Mission St. India Pale Ale - Steinhaus Brewing Co.

AleWatcher

Illinois

2.15/5  rDev -42%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 1.5

Orange, clear, and lively. Lots of bubbles streaming up through this one. White sticky frothy head leaves behind decent lace and has decent retention.
Toasted pale and caramel malt notes on the nose with some grapefruit hop notes onthe back end.
The taste is just a bit too much sweet caramel malt. The toasty biscuit malt underneath seems to clash with the sweetness. The hops are nice, but not enough to overcome the malt battle up front. A strong bitterness hints towards an unwelcome alcohol warmth/booziness.
The body is pretty hefty feeling, with a slight oily residue.
Overall, this is not wowing me at all.

Even at $6 per sixpack, I will pass on this one.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 01:58:59 | More by AleWatcher

BerkeleyBeerMan

California

2.53/5  rDev -31.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I'm on a budget so I figured for a $1.00 a beer I'll pick up a Trader Joe's 4pk. sampler and decide if I like any of their bargain beers.

Appearance: The beer has a watery somewhat bland rust red appearance. There is a decent head for a few minutes. Then it vanishes.

Smell:The smell is malt sugars and some alpha acids. Hints of apricot and pear.

Taste: Some toasty malts and caramelized sugars. The hops are fairly generic, lacking distinct flavors. Doesn't finish very well. I get a rush of sugar. The bittering hops are fairly distant.

Mouthfeel: Light. Fairly watery for an IPA and on the malty side. Too sugary.

Overall: I was hoping for a decent affordable interpretation of an IPA but instead I'm let-down by a fairly bland sugar bomb. This is too light and lacking in flavor to satisfy my need for lupulin and english style malts. I would rather purchase the Mission St. Pale instead.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2011 07:07:25 | More by BerkeleyBeerMan

kojevergas

California

2.6/5  rDev -29.9%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a Port Brewing sampler glass in me friend's gaff in low altitude Orange, California. Acquired at Trader Joe's in San Diego. Expectations are low.

Served refrigerator cold and allowed to warm over the course of consumption.

A: Pours a garbage head of a half finger thickness and ten second retention. Laughably awful for the relatively low ABV considering the style. Colour is a clear copper. No visible yeast particles.

Sm: Piney, hops - floral as much as bitter, and hints of resin over top clean malts. A mild strength aroma. Pleasant.

T: Pleasantly floral and piney, with some emergent hop bitterness. A clean malt foundation. Nicely balanced and built in spite of the untamed hop bitterness. Pleasant and enjoyable. Boring and simple. Not complex or subtle.

Mf: Smooth and wet. It's too thin. Adequately carbonated. I'd prefer it more crisp. No cream is present, but the style doesn't call for it.

Dr: Drinkable but boring and dull. I wouldn't get it again, but for 50 cents at Trader Joe's, I'm glad I bought it. Excellent for the price. The mouthfeel is awful and thin but the taste is pleasant for what it is.

Low C-

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 02:53:19 | More by kojevergas

Cyberkedi

Georgia

2.78/5  rDev -25.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Aroma is hoppy, not strong or complex but OK. It pours a clear orange amber with a fairly thick ivory head. Flavor is somewhat hoppy, rather malty, with a hint of fruit, not really that much like an IPA. Texture is smooth, firm-bodied and just a little fizzy. As far as IPAs go, this one is no great shakes, but still palatable.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 22:32:31 | More by Cyberkedi

droomyster

Virginia

2.9/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a copper color with a big tan head that leaves a wide lacing all over the glass. Aromas are big on the grapefruit and evergreen resin. If grapefruit is not your aroma then this is not the beer for you. The taste is sweeter than the nose would suggest, with a good amount of caramel sweetness ultimately failing to support the citrusy hops. I drank it down with a bowl of pistachios and did not enjoy it.

Serving type: bottle

02-18-2010 04:41:02 | More by droomyster

Dave1999

Virginia

2.9/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

The beer is an orange brown colour with almost no head and few bubbles rising to the top of the glass.

Its smells slightly fruity and grapefruit like.

The taste is hoppy and bitter, not overly complex or flavoursome. Pretty boring but not terrible.

Felt a little too carbonated and a bit watery.

Drinkable but what can you expect at $1 a bottle certainly better than most beers in that price range.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 16:05:38 | More by Dave1999

IntriqKen

California

2.93/5  rDev -21%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I would say I am disappointed but to be fair, I can't. For the price this is an excellent IPA.
If I were to try to clone this I would use extracts (HME) exclusively then add something to the boil or dry hop with cascade.

It's crystal clear copper in the glass with a decent off white head that melts slowly and leaves a nice, albeit weak, mapping.

