Full Sail Pale Ale - Full Sail Brewery & Tasting Room & Pub

TheRealBigC

Nevada

3.55/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This is another solid Pacific NW APA. Typical hop smell and taste, nice rush of malts on the back. It's a perfectly sessionable pale ale, but I don't think it's as good as their amber. I can't fault it, it's a solid beer. Is it an elite pale ale, though? I don't think so.

Serving type: on-tap

07-30-2012 07:44:30 | More by TheRealBigC

dgilks

Australia

3/5  rDev -19.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Clear golden hue with a creamy white head. Decent head retention. Good lacing.

Light, grainy malt with no real hop aroma. A touch disappointing.

Crisp, grainy malt with a hint of caramel. Lacking in hop flavour but there is some bitterness.

Medium body with moderate carbonation. Fine.

An okay pale ale but lacking the crisp, hoppy edge expected on an APA.

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2011 07:09:29 | More by dgilks

barrenbane

Ohio

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: golden and slightly hazy. Looks like most APAs.

S: slight hoppiness and bitterness.

T: tastes like a good APA. There is a good amount of hops, but not overwhelming like and IPA. Goes down smooth with some bitterness from the hops.

M: pretty thick and somewhat carbonated.

This was a nice treat to have with my cheeseburger at a local dive bar. I will definitely order another pint of this again in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2011 00:39:36 | More by barrenbane

david18

New York

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had a draft of this recently at one of my local watering holes. A decent pale ale but nothing really outstanding.

Appearance is more light gold than pale. Active carbonation but not much in the way of head.

Aroma was a little citrusy but I wanted there to be more hop smell.

Flavor as well was more pale than anything else but not enough of that.

Overall a decent pale ale but nothing too exciting.

Serving type: on-tap

07-22-2011 18:52:20 | More by david18

scottfrie

California

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

On tap at Bistro 33 in Davis. Reviewed from notes.

A: Served cold in a pint glass with about a quarter inch of white head that faded to a thick collar. Clear light amber in color. A great wall of lacing was left down the glass after every sip.
S: Notes of orange and citrus with a light grainy malt scent.
T: Follows the nose with a sweet pale malty grain taste almost like a steam beer. Bread crust aftertaste with a faint bitterness and super clear and drying finish. Hops are citrusy and have a touch of lemon juice.
M: Even carbonation over a medium body and crisp clean mouthfeel.
D: Very straight forward and well rounded pale ale. Super easy and refreshing to drink, goes great with a meal. Crisp.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2010 22:09:27 | More by scottfrie

zhanson88

California

3.5/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Nice amber color with white head, fine lacing that sticks around nicely. About what I'd expect from a pale ale.

S: Not a whole lot doing. Smells of caramel with very slight hop and citrus underneath.

T: Caramel and citrus up front with mild hops and bitterness following. Nothing too exceptional, but still a good beer.

M: Medium to light body, very easy to drink and refreshing.

D: It's a pretty solid pale ale. Good with pizza and one I'd have again.

Serving type: on-tap

08-22-2010 16:01:26 | More by zhanson88

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Two solid fingers of foamy, bubbling, egg-shell white head. Color was a deep amber with NE-quality clarity. Nose had a definite hoppy presence, but not an overwhelming one. Mouthfeel was medium with a pleasant mix of malt and hops on the tongue. Finish tended more bitter than sweet, but it was a battle to the end. For me, it was a rare opportunity to have any Full Sail beers on draft. Highly anticipated and fully welcomed on my part.

Serving type: on-tap

11-27-2009 14:37:15 | More by woodychandler

slaintemhor

Oregon

2.68/5  rDev -27.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the Full Sail Brewery in Hood River, OR. The colour was golden straw with no head. The aroma was.... was.... uh... non-existent. On the palate there was cereal graininess up front and scarcely any hops until the very back of the palate. I hear that this has quite a following; can't understand why!

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2009 02:53:35 | More by slaintemhor

natelocc787

California

3.6/5  rDev -3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'm gonna have to agree with the bros on this one. This is a good example of the style, up there with the highly ranked examples. Nicely hoppy in the aroma and taste, mild fruit flavors and citrus notes to back up the pale malt backing. Good dose spruce in the finish. Drinkable, could have lowered the carbonation a smidgen.

Serving type: on-tap

11-05-2009 09:11:22 | More by natelocc787

Derek

British Columbia (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A: Bronze with an off-white head, excellent retention, good lacing.

S: Biscuit, caramel, marmalade.

T: Biscuity malt, earthy, hints of citrus, assertive bitterness.

M: Moderate body is smooth with an earthy, dry finish.

D: It's alright, though I'm not fond of the earthyness.

Serving type: on-tap

10-17-2009 03:32:16 | More by Derek

beertunes

Washington

3.43/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Served in straight pint glass. Poured a light amber color with a thin, off-white head that had surprisingly good retention.

The aroma was a nice mix of malt and hop, nothing outstanding either way, but very pleasant. The taste followed along the trail blazed the aromas, again a nice mix of the grain and vine.

