U.S. Pale Ale - Capital Brewery

kimcgolf

Georgia

3.35/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours to a golden lager-type color with thin skim of a white head that lingered shortly and left little lacing. Aroma was faint lemony citrus with just a hint of hops. Mouthfeel was a slight tingle-slight skunk mix, and the taste was a continuation of the citrus fruit found in the nose. Rounded off to a finish that was dry, a shade bitter and a little skunky.

Not much to this one.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2009 23:37:18 | More by kimcgolf

BasementBer

Manitoba (Canada)

3.35/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I havent had much luck with Capital, this being the nearest favorite style they brew im hoping for a big turn around as most are lagers and this pale ale may be the breakthrough.

A: Medium lacing with an off-white head of foam and generally good carbonation. A very light orange color.

S: Smells much of sweet malts and slightly floral hoppiness.

T: Very light. Nothing bitter about it. Very subtly sweet, almost caramel or toffee notes.

M: Its quite smooth. Nothing lingers but feels soft on the palate and really doest throw you for any loops, i kinda like that.

D: This is a very smooth beer that could go well with anything because it doesnt really have the quality of overpowering.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2011 22:21:14 | More by BasementBer

beertunes

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to WoodyChandler for this one. Poured into 9oz pilsener glass. Poured a clean copper-gold color with about 1/4 inch of off-white head that had OK retentionand lacing.

The aroma featured piney hops upfront, with some sweetness in the background, and all that was supported by a nice, even amount of balancing hops. The taste was good, pretty much the same as the aroma, piney hops upfront, some good malts in the middle, and a bit of citrus on the finish.

The body was fairly typical for a Pale, medium, clean and with a dry finish. Drinkability was good, if I had had another, I would would have had it right then. Overall, a nice, middle of the road take on the style. If this were local to me, it'd be a semi-regular for me. It's just the kind of nice, easy-drinking brew we all like to have around. Worth a shot if you see it.

Serving type: can

08-29-2012 00:25:49 | More by beertunes

chetripley

Illinois

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

Poured from a bottle into a glass stein, with a wide mouth to enjoy the aroma.
A: The head erupted and remained for an extended period of time. The beer was a light amber color, but the lacing was minimal.

S: There was an malt and fruit smell, with a definite grainy presence that I was not expecting. It was almost spicy too.

T: The sharp bite of the hops was the most noticeable feature, leaving behind a dry sensation that left very little aftertaste. After the smell of the fruit I was expecting a sweetness that never showed itself.

M: Smooth at first but the dryness was unmistakeable, plus I don't think there was enough carbonation by the end of the tasting.

D: The bitterness surprised me when I was looking for a balance of sweetness that never occurred.
The description on the bottle says "Disarmingly Drinkable" but I would have to disagree. The dryness whould be reserved for a beverage more suited for sipping instead of this brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2009 04:21:17 | More by chetripley

slyke

Minnesota

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

U.S. Pale Ale pours a golden orange color with an inch of slightly off-white head. The head falls to a cap after about five minutes, some lacing.

The smell is faint, slightly floral with a little alcohol.

Taste begins floral, slightly sweet. There is a bit of malt in there as well, particularly in the center of the taste. The end of the taste has a nice hop bitterness to it.

Mouthfeel is medium-bodied, slightly coating.

Drinkability is pretty good. I may not seek out this beer, but I wouldn't turn it away either.

Serving type: bottle

08-30-2008 16:42:56 | More by slyke

manitouman84

Wisconsin

3.43/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy golden amber with a 1 finger head, leaves small amount of lacing on glass. Malt forward aroma which fades to reveal dankish hop flavors, lemon, pine are prevalent. Nice hop bite to the start, grassy, herbal, floral, good amount of caramel, floral, lager like come through in the finish. After drinking the lager like characteristics come through in the aroma as well. Nice body, resinous but a bit cloying, but still balanced fairly well, very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2011 03:33:28 | More by manitouman84

morimech

Minnesota

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

Pours a light, clear, golden color with a one-fingered white head that quickly recedes to a thin ring. A small amount of lacing is left on the glass surface during consumption.

There is some cascade hop smell that combines with the biscuit malt to give a pleasing aroma.

