Alpha Session - Drake's Brewing Co.

womencantsail

California

4.53/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On-tap at Beachwood

A: The pour is a light copperish color with a small white head and some sticky lacing.

S: Man, lots of really great hop aromas. Juicy citrus fruits like grapefruit, tangeringes, and oranges. There's a light pine aroma to it and some underlying bread/biscuit malt.

T: Such an intense flavor for a low gravity beer. An intensely fresh hop flavor of grapefruit and tangerine. Plenty of pine and citrus peel bitterness with just the slightest malt flavor.

M: The body is light with a lively carbonation that helps bring out the big hop flavors.

D: One of the best low gravity beers I've ever had. So easy to drink and amazingly flavorful.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2010 20:49:52 | More by womencantsail

UCLABrewN84

California

3.18/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bottled I brought to share at drewone’s tasting.

Pours a slightly murky honey yellow with a beige head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Small dots of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of citrus zest, grapefruit, and some slightly catty hop aromas. Taste is of malt and some earthy and citrus zest hop flavors. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty average beer with a better smell than taste in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 01:02:10 | More by UCLABrewN84

Halcyondays

California

3.85/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On-tap at Beachwood BBQ,

A: Pours a hazy gold, with a soft white head, some lace.

S: Citra and Simcoe so you know it's going to smell good. Lots of tropical fruit, mostly mango, some pineapple, guava.

T: Hop forward with a lot of bitterness. Some tropical fruit gets in there, but the carbonic acid is fighting in there too, which I don't really like to see.

M: Light-bodied, resinous/chewy hop character, interesting interplay.

D: Reminds me a lot of Humulus Session, with a raw hop flavour, low alcohol, but the malt is nowhere and allows the carbonic acid to be a major flavour unfortunately. If you're going to make these mini IPAs, I'd add a little more malt. They always smell great, but taste is where it counts.

Serving type: on-tap

12-23-2010 21:47:07 | More by Halcyondays

emerge077

Illinois

4.15/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Drake's Barrel House, cask pint at Beer revolution.
Review from written notes.

Bright gold with sharp clarity, on cask it was slightly hazy. Thin layer of white foam, visible carbonation rising.

Dank resiny hops, light sweet citrus, tangerine. Tropical flavors, citrusy orange and grapefruit, grassy and resiny, with some pale malt surfacing in the middle. Moderately bitter. Flavor dissipates quickly. Light bodied as an APA should be, a little thin and reminiscent of local favorites Daisy Cutter and Gumballhead as far as the 'light mouthfeel' to 'hop ratio' goes. Ample carbonation and certainly not watery. A tasty hop fix and sunny day quencher.

Serving type: cask

10-15-2011 03:09:13 | More by emerge077

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4.7/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Wheee!! Hit me with your best hops!! Wow. This is a what?? You can make a "pale ale" this flavorful at such a low abv? Good lord, man.

This is straight up hop juice. I mean, just put those hops in a tea bag and steep it in some water already. A blast in your mouth that, somehow, remains a step below obnoxious and overbearing. As it warms, it gets extremely pleasant and sublime. This is, by far, the greatest session ale I have had to date. And add on top of that it's a "pale ale." (If this is a pale ale, I'd be very interested in what an IPA would be like, by these standards.)"

I don't really feel like searching for adjectives on this one. I just want to end this review and get back to the half pint I have left of it.

This is an amazing beer. The intensity might make it a sipper for some, but overall, this is one that would be worth trekking many miles for. Give it a minute to settle down and just sip and enjoy. Unbelievably amazing. This is why the tickers tick and the beer nerds hunt; to find the ones like this.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2012 05:07:39 | More by RblWthACoz

Wasatch

Utah

4.23/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks goes out to Bitterbill for this brew.

