McSorley's Ale - Pabst Brewing Company

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

2.25/5  rDev -29.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Average looking beer, clarity, yellow/copper, average head. Aroma lacking anything beyond a minimal sweetness.

Wish there were more hops. Bland pale ale. Thin on hops and malt. English style pale ale at best. Lots of water in this one. No offputting flavors, just really, not much in flavor, unless mildly sweet counts. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2011 22:25:17 | More by Beerandraiderfan

donniecuffs

New Jersey

2.58/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured a reddish amber with a finger of off-white, average retention, and decent lacing. Malty, malty, and more malty; very sweet and caramel in the nose. The taste was no different, with lots of sweet caramel/malt flavor and a sweet finish. The body was medium and well carbonated, but it may have seemed thicker because of the sweet flavor. A very one-dimensional beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2010 22:09:09 | More by donniecuffs

NOOGIE

Wisconsin

3.95/5  rDev +23.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4.5

Look: Poured 12 oz bottle into mug. Almost no foam! Great reddish-brown color.

Smell: Big malted barley smell with really unique hops. Also it has a unique chocolate smell.

Taste: It has that "Irish" taste to it, I really can't describe it better than if you've had any beer like Guinness. Other than that it has a good clean water taste with a barley, hops, and light chocolate flavor.

Mouthfeel: Pretty thin only thing that is left behind after your done with your drink is a smoky "Irish" flavor.

Drinkability: Surprisingly real easy! Nothing hinders the easiness of enjoying this beer. I was surprised to find out that Pabst made this beer. It has no Pabst taste at all. Really good beer, and worth a try, if you can find it.

Serving type: bottle

01-24-2010 02:46:23 | More by NOOGIE

kimcgolf

Georgia

3.5/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

This wasn't bad, and I think many are rating against the big brewery concept. Poured from the bottle to a orange-amber color, a thin off white head that dissipated quickly and little lacing. Aroma was pretty muted, but what was there was spicy fruit. Mouthfeel was tingly and medium bodied, with a taste of spices and slight fruited hops. Finish pleasant and full. Would make a good session beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2009 03:53:07 | More by kimcgolf

TLove

District of Columbia

2.4/5  rDev -25%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

12 oz bottle at Crazy Bruce's in CT.

Thin head, thin body, orange-yellow color with very minimal carbonation. Smell and taste is a touch hoppy, a touch sweet, and a touch grainy, but the strains of malt is more English/Euro than American (mis-classified as an APA).

Sweet malty character and watered down finish. Light bodied and relatively smooth. I could probably have another but I luckily have bigger and better things to try.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2009 20:41:40 | More by TLove

nick76

Florida

3/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

The aroma is sweet with toasted malt and hops. The appearance is light amber with a small head. The flavor is like the aroma. The palate is average for the style. Overall a drinkable beer but not a very enjoyable beer. I will say that I have had worse but that is not saying much.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2009 05:09:33 | More by nick76

yelterdow

New Jersey

2.23/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Served at just over fridge temperature in an imperial pint glass, and paired with wheat crackers and cheese. A real bargain at $4.99 a sixer at Bottle King, let's see if this was the deal of the century or money down the tubes...

Appearance- Slightly over three fingers of well formed head rises over the reddish gold color of this ale. It's full and attractive, leaving some but not much lacing behind.

Smell- The nose is dominated by English style hops, with a bready aroma and some malt for balance. The style, according to this site, is an APA... I certainly don't see anything in common with what I've come to know as an American Pale Ale. That aside, the aroma is quite pleasant and distinctive.

Taste- Where the nose is expressive, clean, and zippy, the flavors in this beer come across as cheap and much less impressive. Once the beer is rolled around in the mouth, the hops and malts defer to what appears to be a sweeter adjunct type of taste (corn?)... offering no reward for the anticipated and hopeful overall quality. It gets worse as the glass becomes more empty.

Mouthfeel/Drinkability- Unfortunately, the mouthfeel is no better than some of the worst macro or adjunct lagers I've experienced... it simply falls apart the moment it is gently swished, going from light-bodied and gently prickly to tap water in seconds. I've now sampled this beer two ways... cold right from the bottle during band practice, and quietly from a glass analyzing all of its attributes. The former would be the way to go if there is a next time.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2009 02:22:48 | More by yelterdow

Seanibus

California

2.53/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

An unmemorable entry into the Pale Ale genre.

Pours copper with a thin head that falls to slight lacing. The aroma is slight, with a hint of roasted malt (just a pinch for color, I suspect).

The flavor is thin, with a little roasted character, a little toffee character and little in the way of hop bitterness or flavor. The mouthfeel is thin and the whole beer passes away with dismaying rapidity. There really isn't much too this beer, which dissolves to a faintly unpleasant sourness in the aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2009 21:22:58 | More by Seanibus

pseudo

New York

3.03/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I drank this a while ago so i don't remember all that well...

drank out of a nonengraved pilsner

appearance: alright bottle labeling, it's a pretty clear beer with a amberish color, not bad looking really but the head retention isn't the best

smell: hoppy i guess, not all that much there if i remember
taste: slightly overbalanced hoppy bitterness, not awful though.
mouth: average.. sorta too carbonated
drinkability: i could drink a few of these definitely, but the imbalanced bitterness would want me to change beer after a while

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2008 09:36:42 | More by pseudo

KraegerB

New York

2.65/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

This beer pours a clear deep copper in color. The head seem on the thinner side and has a decent retention time.

