New River Pale Ale - Old Dominion Brewing Company

beerguy101

California

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Medium gold color. Large foamy head. Aroma is fruity, slightly sweet and grapefruity hops. A medium bodied American Pale Ale. Malts are fruity and sweet. Hops are grapefruity and citrusy. Nicely balanced. The malts and hops compliment, not compete with each other in this beer. A very nice example of an American Pale Ale. I wish more breweries would make beer like this, Smooth taste and finish. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is clean and smooth. Aftertaste is slightly bitter.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2004 03:38:57 | More by beerguy101

SmellsofMahagony

Texas

4/5  rDev +0.3%

05-18-2013 02:52:30 | More by SmellsofMahagony

cliff1066

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -12.3%

12-24-2012 04:23:57 | More by cliff1066

gilbert

4/5  rDev +0.3%

03-11-2012 20:20:09 | More by gilbert

Pencible

Virginia

2.5/5  rDev -37.3%

02-02-2012 22:00:04 | More by Pencible

brandoman63

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev -6%

11-28-2011 20:19:19 | More by brandoman63

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A 12 oz bottle with a bottled on date of 102507.

A: The ale is a crisp amber color, light enough to be translucent. The ale does the translucence angle quite nicely, a very pretty ale to look at. A three finger head blanketed the ale, leaving extensive lacing in its wake.

S: The aroma has lsot its hops, leaving only caramel malts to be detected and even they are showing a lot of age.

T: The nose was a little lackluster but the taste works. Caramel and butterscotch duel for attention, both grainy and full. Some citrus hops linger in the background but this is a nice malty pale ale.

M: A combination of caramel and butterscotch works where you think that it wouldn't. Even the dearth of hops is alright.

D: A very drinkable pale ale that isn't afraid to fire on the all-malt cylinders.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2009 02:30:39 | More by akorsak

ClockworkOrange

Pennsylvania

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Another beer from chaz's mixed case. Thanks. Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a standard shaker glass, the ale appears a clear copper color with about a finger of quickly fading foam. Aromas and flavors are slightly fruity, a bit of floral hops, bitter, mild sweetness, caramel, a bit of citrus. About medium bodied and amply carbonated. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2009 04:16:07 | More by ClockworkOrange

Slatetank

Pennsylvania

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

I enjoyed this beer chilled in a Boddington's pub glass.

A - A hazy light amber w/ slowly receding 1/2 inch ecru cap that smears that glass with great lace and visible carbontion is noted rising in columns to the surface

S - A very fruit hop nose w/ citrus and yeast esters that almost have an apple aroma. There is lots of light malt and slight tropical hints

M - The feel is fruity faintly tannic, mildly carbonated for the style w/ slight sweetness and a dry finish

T - An english yeast flavor with subtle dry malt flavors and a sweet citrus taste from amarillo and cascade hops as stated on the package. The malt is slightly toasted w/ a mild creamy sweetness and slightly woody crystal malt taste.

D - A very good pale, I found the hops and malt very tasty. I could see this as a go-to pale, very drinkable

Serving type: bottle

02-05-2009 16:36:39 | More by Slatetank

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

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

Acquired via trade from dsigmon courtesy of the Ugly Ducking BIF, so a big "Thank You" goes out to him. Poured from a 12oz. bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep amber color, with a large off-white head that fades very slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of caramelized malts, pale hops and some citrus.

T: The taste is well-balanced with sweet flavors of caramel & citrus, a decent floral hops bitterness and a hearty malt character. The hops flavor gets a little bit stronger as you continue to drink it, but not enough to dominate. The after-taste is slightly hoppy and slightly sweet. There's nothing outstanding but it's quite solid.

M: Crisp and smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is a nice beer to drink a lot of as it's flavorful but doesn't try to knock you over.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2008 02:52:54 | More by TheManiacalOne

brentk56

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: Pours an almost cloudy amber color with a huge head that retains so well I cannot tell if there is lacing

Smell: Somewhat citrusy, with an underpinning of toffee

Taste: Opens with an extremely well-balanced profile between the citrus and the caramel; the flavors heighten a bit after the swallow, but the balance remains its distinguishing characteristic

Mouthfeel: Just a bit too much carbonation, but otherwise medium bodied

Drinkability: I'll miss this fine pale ale - my last bottle and it's 9 months old but still drinking nicely

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2008 01:06:13 | More by brentk56

Minkybut

Virginia

3.8/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I poured this new brew into my tumbler at 50 degrees. The beer was not pale as I expected from the label but was a nice amber color with a nice blond head. The beer smelled hoppy so I was afrain I had a hop bomb. However that was not the case. the beer was a nice blend I thought of sweet and bitter. Very interesting brew. i will buy again.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2008 14:26:30 | More by Minkybut

boston2bburg

Virginia

3.95/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

An old standby here in SW VA that I heard was on it's way out. Figured I'd pick up what might be my last 6 pack of one of the best beers brewed in Virgina.