The hops are the dominate flavor in the beer but overall it is a bit of a disapointment because that alone is not enough to carry a pale ale. This needs more of a malt profile.

The Capital Brewery website describe this as being medium bodied. I definately would not agree with that. I call it light bodied with low carbonation. It drinks easy and has nice hop flavor, but at the cost I definately can find better alternatives.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2008 23:40:40 | More by morimech

danielharper

Michigan

3.45/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Slightly hazy yellow body (a tinge of orange) with a thin white bubbly head that sticks around for a bit. Not bad for an APA, but I usually expect a bit more red.

Smell: Pale maltiness, piney citrus hops.

Taste: Much like the aroma, a strong citrus flavor with a hint of dry piney hops on the finish and a dry aftertaste. This is better when it's a bit colder. Almost reminds me of a lager at times.

Mouthfeel: Thin body, heavy hops, moderate carbonation. Actually quite pleasant.

Drinkability: This is a bog-standard APA. Worth drinking, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2009 04:39:45 | More by danielharper

beagle75

Iowa

3.45/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

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

A: Clear, light amber color with one finger of diminishing white foam head. Light lacing remains on the glass and diffuse bubbles rise in the column.

S: Crackers and floral hops are balanced and fairly clean.

T: Begins dry, with restrained pale malt and herbaceous hop aromatics. Acidity is moderate for the style, mostly carbonic, into the middle where bitterness emerges alongside breadier malt and more floral hops. The finish is mild and clean, with earlier flavors generally diminishing.

M: Thin to medium viscosity, crisp and acidic on the palate, with moderate carbonation.

D/O: This is a predictable pale ale that is proficiently executed but unremarkable when compared to other Cascade-hopped APAs. Considering that it is an ale produced by a producer known for lagers, it should not surprise with its clean and careful sensory profile.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2012 22:22:56 | More by beagle75

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear apple juice appearance. Thin and bubbly off white head. Lacing comes in moderate quantities. Aroma dictates a sweet, biscuity center with some floral hoppiness surrounding it. The active carbonation is felt on the tongue with it's prickliness.The body is medium to medium-full. The base malt properties are of a toasted biscuit like character. The hoppiness surfaces with minty and floral characteristics. A little cedar plank like dryness. Decent enough pale, but not top of the line.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2007 03:25:13 | More by Bighuge

AleWatcher

Illinois

3.48/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Can into tulip pint.

A rather dark burnt orange color. Off white head bubbled up a huge 4 fingers, but settled quickly to a fluffy collar. Really nice lacing!
Smells bitter. Like... Bittering hops were the predominant usage. Despite the dark color, the nose doesn't hold a lot of malts, though some sweet biscuit notes come up on the taste. The hops seem to be mostly floral, with a citrusy grapefruit hiding in there to. Some piney flavors come through at the finish as the bitterness kicks in.
Sadly, this beer doesn't deliver all of those flavors in the right proportions: the malt isn't bad. It's a decent malt bill upon which to build a pale ale... The beer is overly bitter, and tue flavors aren't strong enough.
The body is fine... Little light, but manageable.

Overall, this is not a bad beer. It isn't my favorite take on my go to style, but it isn't offensive.

Serving type: can

06-22-2011 03:48:43 | More by AleWatcher

vette2006c5r

Wisconsin

3.48/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

US pale ale poured a bright golden color with a good size head. There wasn't much of an aroma, some floral notes but very weak. The taste also a bit weak, but had a nice floral taste come through. A bit watery, but the flavor has just a hop like flavor. Overall not a horrible beer, has a straight up hop flavor.

Serving type: on-tap

11-25-2012 06:13:30 | More by vette2006c5r

mjryan

Minnesota

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

Poured a very clear, light golden colour with a nice white head. Lacing was minimal but present. The aroma was moderatly hoppy with a decent citrus/mint character. The flavour is biscuity with a moderate but nice Cascade like hop taste. The body is borderline thin and the carbonation is very lively. Overall I found this beer to be highly drinkable if a bit on the mild side. I seems like it would be a great warm weather thirst quencher.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2008 21:35:53 | More by mjryan

