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

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

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.7/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Reviewed from notes.

Clear golden amber, one finger of retreating head without lacing. Has a nicely composed nose of orange peel and pine resin framing a nice biscuit / caramel malt aroma. Flavor follows the nose almost exactly, with the main difference being a stronger emphasis on the floral / noble spectrum of hopping with the pine resin coming up and saying hello on the crisp finish. Medium body, sparkling carbonation. Overall, a pleasant PA.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 20:52:57 | More by WastingFreetime

Mdog

Minnesota

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

Appearance: Gold, small head.

Smell: Light citrus and a little grass.

Taste: Moderate sweetness and some earthy tea-like bitterness. Seems more like an English pale than an American pale.

Drinkability: Since I've seen it in cans, seems to be a stepping stone beer for macro drinkers.

A thoroughly average pale ale, I think it is closer to an English pale ale due to non-citrus hops. Maybe a step above the macros, a little more taste but nothing too outrageous for tentative drinkers taking those first steps away from BMC.

Serving type: bottle

07-13-2008 16:33:38 | More by Mdog

MattyG85

Minnesota

3.95/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a Sam Adams "Perfect Pint" glass.

Appearance: Pours a bright and clear copper amber orange. Lots of rising bubbles and a solid three fingers of off white head with good retention. Leaves a lot of lacing sticking to the glass.

Smell: A fairly sweet aroma with some fruity citrus esters and malts. Hops upfront with some good hints of orange, grapefruit, tangerine, lemon, and a slight hint of papaya. Also some herbal and piney hops. Mixed in is a quite noticeable malt balance with hints of bready biscuit, caramel, toffee, yeast, and crackers. A solid balance of hops and malts in the nose.

Taste: Like the aroma indicates, a balanced mix of citrus and earthy hops with sweet bready malts. Starts out with some herbal, earthy hops and citrus esters with notes of grapefruit, orange, lemon, tangerine, and a little bit of apricot and papaya. A strong malt balance comes in with notes of bready biscuit, yeast, caramel, toffee, and cracker. A nicely balanced and solid taste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Creamy, crisp, and pretty smooth.

Overall: A pretty solid take on a American Pale Ale. Nice hop kick up front with a solid malt backbone. Its what you expect from the style.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2012 05:33:48 | More by MattyG85

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

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -10.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From: Friar Tuck in Savoy, IL
Date: "021112A12124" stamped on bottle
Glass: Tulip

Capital's Pale Ale seems to harken back to earlier days in the microbrew industry, when pale ales were fairly well-balanced affairs between malt and hops, each expressing themselves without dominating the other. While a return to this style is refreshing, it's not as deep, complex, or expressive as the style has become.

Pours a 2cm, off-white head of very small bubbles that are dense and compact atop the beer. Retention is very good, lasting several minutes before the head reduces to a thin cap atop the body, leaving substantial streaks and blotches of lacing while doing so. Body is a deep caramel brown color with modest orange highlights, light brightening up the tones significantly and revealing quite a bit of burnt orange-yellow color. Carbonation is visible through the transparent body, both in the center and along the sides of the glass.

Aroma is primarily of pale, toasted, and toffee-like malts, with some fruity esters reminiscent of pear or fruit cocktail syrup; very little hop character is noticeable, which is almost shocking these days for a "US pale ale."

Very modest fruit esters alongside some pale, toasted, and toffee-like malts, a bit of mineral character, and mild, fairly indistinct hop bitterness. Aftertaste is pleasant, a mix of mild hop bitterness, fruity esters, and pale malts.

Beer is medium to medium-light in body, with mid-level carbonation that foams this up slightly on the palate, resulting in a slightly creamy, but still smooth overall mouthfeel. Finish is mostly dry.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2012 01:54:30 | More by falloutsnow

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

cdkrenz

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Golden orange color with a quarter inch of pale tan head. Nice lacing too.

S - The scent is hoppy and sweet.

T - Smooth hop flavor. Not too bitter but it is a little sweet. It has a citrus characteristic to it that makes it pretty unique.

M - The feel is smooth on the tongue and coarse on the roof of my mouth. The hop after-taste can actually be felt on the back of my throat.

~ Sitting at the bar in The Bar in Wausau/Schofield, Wisconsin's Cedar Creek District. I ordered a Capital Pale Ale and the tender informed me I was the first one to order it. I'm glad I did. I'll order a few more if I don't mind.

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2008 01:37:39 | More by cdkrenz

botham

Illinois

3.88/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a Sam Adams ultimate beer glass. pours a light amber color with a single finger of white head.

aroma is mildly hoppy, with notes of light citrus, with a coniferous character from the aromatic hops. a touch of caramel malt is also present, but still ancillary to the hops.

taste is mildly sweet up front, with a mildly fruity character, with notes of cirtus and grape. towards the back of the palate, the hops are moderate with a smooth finish and dry aftertaste.

mouthfeel is medium-light bodied with a mild bite from CO2, and a smooth finish. aftertaste is dry and bitter, with lingering hops.

drinkability is good. though hoppy, this brew does not overpower the palate and remains refreshing. it walks that fine line between too hoppy and too weak, but does it gracefully. well done by Capital. cheers!

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2008 02:21:52 | More by botham

warnerry

Michigan

3.05/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

No bottle date. And a twist-off, like going back in time...

A - Pours a semi-hazy light copper with a lot of fine suspended material and one finger of off-white head. Head dissipated quickly, but leaves some spotty lacing.