22oz. Bomber

Pours a nice slighlty hazy golden yellow color, nice carbonation, little fizzy white head, with some minimal sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty, with a nice hop note, slight citrus/pine notes. The taste is very nice, slightly malty, very nice hop note, with some citrus and pine notes. Medium body, very nice bitter/dry finish. Over all this is a very tasty brew for under 4% ABV, especially the hop/bitter/citrus notes. Way to go Drake's. Thanks Bill for the chance to try this one out.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 19:23:14 | More by Wasatch

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

4.7/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very faint dark yellow at Father's Office, thin wispy head. Aroma was amazing, high, fresh hops, comes off even better given the bmc esque appearance from this one. Equal parts citrus and pine to it. Maybe a little more pine.

So much taste up in this beer, I'm really loving all of these uber hoppy yet relatively light beers. All the rage hops, citra, simcoe and amarillo probably. Talk about a hot weather hophead beer. Slightest amount of crystal/pale malt to this one

Between the Bruery's hoppy sessions, Jupiter, Stone and this one, there's a handful of phenomenal low abv hoppy beers out there now. Only thing lacking is when someone is going to actually bottle these to where they can become a little more accessible and mainstream every day type beers rather than the special occasion/once in a great while beers.

Serving type: on-tap

04-13-2011 17:01:48 | More by Beerandraiderfan

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.83/5  rDev -5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber purchased from Berkeley Bowl West in Berkeley, CA.

Pours an exceptionally clear yellow colour, with a forthy, large-bubbled head of white, that settles to an unassuming and relatively unappealing film. The body has a surprising weight to it given its exceptionally low ABV, and it's the only thing that makes me rate the appearance as other than extremely unappetising.

Ok, maybe the other thing is the aroma, which I snuck a sniff of beforehand anyway—it's wonderfully fresh, bright, fruity and hoppy, with the emphasis on the clean, crisp, bright West Coast resonance, along with a touch of something green, herbal and organic. It's perhaps only this which hints at its genesis in the English style. Many other things prove that this does not truly fulfill that style.

Taste is a lot weaker, but you probably expect that in a beer that is intentionally designed as a sessioner. Quite a clean, light, herbal hop fragrance through the centre, with some rosemary, pepper and leafiness, but with almost nothing underneath: perhaps just a moderated grain character that holds in in check, but doesn't really support the hop flavours. It's certainly sessionable, and far from unpleasant. Feel is smooth enough and suitable for what it is.

Pretty drinkable brew, with much to offer. This is not making a play for best beer in the world, but it sure is refreshing, clean, easy to drink and enjoyable. Very decent drop.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2012 05:09:50 | More by lacqueredmouse

HopHead84

California

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

8/5/2011

64oz growler poured into a snifter. Thanks to AP for this. 

A: Burnished honey gold with two fingers of froth. Lots of scattered lacing.

S: The hops are impressively aromatic, very bright with abundant citrus. The nose is of mango, orange, peach, grapefruit,  and a little pineapple. Very impressive. Very floral as well with  saltine cracker malt lingering beneath.

T: Orange, grapefruit, and tangerine, with a smooth low bitterness. Really nice hop flavor. Malt is light and biscuity. Smooth, crisp, clean, and hoppy finish.

M: Light body with upper medium carbonation. Dry, sticky, and crisp mouthfeel.

Overall: Delicious and insanely drinkable. Really good stuff.

Serving type: growler

08-06-2011 22:19:10 | More by HopHead84

mactrail

California

3.1/5  rDev -23.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Blonde ale with a brief flirtation of suds. Some hoppy aroma, an extremely light body, and a dissipating fizz.

Seems rather tasty for a couple of sips. Then the carbonation runs out and it tastes just bitter and a little metallic. Maybe it's meant to be served on tap, and drunk in a couple of chilling draughts.

I'm a Drake's fan, so I always try any new beer of theirs. I'm always happy to see low-alcohol beers with some flavor. However, I find it hard to call this any kind of English style, with the piney hops. More of an American Extra Pale Ale. I suppose it's not expensive as bombers go, but at $5.99 that would be over $18 a six pack, which seems extortionate for what it is.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 05:04:12 | More by mactrail

ccrida

Oregon

4.03/5  rDev -0.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

On draught at zeitgeist, Alpha Session is clear gold with a small white collar leraving no lace.