The smell is lightly herbal.

I felt the taste was a little off-balance favoring hops.

I felt this beer was a little over carbonated and had an almost chewy feel.

This certainly isn't my favorite beer but it wasn't the worst I've had.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2008 23:25:33 | More by KraegerB

marlinsfan4

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I thought this was a true Irish beer like it says on the bottle.. but I see it's brewed by Pabst so there goes that idea.. Wisconsin=Ireland.. I don't think so. Pours a nice copper red color and smells of faint caramel malts. Has some pretty good flavor to it but definitely lacking. Pretty drinkable but a little lackluster.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2008 23:19:14 | More by marlinsfan4

jwc215

New Jersey

3.55/5  rDev +10.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz. twist-off capped bottle:

Pours orange amber with an off-white head that descends to a lasting thin cover, leaving some traces of lacing.

The smell is of caramel, lightly toasted biscuit, with an earthy spicy touch in the back.

The taste is of sweet caramel with a bit of buttered biscuit, a touch of bitterish hop spiciness in the finish.

Light-bodied, as advertised - and when they say "light-bodied" they mean it. The carbonation is ample, but stops short of aggressive. Very (too?) clean and very smooth.

Nothing great - but not a bad choice for an easy drinking, "sessionable" brew if you are in the mood for something lighter (in all but the surprising abv), but with some flavor and balance.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2008 22:37:24 | More by jwc215

medic25

Connecticut

3.15/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear copper color with a decent sized head. Malty aroma. Taste is a little bitter and thin, mostly hops. Quite strongly carbonated, clean enough aftertaste. Nothing special; funnily enough I think this beer tastes better from the bottle than served in a glass.

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2008 03:03:20 | More by medic25

tweeder263

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours out a gold brew with a small under one finger head,,highly carbonated. Has a slightly sweet smell to it,,i was expecting a macro type smell.Tatse is slightly sweet,not much in the way of hops. Has a weird slightly bitter aftertaste but not offensive.Mouthfeel is nothing special. Better brew then i thought but nothing special. Kinda tastes like a weak red style.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2008 01:27:54 | More by tweeder263

morebeergood

Massachusetts

2.23/5  rDev -30.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

It was like 1:00 AM on the final night of my NYC pub tour weekend, and we stopped into the Corner Bistro for burgers and fries. I wasn't about to order a Stella or a Bud from this place, so I said what the heck and ordered a McSorely's. Came served on tap in a smallish sized beer mug. Piss yellow color. Smelled like water. Taste wise, it was bland. Tasted like the cheapest macro out there. No body whatsoever, it was thin as air. At this point, I was just gobbling down fries, so it basically it helped me wash the food down. I ordered it because I was in a dive bar and wanted something to match the scene. I got what I expected.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2008 23:33:15 | More by morebeergood

clayrock81

Virginia

2.93/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I was tricked into this somewhat; I was at a (shitty) Irish Pub in Norfolk and they had this on tap - I asked what it was and was told it was a good imported ale. $5 for a glorified Pabst is what it is. A pale, yellow gold beer with minimal head and not much lacings was presented to me. A faint malt smell and some metallic hops, but nothing much. Some bland hops and faint (bread?) malt are evident, as this light/medium bodied brew goes down smooth (mostly because it is watery) and is pretty much forgettable. Not bad, but no reason to drink this.

Serving type: on-tap

05-10-2008 17:46:40 | More by clayrock81

dacrza1

New Jersey

2.13/5  rDev -33.4%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Light translucent orange body, with slight effervescence... swiftly dissipating white head.... sharp light beer malts, with hints of bread... active, carbonated mouthfeel... medium-bodied presence...becomes gassy quickly...low expectations and the rare "on-sale" price at Bottle King going in, McSorley's another American ale masquerader--eases up in the presence by mid-glass, and probably the fifth beer you wnat to reach for in a six-pack night...

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2008 01:23:29 | More by dacrza1

Durge

Connecticut

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

A dark yellow/amber color, clear and bubbly, with a big head that disappears quickly with but a trace of lace. The aroma is a subtle bread/malt, not much to go on. The taste was lively carbonation and more bready malt with a slight citrus hops highlight. Overall, pretty bland and a bit harsh on the tongue. Not much ale goodness going on but it's passable and pretty drinkable. I recall having this back in my early drinking days and thinking much more highly of it but I imagine it was like so many others that have since changed hands for brewery locations and recipes. Don't pour it down the drain but best served with lots of potatoe chips and pizza and distracting conversation!