Tballz420

Minnesota

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

Lighter copper/darker orange depending on your politics. Small white head doesnt last too long, but still provides lace. Sweet malt with a bit of bitter hops on the nose. Kinda interesting taste. You got your malt/hop that you would expect, but its pretty grassy or spicy or something i cant quite put my tongue on. Its certainly interesting, but im not really in love with it. Certainly isnt bad though.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2011 03:45:52 | More by Tballz420

indy169

Wisconsin

3.53/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The U.S. Pale Ale from Capital Brewery of Wisconsin is a clear, clean, if slightly bitter pale ale. This beer is light copper colored and has ok lacing. The smell is light, floral and mildly spicy. Taste is somewhat bright and as I mentioned earlier, bitter. The hops here seems scaled back and I wish they would have gone one way or the other on them. I was hoping for more of the hops, but if they are trying to appeal to non-hops fans, then why not scale back on them even further. I would have preferred a bit more malt to compensate. Good, not great.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2007 21:47:56 | More by indy169

WakeandBake

Michigan

3.53/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A clear pale golden color pour with a small white head that quickly fades, medium carbonation . Aroma is light floral hops and a hint of citrus . Flavor is much the same as the aroma , a little malt up front with a citrusy hop profile, lightly yeasty , well balanced for a APA but lite on the bittreness . Light body with a clean , but slightly oily mouthfeel . A slightly hoppy peppery finish . Quite sessionable and a pretty good try .

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2009 21:59:12 | More by WakeandBake

supercolter

Minnesota

3.55/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A decent brew.
Appearance is rather lack luster, no real head or lacing.
Smell is pretty good with a bit of citrus and hops.
Taste is very similar to the smell, both seem a bit weak.
Mouthfeel is pretty good, some carbonation and light-medium in body.
Drinkability- this is a good summer relaxer.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2008 15:13:37 | More by supercolter

Wisconsinality

Wisconsin

3.55/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12oz can poured into SA perfect pint.

A- Pours a crystal clear golden yellow. A decent finger and a half worth of head that leaves no lacing on the side of the glass.

S- A nice bit of citrus hops balanced nicely with a good malt presence. Some grassy notes and a hint of sweetness.

T- The hops are not super strong but they give a nice little kick. Mostly citrus and some orange. A pretty good malt backbone that makes this a pretty balanced beer. A slight bready taste rounds this one out.

M- A little bit on the watery side, so lighter bodied but has a nice little hop bite and a bunch of carbonation that tickles the tongue.

D- I was able to test out the drinkability first hand this weekend at a Brewers game. This beer is great for a hot summers day and since it comes in cans, you can take them anywhere. Good flavor and a low ABV makes this a good tailgating beer.

Serving type: can

06-01-2010 03:15:02 | More by Wisconsinality

DeeMented

Wisconsin

3.58/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a glass beer mug.

The beer poured a clear, medium amber color with a thick white head. The head was slow to recede, and swirling produced a moderate amount of soapy-looking lacing.

The aroma was a very citrus, lemony smell with some underlying malts. There was also something vaguely flowery there, but I found the lemony smell was the strongest.

The mouthfeel was a little thin, almost to the point of feeling like a light beer.

The taste started vaguely sweet, but that was immediately lost to a minor hops presence. It finished with a taste that reminded me of eating orange rinds. The lemony flavor lasted for a while after the hops bitterness faded.

A decent summer beer. An easily drinkable, refreshing kind of beer, but I can see it disappointing the hop heads out there.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2009 02:31:06 | More by DeeMented

stakem

Pennsylvania

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

Poured from a can into a snifter, thank you Heath for the chance to try this. This brew appears a clear orange color with 2 fingers of stained head that looks a certain shade of orange about it as well. The head receeds leaving spotty lace about the glassware.

The aroma of this brew is a little sweet with a mixed scent of caramel-like malt and fruity/floral smelling hops. The more whiffs I take the more the malt starts to come across a bit toasted and the hops give way to a more spiced and almost peppery character.

Taking a sip, the hops pour across the tongue with a mild herbal bitterness that is spicey in a peppery sort of way just like the aroma indicated. The malt backing is pretty solid with a flavor of toasted malt that compliments the herbal character of the hops. Quite a dry finishing pale despite the lingering toasty flavor of the malt. As it warms some of that 5% abv starts to become noticeable and mingles well with the malt/hop combo.