Smell is skunky, piny hops. Pretty dank.

Tatse is also all hops. As evidenced by the abv, there very little malt, a little cracker.

Mouthfeel is on the thin, light side. Dry.

Drinkability is good, which is the point. Hop fix without the strenght of an IPA. Well done.

Serving type: on-tap

08-02-2012 02:10:09 | More by ccrida

largadeer

California

4.5/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Draft at Gourmet Haus Staudt.

The body is light copper with golden highlights. It's topped by a frothy white head that leaves sheets of lacing; head retention is excellent.

The nose has a huge hop presence initially; pine, grapefruit and orange. There's a light biscuity malt character lending some balance.

There's an equally huge hop profile on the palate. Simcoe seems dominant, lending flavors of pine and grapefruit. For supposedly being hopped like a DIPA, this is very balanced. There's plenty of bitterness, but it never becomes astringent. Malt is barely noticed; surprisingly, it comes through more in the aroma. The beer is dry from start to finish, and supremely quaffable. Drake's can be hit or miss, but this is a very impressive offering.

Serving type: on-tap

11-30-2010 01:31:35 | More by largadeer

Bitterbill

Wyoming

4.48/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This pours a hazy light gold with a 1 finger head of foam and does well with the lacing.

The smell....well...the aromas have to be experienced to be believed. Huge hoppiness, noticed as soon as the cap came off. Grapefruit, tropical fruit, pine, it's a symphony of all things hoppy and could be the best smelling hop forward brew I've ever had. Wow!

Taste wise, the grapefruit and tropical fruitiness is up front followed closely by pine. I know there's malt in here but it doesn't make much of an impression on my palate. Not needed in this case, I think. It's drinking wonderfully.

The body is a bit thin though I expected that happening because of the very low abv this beer brings to the table. A small price to pay for such a delicious brew. This is outstanding, imho, and I'm glad I have more bottles to enjoy.

Thanks to G and Bine & Vine for the opportunity!

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2012 17:29:55 | More by Bitterbill

DefenCorps

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from Chris. Thanks, dogg! A 3.8% highly-hopped beer? Yes please.

Pouring a hazy orange with a dense, off-white head that recedes to a ring rapidly, I'd be lying if I said I'd never seen a nicer looking beer. The nose, though, is rather excellent. A big Simcoe-hop nose is present, fruity, pungent and refreshing with a blend of , tangerines, lemons, a little pine and some melon. A little bit of chalk is also present (also from the Simcoe, I think). The blend of Citra and Simcoe is enjoyable, with the CTZ adding the pungency. I *think* there's some Amarillo in there too. Hopped to this level,the malt is pretty much covered up. Excellent stuff.

The palate opens with a mild bitterness, a little grassy and vegetal but mostly grapefruit-rich. This is immediately followed by a big hop flavor with citrus (tangerines, oranges), a little pine, and that classic Simcoe blend of fruit,pine and pungency. The malt character is non-existent, with neither the Maris Otter nor the Crystal-45 noticeable. This, actually, is to the beer's detriment, as it leaves nothing linking the flavor hops and the medium-high carbonation. Rather crisp, the finish is clean, bitter and moderately fruity with grapefruit and pine. Light in body and despite being a little too carbonated for my palate, this does live up to its name. Given the low ABV, the overall score deserves an extra 0.5. Highly recommended, though this is most definitely NOT an English bitter and is closer to an American Bitter (think Bitter Brewer etc)

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 01:56:13 | More by DefenCorps

ngeunit1

California

4.47/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A - Served a clear golden-orange color with a thin finger of frothy white head. The head faded quite quickly leaving behind some decent lacing in the process.

S - Aroma is bursting with lots of bit citrus and pine hops. Lots of tropical fruits. There is also just a bit of sweet caramel malts.

T - The beer kicks off with lots of big citrus hop with lots of tropical fruits. There is some nice bitterness alongside. Through the middle, lots of piney hops join in alongside with more bitterness. There is some sweet caramel malts that come through alongside. The finish is full of lots of hops and bitterness that linger for quite some time.

