U.S. Pale Ale - Capital Brewery

scaliasux

Wisconsin

3.08/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Light amber. Just a little haze. Short ivory head with some persistence.

Smell - Pretty balanced for an APA. Pale malt and light grassy hops.

Taste - Light sweet malt followed by noticeable, but hardly overwhelming grassy hops. Lingering aftertaste. Pretty light and refreshing for an APA. Quite a bit less hoppy than most in this category.

Mouthfeel - A little watery, but smooth.

Overall - It's probably because so many IPAs and APAs overdo the hops, that this beer seems a little indistinguishable. But there it is - I probably won't think twice about this one. Generic name doesn't help.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2011 04:12:04 | More by scaliasux

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

Bubba83

California

2.78/5  rDev -18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Thanks Kegatron! Poured from a 12oz can into a tumbler at 45F.

Pours a nice chill hazed bright orange, I like how neon it is... Off-white two finger head with a kind of rough and tumble look to it. Good retention and good lacing.

A good deal of citrus is present in the aroma, mostly a lemony zing which has been missing from many of the hoppy beers I've had lately... I wonder which hops they're using. Some orange and grapefruit are here too, along with a bunch of caramel in back.

Taste starts off nice, with the citrus right up front with a zingy amount of lemon, lime, orange, and grapefruit all well in balance. Unfortunately after this pleasant profile abruptly ends, a gigantic caramel flavor washes over and finishes very buttery and astringent, almost like a butter rum lifesaver.

Mouthfeel is a little airy for me, it just feels like it isn't oily enough to me or something, and is slightly abrasive instead of soothing.

The session started off well enough until I put the beer into my mouth. It's not bad, but it's not too good either. Alcohol wasn't really present in any way but the astringent caramel and butteryness wore on me.

Serving type: can

09-22-2010 07:41:26 | More by Bubba83

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

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

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

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

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

Chugmonkey

Wisconsin

2.95/5  rDev -13.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pretty average run of the mill pale ale. Capital's website says they dryhop this one. I have tough time believeing that after tasting. Pretty skimpy on the hop flavor & aroma. I had high hopes but this beer is quite pedestrian.

Very smooth, drinkable, and refreshing which is typical of a good pale ale. Just not enough hop action to get excited about here.

Serving type: bottle

06-30-2008 21:39:14 | More by Chugmonkey

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

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

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

Ottertude

Kentucky

3.6/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

The bottle of U.S. Pale Ale poured a golden yellow into my pint glass with a 1/2 inch white head that left lots of lacing in my glass. I would have been more impressed with the looks of this if it were a lager. This seems to be too light of a color for a pale ale.

The smell was of citrus fruit and some caramel. the taste has some citrus hops and a bit of biscuity malt in the background for balance. All of the flavors, the hops in particular, are mild and mellow. Some of the right flavors are there, they aren't nearly as assertive as in most other pale ales that I have tried.

The mouthfeel was rather thin for a pale ale. Rather watery. Thaat being said, this ale is pretty easygoing and drinking a few of these would be no problem as long as I am in the mood for something that seems to be a cross between a pale ale and a lager. Those looking for hoppy pale ales need to look elsewhere.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2010 00:35:08 | More by Ottertude

patrick16o

Wisconsin

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

Little bit different label than the rest of the Capital beers. Kinda generic looking. 'Hops with an American accent' and 'Disarmingly drinkable." printed at the top corners. Twist off.

Pours a crystal clear light golden hue, almost resembles a pilsner. Solid two finger off-white crown. Quarter inch crown stays throughout the beer, though not a whole lot of lacing occurs.

Fresh earthy hoppyness and bit of bready malt in the aroma. However it fades rather quickly and by the time I finish noting the appearance, the aroma is hard to detect.

The flavor is by no means bold. There's a bit of really light hoppyness mixed in with some basic pale malt flavors. Some lingering bitterness down the tongue but a pretty straightforward balanced beer. Would like to get more flavor from an american pale ale than I'm getting from this. Fairly light body. They weren't kidding when they claimed 'Disarmingly drinkable'. Would be a decent session or lawnmower beer.

Just not a memorable beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2008 00:46:42 | More by patrick16o

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

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

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

tikibeer

Illinois

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

Pours a copper amber with very little head leaving a spotty lacing.

Aroma gives me a caramel malt mixed with a floral hop and a bit of spice.

Light body medium carbonation.

Taste is a mix of spice and hops. Malts are well balanced and give it a bit of sweetness.

Overall a nice beer with some character. Very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 23:41:22 | More by tikibeer

shlub

Minnesota

2.45/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12oz screw cap bottle into an Imperial pint glass. Poured aggressively, resulting in a 1 finger head of foam. Clear and yellow/amber in color, it had several streams of bubbles rising to the surface. Initial smell had a slight fruitiness to it with not much flavor at 1st. Becomes more bitter at the end with little hop to it. It was a little thin and could some more malt. Ok overall, I wouldn't seek it out or turn it down.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2008 21:39:36 | More by shlub