The aroma on the pour is fresh grapefruit hops but smelling the glass it weakens to something a little stale or...ummm...hop extract with only a hint of the sweet amber malts.

Taste is a little thin with amber malt and mellow grapefruit hops that finishes with more of the same...hops never really take over and the mouthfeel is just slightly cloying rather than drying.

Again, for the price, this is a wonderful intro to a West Coast IPA but still seems a little 'canned' or synthetic. I've nothing against extract brews, but this one just tastes like it.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2010 04:37:30 | More by IntriqKen

theJollySin

California

3.05/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A - A nice amber color. Almost red, deeply orange. Little to no head. Bubbling that starts off strong and then fizzles out pretty fast.

S - A very light smell. I didn't noticed it until I looked for it. A light, fruity scent with only a prickle of hops; which is strange for an IPA.

T - Not so hoppy for an IPA. There is a slightly skunky flavor, but perhaps that is a personal bias against IPAs. I'm not sure. The fruity flavor is almost sour, but again that may be normal for a beer.

M - Thin enough to be refreshing. It foams lightly on the tongue.

O -

Serving type: bottle

06-29-2011 01:08:50 | More by theJollySin

ColForbinBC

New Jersey

3.05/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a pint

Pours a light orange color. Crystal clear with some visible carbonation pushing north. A two finger off-white cap. Decent retention with sheets of lacing.

Floral and earthy notes with some light caramel and undercooked biscuits. A touch of pine needles pokes through, but the hop aroma is pretty subdued.

On the palate, soft caramel slides in with some floral and earthy hops. Undercooked, doughy biscuits through the middle. The finish is a blend of pine, earth, and flowers.

On the lighter side of medium. Clean and straightforward.

A pretty average IPA in all aspects.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2013 22:01:55 | More by ColForbinBC

youngblood

Indiana

3.1/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

Pours a nice coppery amber. Average head that disappates quickly. Nothing exceptional here so far.
Smells actually pretty nice. Quite piney. Mostly piney, small citrus and very very minimal malt notes.
The taste is pretty one dimensional. Hops. In fact, its a bit out of balance for an IPA. The malt profile should have been kicked up, but all you get is hops and then nothing. Leaves a man a little disappointed. Very weak mouthfeel. Feels more like a light beer than an IPA. Could be very nice on a hot summer day though. Low ABV makes this very drinkable.

For $5.99 a sixer, I won't complain about this.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2009 12:39:48 | More by youngblood

beertunes

Washington

3.1/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Another of Trade Joes house beers. Poured into 16oz glass. Poured a clean, clear golden amber color with about a half-inch of off white head that didn't have much retention, but OK lacing.

The aroma was a pleasant blend of floral and pine hops, with a trace of malt. The flavor was pretty much the same, pine and floral hops with a nice malt foundation, decently balanced.

The body was typical for the style. Drinkability was above average, you drink these all day without killing your tastebuds. Overall, a decent beer. This may not be the best, or sexiest, or trendiest beer out there, but if you're going to a cook out or tailgating this is a solid beer to take with you. This beer is also an excellent value, at $6 a sixer you'll be hard pressed to find a better beer for the price.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2010 23:29:45 | More by beertunes

bbothen

California

3.15/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear rust/caramel like color with a small 1 finger deep bubbly white head.

Smells of citrusy hops, sweet caramel maltiness, nice tropical hop aroma.

Sweet maltiness, toasted malt, caramel, subdued tropical & piney hoppiness in finish.

Light to medium bodied, nicely carbonated, dry finish.

Anotehr $5.99 sixer I'd buy again. Not out of this world, but a serviceable IPA for when you're looking for quality on the cheap or are having a bunch of people over & have to supply the beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-12-2009 22:36:24 | More by bbothen

Genghis22

California

3.18/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Bottled: 2-11-09

A - Pours a translucent golden color. Nice and golden honey looking, but completely see through. A slightly agressive pour resulted in a solid finger's worth of a white head that quickly disappeared. Beautiful lacing all the way through.

S - Nice hop smell and with a clear malt presence. Very small hints of pine, more smells of ripe citrus.

T - The taste reveals much more piney hops then the smell would lead you to believe. The flavor is nice, but not very strong, and as quickly as you take it in, it is gone. The aftertaste is nice and bitter with a slight drying effect. Nice pine resins on the back of the tongue.

M - Medium bodied beer with moderate to low carbonation. This is not a DIPA, so I feel this is slightly under carbonated. With a medium body beer I would like to have a bit more carbonation.

D - This is solid representation of an American IPA. Nothing to write home about, but nothing to turn away either. This beers hits the spot, without being overwhelming, and the price can't be beat: $5.99 + tax.