M - The beer feels medium-light bodied with moderate carbonation. The beer feels smooth with a some strong dryness from all the hops.

D - Very drinkable. There is an amazing amount of hop flavor here for the relatively low abv level. One of the best session ales I have had in quite some time.

Serving type: on-tap

10-14-2011 04:42:21 | More by ngeunit1

ehammond1

California

4.08/5  rDev +1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bottle (2012)

Thanks for opening this with me, baybassboy!

Clear light amber and copper in color with a moderately sized light khaki colored head that eventually leaves irregular dots and spots of lacing down the glass. Very pretty and appropriate.

A full and complete aroma, especially for a pale ale of this (lack of) magnitude. There's good amounts of grapefruit and citrus zest present, some bread, and a hint of caramel. Very nice.

The flavor too is quite nice, and as the name suggests, this is incredibly drinkable. A nice balance of citrus, earth, pine, and sweetness combine for a remarkably easy drinking low-ABV pale ale.

Medium bodied with moderate to high carbonation. Crisp and disappearing.

!ADELAIDE!

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2012 15:40:43 | More by ehammond1

nickd717

California

4.22/5  rDev +4.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

On tap at Beachwood BBQ.

Pours a great clear golden color from the tap with a one finger white head.

Herbal and citrusy hop aroma along with a little bit of sweet pale malt.

The flavor is straight-up hop water for the most part...and I like it! Supposedly this is around 3% ABV, so it makes sense that it's not terribly malty. Just a touch of pale malt.

Rather light-bodied, making it really drinkable, and very crisp. A nice concept beer.

Not sure where to classify this, but I'd drink it again. Would be good on a hot day.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2011 19:12:48 | More by nickd717

flexabull

California

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

On tap at the Drakes Barrel House.

Pours a bright gold color with a pretty nice head.

Aromas are mostly hoppy, floral, resiny, and with some citrus. Mostly notes of oranges, lemons, and mangos. Very nice. There is also a doughy character too.

Taste is doughy, bready, slightly sweet and creamy up front. Beer finishes with lots of nice hop flavors, light bitterness, pine, resin, and some sharp grapefruit.

Mouthfeel is smooth, with plenty of body, but not heavy at all.

Overall, this is an excellent hoppy session beer. This would be a perfect beer to have a keg of for a summer party. This is tasty, yet super drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

10-24-2011 01:26:11 | More by flexabull

Arbitrator

California

3.33/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Chilled bottle into a glass. From notes.

A: Pours a golden-copper body. It looks similar to their IPAs, but with less head retention.

S: This reminds me of some cask ales I had in London; they seem to have nailed the aroma. Dry grains and crackers make up the malt backbone; hops show a decidely West Coast influence of pine and citrus.

T: Bread and toasted malt; they are taken over by pine and a mild citrus flavor. Solid, but nothing that blows me out of the water. I'd classify this as an American Pale Ale (due to the hops used) rather than an English Bitter, but that's probably a handwavy argument.

M: Light-bodied. This hides the alcohol well. Nice and refreshing.

O: What kills this beer for me is the price. We're conditioned to expect ingredients to cost more for higher-gravity beers; they should, therefore, cost less for lower-gravity beers. And if Hermitage can release a sour for $3 / bomber, Drake's can surely do better than the $7 they're asking for this. Count me out.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2012 07:23:43 | More by Arbitrator

Offa

California

3.53/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This is a fairly good bitter, unusually good character for an American beer at this low abv, but not up to great English bitters.

Gold, slightly hazy, it has a medium off-white head soon thinning to ring.

Aroma is grapefruit, peach, hay.

Taste is light mineral, grapefruit, bread dough, light juicy sweetness with balancing grapefruit-rind bitterness. Aftertaste is a little too bitter, but not heavily so.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2013 19:19:09 | More by Offa

DovaliHops

California

4.25/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a slightly hazy golden color with a medium white head that disappears quickly. Scent is straight up marijuana. Dank as hell. Fresh hop aromas with a lot of citrus. Taste is just as bitter and hoppy as I was hoping this little 3.8 beer could be. So crisp and refreshing with lovely hop and citrus flavors. Mouthfeel is light and crisp. Drinkability is very high. Overall, this a a fantastic session beer! It's amazing they can pack this much flavor into this beer. We need MORE beers like this!