The body was medium, typical for the style, and smooth. As expected, nicely drinkable, having several would be easy. Overall a pleasant surprise from a brewery that rarely thrills me.

Serving type: on-tap

07-14-2009 09:47:05 | More by beertunes

Onslow

Texas

3.38/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

"had this at the Remington (richmond) Arms the day man u won the carling cup 4-0...this is your average pale, crisp and some foamers...honeyish smell.pales r going down on my like list...

(4-20-09) somewhat of a rerate, a while back i had straight from a 1/6 keg in the back, this is an awesome brew, nice hop touch, very clean, ..when this is fresh, beware: drinkable is just a word!..."

..all and all.. a great little session of a pale ale...

Serving type: on-tap

04-21-2009 01:22:07 | More by Onslow

mithrascruor

California

3.85/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Callahan's, San Diego.

Pours a nice copper color with light off-white head. Mild, slightly spicy aroma. Flavor has a nice malt body with a enjoyable mild spicyness. Medium-bodied with moderate carbonation. Very drinkable; would work well as a session beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-19-2008 00:33:42 | More by mithrascruor

Hollenbeck2

Oregon

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

great pale ale, bought this as a 1/4 keg from johns marketplace in oregon, had in the kegerator and enjoyed for weeks, all my guests thought it was little strong, 2 beers and they were all napping, not me I could session drink this bad boy all night, good pale, but full sail does seem to always pack a tighter buzz to me, not sure why.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2008 02:35:15 | More by Hollenbeck2

Tupperwolf

Washington

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Received in a pint glass a very clear apple cider amber full of tiny streams of bubbles and topped with a pinky-thick soda-pop fizz head that faded after a few moments but managed to leave soft curves of lacing.

Sweet, honeyish malts, muted floral hops; Pale ale thru-n-thru.

Honey, slightly citric flavors; Gently piney hops balance. Little to say except that this was tasty, had a nice body, and was unoffensive. Very pleasant to drink, a good session beer or with food.

Serving type: on-tap

02-03-2006 05:56:17 | More by Tupperwolf

mgdeth

Montana

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

Appearance - Very pale amber or golden color, with a massive, creamy off-white head. Good lace.

Smell - Maybe it's my nose, but I hardly smell anything. I can detect a faint blend of malt and maybe grassy hop aroma. I would prefer that this beer had more nose on it.

Tasta - Quite bitter, with a husky/grainy malt taste. The graininess is almost astringent. Grassy hops flavor sort of lingers on the palate for a while. What the beer may lack in aroma is made up for somewhat by the flavor.

Mouthfeel - Medium low to medium carbonation. Body seems to be somewhat lacking, but not so much that it is

Drinkability - Highly quaffable. This beer goes down easily, and is not mind clobbering in terms of alcohol content.

Comments - After drinking so many big beers, this beer is a reminder to me that really appreciating a realtively "simple" pale ale takes some work and thought.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2005 04:11:56 | More by mgdeth

RedDiamond

Oregon

2.35/5  rDev -36.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Ordinarily, I take it for granted that draught beers served at a brewpub have a greater potential for freshness than beers compelled to endure the slings and arrows of outrageous warehousing and distribution networks. ‘Tis nobler to drink at the source. But I suspect that Full Sail emphasizes their pale ale as a bottled product and may not give their own tap lines the care they deserve. That’s a shame. I’ve drunk their pale casually in its bottled form and encountered none of the problematic issues that arose for me at Full Sail’s auxiliary brewpub in Portland.

I’ve now given this ale several opportunities to prove its worth and I still don’t care for it. My pint last night at the Riverside delivered the same flawed attributes as the cask-conditioned version I drank there several months ago. Visually, it’s a beautiful ale. It possesses the pure golden clarity of most Full Sail beers with smiling white suds and a wide swathe of lace. The aroma is minimal though initially spry and hoppy.

But the taste is meaty and foul – nearly undrinkable – and the smell soon turns to dishwater. Much of the rest is routine. A shame.

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2005 01:52:48 | More by RedDiamond

woemad

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had a glass of this at the Satellite, an OK bar, beerwise, in downtown Spokane. Not a great destination for BAs, though they do have Black Butte and Crystal Bitter from the local micro, Northern Light's, in addition to this on tap (3 micros in a Spokane bar is actually above average). Color was a dark gold verging on copper with a decent white head. Most dominant smell was of assertive NW hops. There was also an appealing caramel in the background. This being a NW pale it was pleasingly hoppy, though by no means as hoppy as many hopheads require. Lets just say its hoppy enough to make a Bud drinker wince. The caramel and maltiness in the background make a nice backdrop, assertive enough to be noticed without stealing the limelight from the hops. It was a bit thin in the mouth to me, but I'm primarily a porter and stout drinker, so file that under "duh!" This was a nice pale ale to drink after getting off work that went well with my burger. I'm really more of a fan of English style pales, but this was not bad at all, and will not be afraid to try this again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-30-2003 21:05:27 | More by woemad

jreitman

California

4.33/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hops and sweet malt greet the nose making it clear that this is definitely an American Pale Ale. Copper almost amber in color with a nice creamy light tan head. Nice assertive hop bitterness with plently of caramel and malt to smooth things out and prevent the beer from being out of balance. Crisp and quite refreshing. A pleasant surprise at the comedy club the other night where the other "exotic" brews were Labatt Blue and Redhook ESB.