Big old pillowy white head that sticks in clumps and lingers awhile. Hazy straw-amber body.

Aroma is all kinds of hops, herbal, citrusy, earthy, floral. Also a lesser amount of crystal malts, caramel and toffee in the nose.

Piercing yet flavorful bitterness, yet balanced with lots of body. The Columbus, Amarillo, and Cascade all contribute noticeably; grassy citrus, herbal, and floral notes abound. Minerals and salt also prevalent on aftertaste. Could be a bit smoother, but still sits lightly and is very easy to drink (for hopheads). By all means, get some if you still can.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2008 03:01:52 | More by boston2bburg

JohnGalt1

Idaho

4.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12 oz received as an extra from dsigmon ... Thanks a bunch .. poured into my New Belgium snifter.

2 finger head takes a while to die back.. nice lacing.. slightly hazy coppery lite amber.

Toasted malts and citrus/floral hops play very nicely together... not alot of yeasty esters .. but a touch could easily be mistaken for the nice hop aromas.

Flavor is a very balanced bitter and pale malt in the front that quickly gives way to floral hop flavor with a nice rip of grapefruit. Medium body with lower than expected carbonation .. but that doesn't detract .. actually adds well to the drinkability .. I am only half way done and already want another.

Cheers, I've had nothing but good luck with previous Old Dominion brews and this is no exception ... I can't wait to try the Millenium... Thanks again Brock... Exceptional trader.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2008 07:13:45 | More by JohnGalt1

rallison

California

4.1/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a very nice looking reddish amber. Appearance is slightly hazy. 1/2 finger white head that mostly dies but leaves some nice lacing.

Smells of slightly juicy hops with touches of sweetness back there. Mellow, but nice for a lower ABV APA.

The taste is solid. Hops provide a slight juiciness with a respectable level of lingering bitterness. The malt profile is subdued, but adds a very nice caramel sweetness with some bready notes. Relatively fruity. Good all around balance. All the flavors here are both mellow but nicely defined.

Mouthfeel is well done. Medium carbonation lets this drink easily without obscuring the flavors.

Very good drinkability.

Recommended. A good, solid, sessionable APA.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2008 10:23:54 | More by rallison

FenwaySquid

Virginia

4.05/5  rDev +1.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12 oz. brown bottle, bottling date of 5/1/07 printed on the label, poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: poured a hazy burnt orange color, lots of setiment floating inside amongst the carbonation bubbles rising. The head initially filled half the glass (slightly overcarbonated after sitting for so long) before settling into a nice and creamy 1 finger.

Aroma: Floral and piney hops.

Taste: It held up pretty well for sitting on a store shelf for all these months. Floral and spicy hops dominate throughout while the malts remain in the background. Nice balance. The finish is a conbination of the two, with the hops lingering.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, crisp and smooth, almost creamy at times. The carbonation was rather lively and balanced out well.

Overall: I'm sorry to be seeing this one go. Word is the contract between New River and their current brewery will no be renewed. Okay, enough about that, how about the beer? The carbonation on the bottles I've got is so high that I could barely twist the cap off without using a bottle opener. If I see any I'll try and grab one or two that are more recent. Still, this is a nice American IPA for hopheads, and anyone else too. Get it while you can.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2008 00:21:21 | More by FenwaySquid

pacothrash

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I have been saving a few of these since they might be gone for good. This one was a little past the date but still very nice. Poured a clear orangish amber color with a nice 1" head. The floral hops and orange and fruity aroma was very nice. I have enjoyed getting this beer on draft at Old Dominion for years and am sad that I will no longer be able to get this beer when I return to Northern VA.