Serving type: bottle

04-08-2009 23:05:52 | More by Genghis22

brewdoc75

Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a standard pint

A: Orange to gold in color. Nice, solid white head at first, dies quickly. Moderate carbonation.

S: Sweet orange and a hint of tangerine. Candy like sweetness. Not a lot of aroma in this one.

T: Sweetness at first, then some citrus notes with orange and tangerine character. Maybe just a hint of grapefruit bitterness. Finishes with a faint graininess and some caramel. Not terribly complex. Pretty straight forward in the taste department.

M: Light to medium bodied. Fairly crisp. Finishes slightly sticky in the throat from the hops. Not abrasive though.

D: A pretty average IPA. Nothing bad about it, but nothing really stellar. It was a pretty good deal at $6.99 a sixer, but for a few dollars more you could have a world class IPA. I'll pass on getting this again, but it may be worth a try for those who aren't ready for a big IPA.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2010 01:04:40 | More by brewdoc75

argock

Virginia

3.2/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 12oz brown bottle into a clear glass mug. Freshness date 08/20/09 on bottleneck. Single purchased at Trader Joe's (Short Pump, VA) for $1.17.

A: Light rust with 2+-finger head with decent retention and good lacing.

S: Aroma is pale ale-y with some mild pine and floral hops and crystal malt sweetness. With warming, a little more of the citrus hops and malt sweetness comes through a little better.

T: Flavor is not cohesive and pales in comparison to Mission St. Pale Ale, which I had back-to-back with this. Minor pale malt sweetness is cut with pine and citrus hops with an aspirin and soapy finish.

M: Very dry with aspirin/metallic aftertaste and body too light for the style. Mild coating quality.

D: The price is low, but so is the aroma and flavor of this brew. All the good reviews make me wonder about handling, light, and temperature in getting it from CA to VA.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2009 03:03:06 | More by argock

GregBlatz

Ohio

3.2/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Stamped 10/26/10

A - Pours a beautifully clear copper color. head is very thin and laces as it settles to nothing.

S - Nice estery and hop aroma. Strong fruit and pine scent. Fruity up front, pungent dry finish. I would categorize the hops as American, piney and resin like. Different than the cascade family of hops which give off the citrus and grapefruit. Noticeable malt backbone that comprises mostly of sweet malt rather than grain or bread.

M - Strong carbonation. Somewhat thinner than an average IPA.

D - Very drinkable IPA. Nothing is too agressive that would stop you from having a few of these in the row.

Overall - This is a nice conservative IPA. I would find it hard to believe anyone would not like it. It isn't very bold or aggressive but for a $5.99 6'er, I'll buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2011 00:22:10 | More by GregBlatz

Murrhey

Montana

3.23/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a taster glass. Reviewed live.

A- Half a finger white head. Light and crap retention. Some lacing. Palest of gold color, clear as heck.

S- Floral hops and some honey notes. Sweetness but some distinct bitterness. Lacking a lot of complexity.

T- Light and hoppy, with distinct sweetness. Surprised.

M- Very thin feel, only respite is the chunkier carbonation. But watery and too thin for my liking.

O- Wonderful deal for the price (so I'm told by Kojevergas), and a surprise from what I thought was going to be a junk beer. Nice. Give it a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2012 02:48:07 | More by Murrhey

BeardedBoffin

Minnesota

3.28/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

An amber beer with an average head. Citrus hops, with a touch of pine, dominates the nose. A touch of grainy malt is there as well. Medium palate on this brew. Caramel sweetness up front moves into some hoppiness toward the end. Not a bad brew but not a particularly imaginative one.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2010 22:50:56 | More by BeardedBoffin

JoshuaCain

California

3.3/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

bottle is dated 11/18/08
pours a golden amber with a fairly meager head. moderate lacing.
aroma is a nice pine-y fresh spring breeze. very clean and crisp.
taste is nice, if not understated. a very mild flavor, with pine and grass notes up front with a little citrus on the finish, low bitterness. definitely not the tongue scorching IPA that seems so prevalent these days.
medium body with mild carbonation, easy to drink.
the price is also low, which gives it higher marks in general.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2009 07:50:29 | More by JoshuaCain

HalfFull

California

3.3/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

From a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass. Pours a clear golden orange with a thin head. Offers little retention and some random lacing.

Smell is citrusy sweet. Hops and sweet malts intermingle and are a bit confusing. Surely just the combination is unfamiliar. Well agitated the beer is rather hoppy, yet this profile plays second fiddle overall.

