U.S. Pale Ale - Capital Brewery

association330

Michigan

2.83/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. bottle, no freshness date

A - Slightly hazy medium-gold. A hard pour forms a fleeting half-finger of eggshell head. Lace starts to form, but is pretty much stillborn after a few sips.

S - Vague hops that lean citrusy. Bare hint of dried apricot. Severely toned down.

T - Terse citrus hop note with a bit of watered down malt. Bitterness in the swallow hardly even qualifies as modest. Finishes dry, with ghostlike dried apricot.

M - Leans watery, with moderate carbonation.

D - A generic, lawnmower "pale ale" that is obviously aimed at converting the Leinenkugel's crowd. Palatable, but not something I would seek out again unless it was cheap.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2010 06:15:35 | More by association330

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

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

The beer pours an amber tinged golden hue with a wispy head and decent retention. Fruit, apricot among others, in the nose along with a distinct citrus character from the hops.

A strong presence of the fruit in the flavor. There is nothing special about, it just happens to be there. The fruit pervades the entire experience, leaving an overall sweetness. Toward the end, citrus from the hops begins to mix in.

This beer is a bit rough around the edges. I would like to see less apricot in the malt, and a little boost to hops.

Serving type: bottle

02-15-2010 00:52:47 | More by BeardedBoffin

Metalmonk

North Carolina

2.95/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Thanks for mnwags for hookin' a brutha up!

Big bountiful head, bone-white and holding steady while lots of bubbles rush to it. Lace clings like sea foam to the sides. Color is sunny copper. It's nice and looks the part.

Aroma features hops that lean very much on the fruity side, some citrus zest but also apple and a distinct peach smell. Almost like Magic Hat's #9 in the nose. Not a lot of malt backup detected on the sniff, just a mild doughy scent, like shortbread.

Flavor is simplicity incarnate: fruity hops; kiss of doughy malt; light mineral flash. Adequate hop bitterness in the finish, nothing blaring or over-the-top. There's nothing at all wrong with simplicity of course--this just doesn't impress and I can't find much more to say about the flavor.

Mouthfeel is about as ho-hum as the flavor. Remarkably thin, bordering on watery. Not even the ample carbonation can save it.

I had Capital's Autumnal Fire on tap at Chicago's Map Room a couple years back and it was exceptional. This is not. It's not even "disarmingly drinkable," as the label claims, as it falls short where it matters most (taste/flavor). Here's another label claim: "Hops with an American accent." That would be a neutral midwest accent (I can say that, I'm from the midwest and have a neutral accent). Yet another label claim: "America's #1 Rated Brewery," which begs the question "Rated by Whom?" Of course, I would jump at any chance to have their Autumnal Fire again.

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2010 23:49:07 | More by Metalmonk

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

Pedro07

Michigan

2.55/5  rDev -25%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Saw this can at Siciliano's and thought I'd give it a go.

A- Lighter, clear straw color. White head rises to about a 1/2 inch and then dissipates instantly. This beer almost looks like a lager.

S- The head dissapeared so fast I barely got my nose in there before it was gone. I don't get a lot, a little breadiness and a small hop tone.
Kinda sad after having a few aromatic pale's lately.

T- The taste is a little off. The beer is very underwhelming. I get a small amount of hop with a light biscuity taste. *Sigh* Capital, my first introduction isn't so nice. It tastes like something AB would make. There is only the slightest bite.

M- Very smooth, very drinkable, very...unremarkable. On the can it says "Disarmingly drinkable", and it tastes like they are trying to be the Bud Light of pale ales.

D- Yeah, you could have a few of these and not know any better.

Capital, I am so sorry. I will have to give this one another go. I heard great things and I think I got a bad can, so my score will reflect that until I taste better.

Serving type: can

11-03-2009 02:39:19 | More by Pedro07

bruachan

Rhode Island

3.03/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

my first capital brew (well...had the rest of the six pack the other night). i realize that i haven't consumed an APA in awhile, so i am fearful that my standards thereof might have been skewed by heartier drink

very light in color--amber-hued gold--with HUGE bubbles (never seen 'em like this) that reinforce a strong head

cascade aromas with a touch of sweetness

really not all that flavorful. water and hop, with a touch of malt. bitterness is shortlived. mouthfeel is ok

a somewhat average APA

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2009 03:54:06 | More by bruachan

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

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

Tone

Missouri

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

Pours a clear, golden/copper color. 1/2 inch head of a white color. Good retention and good lacing. Smells of hop, pale malt, and pine. Fits the style of an American Pale Ale. Mouth feel is smooth and crisp with an average carbonation level. Tastes of hops, pine, and slight sweet malt. Overall, a decent brew with a decent aroma, but slightly watery mouth feel.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2009 05:38:17 | More by Tone

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

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

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

mcdevster

Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I was excited to find a new pale ale to try.. and from Wisconsin to boot..
I poured the 12 oz can into a pint glass..
it smelled fairly promising maybe a little light.. slightly citrus, indicating that hops were indeed present.. the first sip was reassuring.. not bad very good feel and not bad taste.. but as I continued to drink it it just tasted more and more flat to me.. it tasted kind of unbalanced.. with some caramel syrup like flavors against a not so robust hop background. Something just tastes a little bit off with this beer- i wish it was a little more crisp.. its like a watered down hop taste to me.. I find it good but dissapointing.. I would drink it if I had no other option.. but I am not excited by it.