Serving type: bottle

02-12-2008 14:37:26 | More by pacothrash

dickroop

Maryland

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This brew was hazy and light-honey colored, with a big 1+ finger head that had excellent retention, some lacing. A good start. The nose was very promising, a kind of earthy hoppiness that seemed to have some phenolic overtones, but good.

The taste come on with a quick hop ambush, little sweetness, a respectable mid-palate hop bouquet, and a fade to a gentle bitter finish. The hop flavor was perplexing and reminded me of traditional English hop varieties, but I couldn't call it floral, piney, citrus, or anything. Maybe a little earthy or nutty. But overall good.

Mouthfeel was bitey due to aggressive carbonation. It was interesting and OK. After that is was light-to-medium body and pretty good. Overall, drinkability was good. I'd go for more of this if I could get it. It's contract brewed by Old Dominion, and they have a slightly erratic reputation, but this offering had some authenticity if a lot of gas!

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 20:36:14 | More by dickroop

Durge

Connecticut

3.1/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A hazey amber color brew with a nice white head and good lacing. The aroma is of floral hops but it is a bit too sweet and perfumey for my taste. The flavor follows suit with a very sweet rhubarb quality and citrus overtones. The hops keeps knocking but the perfumey domination is disconcerting. Kind of wierd unless maybe this bottle is just a bad one, or has sat for too long. The store owner told me it was probably the best of all his local micros so I assume he moves this a bit and it should be fresh. The carbonation was lively. It was refreshing. Tangy with noted alcohol presence in the finish but just too flowery for me to recommend this highly. Might be worth trying due to its unique qualities.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2007 03:46:55 | More by Durge

russpowell

Oklahoma

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

Had this in late July 07, Brewed 05-21-06, still held up well, made me wonder how good this is fresh???

Poured amber/peach tea colored with 3 fingers of sand colored head. Good lacing & above average head retention

S: Intense biscuitty malt & lemony hops

T: Biscuitty malt & citric hops up front. Hop tea with the emphasis on lemony hops follows as this warms. Finishes with earthy hops & dryness

MF: Medium-bodied with low carbonation & really nice balance

Drank great, maybe a tad too hoppy to session on all night, but worth a try

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2007 21:37:29 | More by russpowell

claytri

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beer poured an old gold with a brilliant white head. The aroma was of floral hops and malt. The taste was of malt infused with floral hops. The feel was medium and dry. A very nice pale ale with plenty of floral hops and a good crisp finish. It would make a good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2007 01:13:32 | More by claytri

plaid75

New York

3.93/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a murky medium copper hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was decent retention and lacing.

The smell featured a light resiny hop and a husky grain.

The taste was subtle as well and consisted of a sweet orange, some pepper and a clean malt. There was a candy corn type aftertaste.

The mouthfeel was on the thin side with a clean, dry finish.

Overall a tasty and highly drinkable APA. Could use some more body however.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2007 02:37:08 | More by plaid75

giblet

Ohio

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

me likes me likes. this is a pretty darn good Pale. decent color with nice head. the smell is hoppy and that makes me hoppy! since Pale is my favorite this one is very pleasing. good taste nice hops there too. could be a lil bit more balanced but it was good.

if you are a lover of Pales this is a very good choice!

suckem up and movem out!

giblet

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2007 11:10:33 | More by giblet

DrinkinBoy

Georgia

3.55/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

New River poured a light amber color, and it was not perfectly transparent.

The beer had a hoppy floral smell, which was a little louder than average.

Its initial taste was similar to the smell, which is what should be expected from a pale ale. The surprise was the sweetness of the after taste. This gave the beer a multiple dimension, which is pretty neat.

The mouthfeel had a good bit of body, with a kick from the hops.

New River, was a pretty easy beer to drink. Overall, I felt is was a good pale ale. The taste was excellent and well worth the a try.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2007 03:52:22 | More by DrinkinBoy

tastybeer

North Carolina

4.38/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer is a hazy deep orange with a light tan head. Nice and soapy look with an attractive retention and solid lace. Smells well malted with some nice crisp clarity. Bready, toffee and caramel malts perhaps. Hops are light and add balance. Taste is inviting. Flavors are well rounded between malts, hop flavor, and bitterness. Mouthfeel is softly gritty and body is a good medium. Very drinkable and perhaps very sessionable.

Certainly worth my while.

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2007 23:19:50 | More by tastybeer