Taste is similar to the nose and slightly sweet. A viscous mouthfeel tells me that the malts and the hop oils are working together. Lots of orange citrus, and the hops are subdued and buried beneath, or perhaps contibuting to the buttery malts. In the end the hops are ruined by the 'simple sugar' sweetness of the beer, which, it seems, is partly an illusion from the cascade hop presence.

Tastes like Union Jack 'Lite', yet better.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2009 06:57:38 | More by HalfFull

GDBEERMAN

Colorado

3.3/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass.

A: Thin, white head with no lacing. Dark amber in color.

S: A bit weak for an IPA, but malt bill is shown.

T: A heavy malt profile, with a slight hop finish. The beer is very much like APA.

M: Silk feel, which has a short lingering taste. dry on the finish.

D: Crisp with a creamy finish. Not as easy going as other IPAs but holds up to the bigger malt body.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2010 12:33:28 | More by GDBEERMAN

mwagner1018

Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Nice copper color, about 1 finger of head, settles down slowly, leaves a nice lacing on the glass and a light cap on the beer.

S- Light hops on the initial nose, mild grassy aroma, but disappears quickly, disappointing smell to be honest.

T- Nice crisp bitterness up front, enough malt on the backbone, not quite as much grapefruit citrus bitterness as I would like. There is a mild acidic almost metalic lingering finish, not sure what the off taste is, but no very appealing.

M- High on carbonation, lots of bubbles rising up. Texture is medium, slightly thin on the finish.

D- Pretty drinkable, too light in my opinion for an IPA, fits more into the Pale Ale category. Not a great beer, and not one I would reach for in the future, there are so many great options out there, it's just not worth it to spend less money on this one when you are getting a much poorer quality product.

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2010 05:36:31 | More by mwagner1018

ThreeWiseMen

California

3.35/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up a sixer of this at the local Trader Joe's. Poured into a pint glass.

Appearance: Bright, clear, copper body with very thin, sticky, off-white head on top. The head dissipates to a mere halo after about thirty seconds. Light lacing.

Smell: Tart orange and pine with some herbal notes. Caramel and toasted bread as well. Classic cascade hop aroma reminds me of SNPA.

Taste: Bitterness kicks in immediately, fades momentarily, and then returns in the aftertaste. Resiny herbal hops, caramel malt, and pine are most predominant, with orange zest, toasted bread, and grapefruit sprinkled throughout. Pretty standard IPA with nice balance.

Mouthfeel: Resiny with crisp carbonation. Active, dry, and medium-light in body. Finishes dry and leaves a bitter film in the mouth.

Drinkability: This is an okay IPA. I was hoping for a bit more since it's contract brewed by Firestone, but oh well. Better than the standard IPA, but not by a lot. Kinda boring. Meh.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2009 01:53:40 | More by ThreeWiseMen

pmcadamis

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - This honey-bronze brew struggled to put up even a small collar of foam even after an aggressive pour. As I noticed the lack of head while pouring, I distanced my beer holding hand from the glass to the extent of about ten inches... disappointingly, there was still no head to be seen. The color of the brew is a nice shade of caramel-orange though. Swirling brings up a bit more head than my ridiculously vigorous pour, and leaves a little bit of lace on the glass.

S - Canned mandarin orange, mixed fruit cup (a fifth-grade lunch box favorite), and mango/papaya tropical notes. Not quite as hoppy as others of its ilk... this is more fruit than nose-hair curling hop.

T - The flavor is less mandarin orange and more straight up "regular" old orange.... bitter, like an under-ripe orange that needs a few more days in the fruit basket to sweeten up a bit. For an IPA, these flavors are relatively mild... but still prett tasty.

M - Fruity and slick at first, then more gritty and dry at the finish. Not super palate-wicking dry, but dry enough to really make ya want another sip. Nice lingering taste of tropical fruit and green grass.

D - Kinda "meh" if ya ask me. Nice pleasant tropical summer fruits that suit the high temps here in central Illinois well, but really lacking in what I'm lookin' for in an IPA.... HOPS! Give me my hops dammmit! Not a bad beer, and if I recall the price was ridiculously reasonable at Trader Joe's, so totally worth the $. I'm kind "for-genst" it.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2010 05:13:26 | More by pmcadamis

DrJay

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Clear orange with a short, lasting cap of beige foam. Clumpy, streaky lacing. Pine and grapefruit pith aroma, citrusy and a bit powdery with some caramel maltiness. Moderate bitterness with balanced caramel sweetness and grapefruit/pine hoppiness. Nice flavour profile, but it did seem a little thin - maybe more of a texture thing. The body was quite light, carbonation a little on the low side, fairly dry. Overall though, pretty solid and quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 21:47:21 | More by DrJay