Serving type: on-tap

08-09-2003 21:41:15 | More by jreitman

tigerpaws

South Carolina

4.33/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I've only had the pleasure of drinking this brew once when I was in Idaho and I wish I could get it here in SC. Pours a nice amber/gold color and nice creamy head. You can for sure taste the Pacific NW hops influence in this beer which Iove. Enough hops to keep us hopheads happy but also malty enough to keep the total bitterness in check. Drink one of these beers for me because I can't get it and how I wish I could...........CHEERS

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2002 08:26:43 | More by tigerpaws

hreb

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz screw top bottle, no visible date, served in pint glass. Beer pours a crystal clear amber with a thick off-white head. Pleasant fresh hop aroma.

I immediately notice that the beer has a surprisingly creamy texture. Carbonation is mild enough to support a session beer. Flavor is seriously balanced between English style hop bitterness and a biscuit malt body. Unfortunately this beer just doesn't move me. A solid offering nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2012 22:51:21 | More by hreb

kojevergas

California

3.13/5  rDev -15.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with twist-off cap served into a Uinta pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, California. 5.5%. Reviewed live.

Served after a period of rest from being in the refrigerator. Poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a four finger beige colour head of pretty decent cream, nice thickness, and good retention. Colour is a transparent pale copper. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Appears well carbonated.

Sm: Pale malts, bright malts, background floral hops, nectary character, fresh hops, full-bodied barley, and some straw. A clean, enjoyable and appealing aroma. No yeast or alcohol comes through.

T: Nectary, with floral hops, honey, pale bright malts, full barley, and even some buttery quality. Simple but clean and enjoyable. Well balanced. It lacks layering or subtlety, but it's pleasant to drink. I do like it. No yeast or alcohol comes through. Sweet nectary honey finish is a highlight.

Mf: Smooth, wet, and thin. Light on the palate. Carbonation is apt. Nothing unique or special here, though it's nicely buttery.

Dr: A drinkable pale ale. Tasty and enjoyable. One of the better Full Sail offerings I've had. I might get it again at Trader Joe's; it's well priced anyway.

C+

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 04:44:56 | More by kojevergas

Jsteez

New Mexico

4.1/5  rDev +10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into a dimpled beer mug.

A-Deep gold and borderline pale amber in color with a small and soapy head that faded into a sticky, white bubbly surface. Left some lacing on the glass.

S-Caramel malt with some hoppy, fruity undertones. I would have liked to have more of a smell just to get an idea of what I was about to taste.

T-Great balance of flavors: hoppy and fruity up front, with a smooth toasted bread and butter aftertaste. The aftertaste of toasted malt, bread, and butter lingered on for some time. This beer would really go well with a sweet bbq beef brisket sandwich.

M-Smooth and medium bodied. Nice and crisp finish for a pale ale. Perfect carbonation to quench your thirst.

Overall, this brew has a lot going on, balance, fruity, malty, hoppy, buttery, bready, toasty....shall I name more? I think I could drink this again and have another thoughtful experience. This beer could complement pretty much any type of food, or no food. It just tastes good!

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 23:18:50 | More by Jsteez

harrymel

Washington

1.68/5  rDev -54.7%
look: 3 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Best by 27JUL12

Pours golden amber with little toasted cream foam atop the ale. Smells oxidized to be honest - cardboard and raw wood with some hints of tea and herbal hops. Very disappointed in the nose here. Flavor is also oxidized with a bit more of an old book smell flavor and some oils, reminds me of the flavor of the skin on a palm; carrying a slight salinity. Medium on thin with a moderate carb and semi dry finish. I bought this beer as a sixer on a gamble, really gonna have to be faded to drink the other five.

Serving type: bottle

07-11-2012 06:54:54 | More by harrymel

viverlee

Ohio

2.85/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A BA rating of 84 is in the ballpark, thanks to the collective wisdom of 355 reviews. I wouldn’t normally lead with this, except that the Alström brothers seem to have gone overboard with a 94. Maybe it’s unfair for me to impose style limits, but is it not also unfair, or at the very least peculiar, to say this ok-for-a-few-pints brew is near the pinnacle of what beer can be?

STYLE: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.4%

LOOK: Yellowish gold, lagerish, nicely carbonated. You can see the crispness, and that much doesn’t disappoint.

NOSE: A wee bit flat. I’m a few days past the best-by date, not that I think that’s affecting the nose. There just doesn’t seem to be any, ahem, wind in the sails. Grainy, yeah, and maybe some grapefruit too.

MOUTH: There’s no questioning the drinkability. It’s clean, even crisp. Cereal, mild hops, and a surprising balance that’s clearly hiding the malty goodness and floral essence I was expecting.

BA Rating: 84

Hayward Abbey Rating: 81

Serving type: bottle

06-27-2012 02:46:47 | More by viverlee