This is a medium to light bodied brew with a modest level of carbonation. The toasty quality of the malt coupled with a spicey flavor of hops that I am not use to made for an interesting experience with this offering. Not bad.

Serving type: can

09-10-2010 01:29:17 | More by stakem

woosterbill

Connecticut

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

12oz bottle into a Duvel tulip.

A: A fairly rough pour results in two inches of tight, creamy tan head atop a clear, orange-amber body. Terrific, rocky retention and plenty of lace. Gorgeous beer.

S: Standard, solid pale ale aroma: even mixture of caramel malt and floral, piney hops. Light fruitiness (grapefruit pith, apple). Enjoyable, but less than memorable.

T: Starts out with toasty, toffee-tinged malt and then turns bitter as the hops take over. Not too much in the way of real hop flavor (maybe a bit of pine), but plenty of straight bitterness. Fairly easy-drinking, but, like the nose, forgettable.

M: Medium body with lots of carbonation that starts slightly prickly but ends up nice and creamy. Pretty good.

O: This is an enjoyable, bitter APA, but I won’t be going out of my way to get more of it. I wish there were more influence from late hop additions: it would be nice if there were some assertive hop aromas and flavors to go along with the balancing bitterness.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2011 23:30:25 | More by woosterbill

hellcatsjg

Virginia

3.6/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to JJ21 for the trade!

Appearance: Clear golden beer with a finger and a half of white head. Thin layer of foam lasts for most of the beer.

Smell: Light scent of mild hops and a faint malt aroma.

Taste: Crisp and clean. The taste is light hops along with a bit of malt, just like the nose. The hops have a nice earthy quality to them and leave a nice taste behind.

Mouthfeel: Light qualities all around. The taste does not overwhelm and leaves a bit of hoppiness after the swallow.

Drinkability: Quite drinkable due to the light qualities of the beer. This is the kind of beer that you could drink plenty of over an evening. While this beer does not stand out much, there is nothing wrong with it. Decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2008 03:17:25 | More by hellcatsjg

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.6/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I'm up late moving the sprinklers around.. Might as well have another brew.. This is another Capital Can picked up from Czoch75 in the Fight Club Project Mayhem BIF.. Thanks Clint for the beating... it was a good beating. :-)

Poured into my shaped SA glass.. Almost no real head atop a crystal clear orange brew.. a lite cap stick around for the entire glass.

Aroma is a lite mashup of spicy and even lighter citric hops.. some mild background caramel malts help..

Flavor mirrors the palate with a touch of toasty malt... but again it sorta seems limp... more malts than hops cover the mild American hops.. come on... I want more.. very drinkable.. but I want a bit more everything.

I would definitely pick this up if it was available.. but only for BBQ's and camping trips... I want more ...

3.5/3/3.5/3.5/4.5

Edit: Notes from back in July '07 show I had a flaccid APA back then too.. Capital is one of the Mecca's BA's should try and seek out.. but not for their ale's .. prove me wrong.. come on.. I dare you.. prove me wrong!!

Serving type: can

06-23-2009 09:06:32 | More by JohnGalt1

david131

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- An extremely clear light orange liquid with a sad, loose white head that leaves excellent lacing.

S- Toasted malts and grassy hops. There is a touch of fruitiness in there as well.

T- Same as the aroma with an earthy aspect to it as well. More bitter and sweet than the aroma led me to believe.

M- A nice amount of carbonation gives this a nice, crisp appeal.

D- A decent beer, but there are better options out there. The can option is nice, but I think I would rather go for a Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.

Serving type: can

08-20-2009 02:23:50 | More by david131

gmfessen

Michigan

3.6/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from the bottle into a pint glass, beer is a slightly hazy, pale golden color with a pillowy, frothy, off-white head. The nose is a mixture of malty notes - light caramel and subtle toasted malt - as well as hints of citric hops. The taste is similar with the toasty caramel malt taking center stage and the citrus hops playing backup. Pretty well balanced, starts out slightly malty sweet and finishes with just a touch of hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is on the light side and the carbonation while not aggressive, adds to the overall thickness of the brew. Overall a drinkable beer, sessionable for sure but not really memorable.

Serving type: bottle

12-20-2009 22:37:30 | More by gmfessen