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2008 17:47:06 | More by Durge

Lnedrive14

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

It it what it is. I actually didn't know that it was brewed by Pabst - that really hurts it for me. I used to think of it as a nice little Manhattan pub brew, but I guess I was wrong.

In any case, it pours a nice dark orange with a huge head. Very pleasant to look at. Not much in the way of smell. Tastes like a session beer is supposed to - not overwhelming flavor, but a nice subtle citrus flavor a bit of hop bitterness.

Not really an APA, more just an ale. I shouldn't say this on this website, but to me this is really just a better option than drinking B/M/C light for a long night of drinking. If I am gonna pound out 10 beers, I don't want a killer IPA, I want something like this.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2008 01:03:56 | More by Lnedrive14

avalon07

South Carolina

2.65/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a bottle to a mug. Had a dark amber appearance, with a clear consistency. Very little head and almost no lacing.

Had a smell that leaned toward hops and some malt. Not much more than that.

Very thin taste here. Some light hops and malt, but mainly, it's just watery. No real complexity to speak of.

Had an average amount of carbonation for an average mouthfeel.

This isn't an impressive beer in the least. It's too thin in the taste department to be any good. Should've known better considering McSorley's brewery is Pabst.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2008 14:18:31 | More by avalon07

SIRIUS2

North Carolina

3.23/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The pour produced a bright foamy head with decent lacing. The aroma wasn't particularly unique in any way and I there really wasn't a particular component that really stood out to me. The color is clear orange amber color that looks a bit like an Irish red and the taste had some similar characteristics. The mouthfeel was fair and relatively well balanced, with malts and hops playing nicely together and not overpowering each other. If you look for them individually, you can pick out the light hops or the slight sweetness of the malt. The finish is smooth and lingers just a bit with similar balance.

My first impressions of this brew were not quite as favorable as I ended up rating it. It really isn't an extraordinary beer but honestly, it's a nice easy drinking beer that is generally pretty good. It has some subtleties that seemed to come out the more I looked for them which really made me think twice about its complexity. Overall I like it.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2008 01:37:12 | More by SIRIUS2

Gambrinus1184

Connecticut

3.38/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured on-tap at McFairlawn's, Waterbury, Conn.

A: Poured a clean looking amber brown with a one-finger head of loose white foam. Left no real lacing, but I wasn't expecting any.

S: Smells a little sweet, hoppy and bitter. The aroma isn't strong enough to really bring out any noticeable fruits or grains.

T: Sweet malt character up front, and a faint drying hop finish. Very clean, a little creamy and slightly buttery. Kinda light a watery Werther's Original.

M: Pretty clean and light bodied. The carbonation was pretty tame, so the lack of a complete flavor was compensated by smoothness.

D: Nice flavor, great drinkability and good balance make it very drinkable. Not overwhealming in the taste department, however.

Split a pitcher and wound up drinking most of it myself, because my glass always seemed to be empty. It's not spectacular, but my other option would have been Bud Light, so I think I Made the right decision. I probably wouldn't but a six-pack, but it's not bad for pitcher or cheap pint drinking.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2008 23:22:06 | More by Gambrinus1184

iceball585

New York

2.9/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A- Golden copper color, semi-clear, very thin cover that lowered to a thin ring around the glass

S- Caramel, toasted malts, corn, sweet, hint of hops

T- Pale malts, grains, caramel, corn, toasted nuts, fairly sweet flavor

M- Light/medium body, medium carbonation, slightly watery

D- Worth a try

Just another typical american pale ale. Nothing really stands out about this one.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2008 22:51:56 | More by iceball585

daliandragon

North Carolina

3.6/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This was an old favorite back in the New York days, because it was relatively cheap and drinkable. This attractive amber brew pours into my pint glass and keeps its head for a few minutes. The nose features caramel and toffee as it warms but it's relatively faint.

This is a reasonably malty ale with caramel and a nutty quality that make mostly pleasant, if boring drinking. Crisp and slightly bitter in the aftertaste, this beer is a reasonable quencher, although a bit huskier and malt reliant than most APAs.

I know this isn't a real good beer but it's been reliable for me for years.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2008 06:36:26 | More by daliandragon

bboven

Texas

2.33/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

Hhmmm... I think this one has to get dinged all the way through for not being an American pale ale. This is a red, through and through. Little head that dissipates into a ring of tiny bubbles around the edge of the mug. Deep, deep copper orange color, definitely not in the SRM range for pale ale.

Aroma is biscuity sweet malt with a touch of hops, way too much malt for the style.

Taste is downright bad for this one. It's sweet and corny and leaves an aspirin aftertaste. Not desirable in any style, really.

Mothfeel is good. It's got the right amount of carbonation and is fairly drying, even though it leaves a bit of undesirable stickiness at the back of the throat.

I will not be buying this again. I'm just happy it was a cheap six pack. It's just not to style at all and only a step above a light lager anyways. I thought the price tag was too good to be true, but there was very little description on the bottle which claims to be made by the Mcsorley brewery in Pennsylvania, but is really a Pabst product. Buyer beware.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2007 16:51:05 | More by bboven