settles to a layer and has nice lacing the whole drink. Good looks.

Brew smells of faint pale malts; biscuit, bread, grains. Some faint hops. Very average nose, not alot going on.

Brew is creamy and smooth. Nice head retention adds to the creaminess up front. Good body here; has a smooth feel up front and then has some crisp hoppiness in the end. Finishes slightly dry and has some hop resin left behind. Can pick up the barley as you drink as well. Great session brew here.

Really liked this one from Abita. Like the mouthfeel and the appearance. It has good flavors here and would be a great session brew. If I could regularly pick this one up by the case for a good price I would. It would be a great brew for gatherings.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2012 01:07:45 | More by magine

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.4/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass. Pours a golden hay color with good foamy head. Smells of slightly fruity hops, but not good fruity. Like purple haze but hoppy?...
Taste is very mild hops with more malts than hops. Slight fruity taste to go with the smell. Overall, ok APA. Nothing to go crazy over here but worth a try to help with the hurricane restoration...if they are still doing that...

Serving type: bottle

05-03-2012 22:14:34 | More by DrinkSlurm

KajII

North Carolina

2.8/5  rDev -19.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

[Beat served in a Shaker glass]

The pour was a clear light amber with an average sized (1-2 finger) white frothy head that reduced to a few puddles and a small collar of residue and had fair spotty lacing.

The aroma was very mild of a grain malt, floral hops and a mild earthy yeast with hints of a mild caramel and citrus (orange and grapefruit).

The taste was very lightly bitter from start to finish with a hint of orange peel early on and a mild hoppy ending. The flavor was very short lived, fading very quickly after the swallow.

Mouthfeel was light in body and had a watery texture and a super mild carbonation.

Overall a very light tasting brew that had very little flavor other than a very faint hoppy presence, which did not last long...

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2012 18:55:06 | More by KajII