S - Smell is slightly floral and quite bitter. Decent biscuit malt presence. Quite subtle overall.

T - More malt in the taste than the smell, again quite biscuity. Mild hop bitterness and a floral aftertaste. Decent.

M - Medium mouthfeel with good carbonation and a pleasantly bitter finish. A bit watery.

O - Not sure if this was an old bottle, but it seemed a bit dead. Not offensive in any way, just not much going on. Considering the numerous very good APAs available, I can't see coming back to this one.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2012 00:11:53 | More by warnerry

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

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

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

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

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

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

wheatyweiss

Wisconsin

3.85/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle to a standard pint.

Appearance is a dark straw, like honey. Two finger bubbly head leaving sticky lace.

Smell is grassy hops. Piney and citrusy at the same time.

Taste is sweet tea, nice hop bitterness on the finish. More sweet tea, herbal green flavor. Not much for malt.

Mouthfeel is crisp with nice carbonation. Slightly creamy with a smooth character.

Drinkability is good. This would make a nice session beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2008 03:24:00 | More by wheatyweiss

Atron67

Wisconsin

4/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A- gave a pretty good looking golden color with sticky white head that didnt build up much but was sticky and left marks on the glass.

S-a nice hoppy scent, pretty floral, not much malt scents to note

T- pretty solid pale ale, a light clean malt flavor turning into a solid hopiness that is pretty good, finishes with a solid clean crisp feel that fits great

M- medium light body with a clean crisp finish

D- a solid example of a pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2008 22:43:22 | More by Atron67

deereless

Colorado

3.13/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: Light amber in color, minor spotting along the interior of the glass, medium head with decent retention - 3.50, S: Soft bubble gum nose - similar to Hubba Bubba with a mild citrus perhaps a tangerine aroma, malts provide a light toastiness to the smell - 3.75, T: Mild but noticeable hop bite, very slight grapefruit flavors, some clean malt flavors, pretty standard APA - 3.00, M: Light bodied and kind of thin mouth feel - 2.75, D: A basic APA that would benefit from an additional dose of hops, quite drinkable but doesn't really stand out - 3.00

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2010 00:38:01 | More by deereless

TheQuietMan22

Iowa

3.33/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Serving type: 12-ounce bottle. There is a batch code printed on the neck but no freshness date.

Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is half copper, half straw; it is light amber, basically. Two fingers of eggshell-colored head dissipated quickly to leave a thin lacing and ring around the edge.

Smell: A semi-sweet mixture of pale and lightly toasted malts. There is a lot of sweet caramel and a little cocoa. There may also be some adjunct grain in there, too, as well as a little grapefruit or tangerine citrus. It is definitely not a bombastic, hop bomb.

Taste: It is a weak and even balance between the sweet/pale malts and the hops I was expecting from the smell. Caramel and light grapefruit/tangerine citrus. It leaves a light, bitter aftertaste coating the mouth after each sip. As it continues to warm, though, the hops become much more prominent and drastically change my opinion of the beer.

Drinkability: It is a decent little brew. It is not big or bombastic, but adequate.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2012 04:16:52 | More by TheQuietMan22

sweethome

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at the tasting room. Described as a midest pale ale - not really an APA because it is not as aggressive - more of an easy drinking pale ale. It fits that description very well.

Very light golden color - clean. Light head.

Fruity citrus nose - rather aggressive. Very light entry - crisp. Hop flavor builds - then holds steady. Nice bitter finish - cleans out the palate very well. A great summer beer - perfect for the beer garden in Middleton!!

Serving type: on-tap

06-22-2007 02:15:54 | More by sweethome

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

uwmgdman

Wisconsin

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

The beer pours a brilliantly golden/light copper color with a thin, but persistent white head. The aroma is moderately hoppy, citrus hops and there is low grainy maltiness in the background. The flavor is moderately hoppy, again citrus with moderate hop bitterness. There is a hint of malty grain flavor in the background. The finish is very clean, a bit too clean with just a little hop lingering in the mouth. The carbonation is moderate-high and body medium-thin. Overall the beer was well made, but lacks malt character and/or complexity. I’d buy any other Capital before this one and if I wanted a Pale Ale, I’d by better ones out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2007 02:58:31 | More by uwmgdman

brewdoc75

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I've been excited about finding good craft beers in cans since I've been drinking Surly. I saw a 12 pack of Capital Brewery's Pale Ale and had to try it.

Pours a light, orangish-yellow color w/ a crisp, lively head. The head dwindles down almost immediately. This brew has quite lively carbonation. The aroma is ok. There is some nice, citrusy hoppiness followed by a slight malty sweetness. It smells as light as it looks. The taste is good, but not great. A good solid hoppy presence initially, but it dies down fast. There are hops here, but just not that much. It is quite non-abrasive in its flavors. There are hops, there are malts, just not enough of em. Its kind of boring. The mouthfeel is good w/ a nice crispness. There is a bit more carbonation than I'd like though.

Overall this is a pretty average beer. It fails to take a chance and stand out from the crowd. Perhaps this is why it is so drinkable. It is kind of like a "Pale Ale Light." Its non-abrasive attitude makes it quite drinkable. Quite possibly one of my new favorite "Lawnmower" beers. If you want something for a hot day to quench your thirst, this is it. If you want a knock your socks off, craft brew, this isn't.

Serving type: can

06-11-2008 00:50:22 | More by brewdoc75