Serving type: can

07-10-2009 04:34:44 | More by mcdevster

jsh420

Illinois

3.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

pours a clear bright golden orange with a 2 finger white head that leaves no lacing

smell is of very spicy hops and some sweet malts

taste is much of the same peppery spicy hops and sweet carmel malts on the end - a very different apa then most - reminds me of some anderson valley beers

mouthfeel is light with good carbonation with a very dry finish

drinkability is good and it breaks from normal APA flavors which makes me wish i had more then just this single bottle

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2009 02:53:48 | More by jsh420

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

Florida9

Illinois

3.1/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Pours a golden straw color. about a 1/2 inch of foamy head with a little bit of lacing.

S: Not a whole lot going on here. Some malts and some hops, but very nondescript.

T: Seltzer water, biscuity malts on the front with a respectable amount of bittering hops on the rear end.

M: Light bodied with medium carbonation. Off-dry. Cleansing.

D: The bottle indicates this beer is "Disarmingly Drinkable" and I would have to agree. This is a session beer all the way. Really just doesn't have all that much character, but there is enough flavor to prevent the beer from being boring.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2009 01:37:56 | More by Florida9

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

zeff80

Missouri

3.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, bubbly, light orange color with a small, white, fizzy head. Not much in terms of lace.

S - It smelled very citrusy (lots of orange peel). Also, floral notes with hints of caramel.

T - It tasted of citrus and sweet caramel malts. It had a crisp, bitter hop kick.

M - It was crisp and sharp. A medium bodied beer.

D - This is a pretty tasty APA. It didn't have a great look, but it certainly delivered with good aromas and flavor. The relatively low marks it receives here was a surprise to me.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2009 01:31:31 | More by zeff80

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle from Four Firkins. It's always nice to try new sessions ales and this doesn't disappoint. It's not terribly complex, but there's a tasty biscuit and bread note followed by clean grapefruit and lemon hops. This is a tasty and balanced beer, a fine session ale.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2008 02:46:43 | More by tempest

pmcadamis

Illinois

2.35/5  rDev -30.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

A - Clear light bronze with no trace of haze or opacity. This stuff is like looking through a pair of BluBlockers. The head is about a finger and a half of thick white foam that drops quickly to a cap. Some soapy lace sloshes up on the glass but fails to stick around.

S - Thin pine cone hops have a bit of a Christmas tree aroma, and some salty cracker malts make up the other half of the nose. Nothing special here.

T - Bristling piny hops are the star of the show, but fail to do a good job of kicking any real ass. Salt and mineral notes in there are really not helping things along. This is tinny tasting and under-assertive.

M - Thin and under-carbonated. The neutral finish is far from hoppy or dry, and any memory of what this tasted like is gone from my memory as soon as I swallow.

D - This is sort of like a pale ale lite. Anemic, limp wristed hops flail over a thin base of saltine crackers. I would have guesses that this was a German pils in a blind taste test, and it might have garnered a slightly higher score if it was advertised as such. Boring, but might entice some BMC people to try something other than pale lagers.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2008 15:51:25 | More by pmcadamis

Rennpferd

Wisconsin

3.73/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It poured yellow and clear with some nice activity. It had thick two inch white head that slowly retreated back down to the beer into a light lacing.

A well balanced scent of malt and hops. Light yet detectible.

Very hoppy taste. The hop flavor is leaning more towards the IPA/D IPA range in flavor. A slight taste of malt in the backend. It is smooth and lite bodied.

It's very drinkable. I like it. I could drink two or three in a sitting if I wanted.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2008 01:21:57 | More by Rennpferd

KarlHungus

Minnesota

2.4/5  rDev -29.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

This beer pours a clear, watery gold color. The head is half an inch in height, and recedes quickly into sparse lacing. The aroma has some grapefruit in it, but it is very faint. The taste is like the aroma, watery grapefruit. The mouthfeel is thin, and watery. Overall, this is one of the worst APA I have yet tasted. It is thin and watery in all dimensions. I will not drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2008 21:01:00 | More by KarlHungus

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

kmeves

Wisconsin

3.28/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light amber with a small off white head. Aroma is lightly sweet candy, citrus and light floral. Flavor is light citrus hops and faint caramel malt. Light bodied, sticky mouthfeel. Finishes abruptly and bitter. Capital is really known more for its ales.

Serving type: bottle

08-27-2008 18:38:44 | More by kmeves

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