Serving type: bottle

06-12-2012 05:34:53 | More by DovaliHops

beagle75

Iowa

4.23/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bomber into a tulip pint glass.

A: Clear, medium golden color with less than one finger of white foam head. Moderate lacing remains on the glass and scattered solitary bubbles rise in the column.

S: Mostly hops of moderate intensity for style; floral and mixed citrus qualities dominate, but some green plant stem is also detectable.

T: Begins dry, with distinct English malt that is bready, ashy, and intensely toasty. Early hop aromatics are herbaceous and slightly dank. While acidity is very mild into the middle, sharp minerality is distinctive. Hop flavors yield some spicy herbaceous notes before the mildly bitter finish that is most affected by some crisp and dry pale malt. Echoes of Nelson Sauvin hops linger late, giving the aftertaste a bright vinous tint.

M: Thin viscosity, wet ans slightly acidic on the palate, with brisk carbonation.

D/O: Drake's has been quietly generating a buzz about their hoppy pale ales over the last few years, but this beer's most remarkable feature is is its standout Marris Otter malt quality. It reminds of how the malt bills of Founder's pale ales frequently outdo their fine hop qualities. If it were categorized as an APA then it would get a 4 in taste, but as an American interpretation of an English bitter, it rates higher.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 20:45:03 | More by beagle75

axeman9182

New Jersey

2.85/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

22 oz bottle from afrokaze. It was poured into my Bruery tulip.

Alpha Session pours tangerine, lightening towards lemon yellow when properly backlit. Visibility through the glass is low. There's maybe a finger of white foam, and it doesn't do a ton in terms of either head retention or lacing. The nose has a strange, out of place sulfur-y aroma right out in front. I think there's a little bit of lightly citric tropical fruits appreciable as well, but sulfur is far and away in charge. Thankfully, it's much more faint in the flavor profile. There's no real malty flavor present to speak of, this one's 100% hops. The bitterness, while clocking in at just 50 IBUs, really jumps out thanks to the super light frame. There's both some pineapple and mango, and a bit of pine present in the finish. The body's very light, too light in fact for my taste, as it doesn't support or lay a foundation for the hops at all. The carbonation's nice and slightly lively though. I admire Drake's for taking a shot at brewing such a low alcohol hop bomb, but Alpha Session's light on malt to the point of tasting like straight hop juice to me, and that's not something I'm particularly looking for in a beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2012 04:57:40 | More by axeman9182

warriorsoul

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Toronado (SF) 8/4/11. Served in a standard pint glass.
Light golden in color with a full finger of bright white head...thin lacing.
Citrus aroma in the nose....very impressed with the fruity bouquet here.
Awesome flavor for such a low abv brew. Grapefruit citrus with a mild biscuit malt backbone. Blown away by how tasty this "session" offering can be.
Super clean in the finish, dry with the hops being well pronounced for a low gravity offering. Carbonation is perfect.
If I had access to this one year-round, I would never grow tired of it....just an incredible, highly quaff-able beer.

Serving type: on-tap

08-07-2011 16:44:39 | More by warriorsoul

pmarlowe

California

3.68/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Always glad to see some sessionable options out there. Tulip glass.

A: Pours a light straw color, clear like water, with a finger of air, almost yellowish head. Pretty good retention but almost no lacing.

S: Lots of nice, light hop flavor (juicy orange), biscuity and slightly nutty malt.

T: Similar, orange-y with dry malt and a long finish of mild bitterness.

M: Medium-high carbonation and medium-light body.

O: Decently drinkable, but I think limited by the bitterness, mild though it may be. It kind of drowns out what flavor there is. The citra is nice, though.

Serving type: bottle

06-02-2012 05:12:54 | More by pmarlowe