Schlafly American Pale Ale (APA) / Expedition Reserve - Saint Louis Brewery / Schlafly Tap Room

RBorsato

Virginia

4.1/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Hazy peach-ish gold with lots of suspended sediment, a decent off-white head, and subtle carbonation. Light citrusy hop aroma with a fruity maltiness underneath. Balanced fruity malt and hop flavors. Medium bodied and smooth with a lightly bitter finish.

Nice sessionable APA.

Bottled: 11/16/05
Tasted: 04/09/06

($6.69 / 6-pack)

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2006 14:54:48 | More by RBorsato

merlin48

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle pours a chill hazed, apricot body with a one finger white head. Average retention and some patchy lacing on the glass. Aroma features some grapefruit and mild pine hoppiness, atop a sturdy caramel malt backbone. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, with appropriate zingy carbonation. Taste has lots of grapefruit, but not as bitter as most APA's. This one has a chewy caramel malt backbone that is quite pleasant. Dry, but not bitter. Malty, but not sweet. The epitomy of balance. Goes down quite easy, earning excellent marks for drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2006 21:59:09 | More by merlin48

MeLikeBeer

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured a medium, bronze-amber color with just a hint of head. A thick dose of hop aromas to the nose and I'm hooked....mild caramel scents, almost as an afterthought. The taste is full of flavor- smooth hop bitterness, with a great balance of malts. Very potent. Great APA. If I lived in St. Louis, I'd be filling my growler up with this one regularly.

Serving type: growler

05-22-2006 00:29:14 | More by MeLikeBeer

etenbus

Missouri

2.8/5  rDev -25.5%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

The Schlafly APA poured out quite a bit of suspended yeast that hazed up its appearance and gave the beer a marmaladish look. Color was orange-copper. The one finger head did not last long. No lacing to speak of.

The aroma had hints of pine and lemon peel, but I was disappointed in the hops. I don't know what hops they've used, but I was expecting the huge hops blast that other APA/IPAs provide, and, as a hophead, I found the beer seriously lacking in this category. Coming from a city known for its lagers (St. Louis), however, perhaps explains the underwhelming hop aroma signature.

Regarding mouthfeel, what surprised me was a thinnish-fizzy-ubercarbonated characteristic that doesn't sit comfortably on the tongue. It's crisp, but too crisp for my taste. Perhaps more body is necessary to round out the edges and add pleasure to the drinkability. Otherwise the tongue wants to quickly deposit the beer to the throat.

The taste is better than the other characteristics would indicate. The citrus notes come through immediately, as does the bitterness which starts at the center but then breaks for the side edges of the tongue, with the bitter tug pulling down on those side edges. The palpable bitterness lingers until the next sip. Unlike Goose Island IPA (my current refrigerator IPA staple), this bitterness is not that pleasant. More body needed for balance. I wonder what the IBUs are?

I would like to try this on tap to see if the carbonation has waned somewhat because, as is, I can't call this a great session beer. It's an average one.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2006 05:23:56 | More by etenbus

ihscout426

Missouri

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The Tap Room in St. Louis knows how to serve a beer. Room tempature glassware, draft beer at appropriate tempature. This color on this one was light amber with no head by the time it was served. The smell is immediate hops and quite enjoyable. The taste is a nice subtle malt, but not as suttle as an english PA. The mouthfeel is is unmemorable, but the hops on the tongue and the back of the throat hits the spot. Peppery and bitter yet not in the IPA range. A beer true to style and more enjoyable fresh on draght than in the bottle. I alternate between this beer and their awesome Oatmeal Stout as my default beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-21-2006 18:59:20 | More by ihscout426

wcudwight

North Carolina

3.48/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Honey amber, sweet tea colored. Nice 2-finger sticky head with good retention. Finally recedes to a fizzy cap on top of the beer. I got grass, wheat and malt in the nose. It's not as hoppy smelling as I expected. Makes up for the lack of hoppiness in the nose with good hop flavors in the taste. Sweet at the front, mild citrus and some green apple in the middle with a slightly bitter finish. Feels good in the mouth, but maybe a tad thin. This brew is advertised as medium body, but feels more light bodied to me. Very drinkable, session beer.
Overall, I think it is a fine representation of the style. Nothing outstanding, but a fine session beer. Many thanks to Dertbert for providing this beer for my enjoyment.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2006 23:50:14 | More by wcudwight

bditty187

Nebraska

3.75/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

"Bottled with Love on Sep 13 05”

Hazy, I swirled the yeast in, peachy-copper in hue with a golden highlight. The liquid is attractive and typical of the style. The head was slightly off-white, at the apex the foam was almost two-fingers tall. The bubbles quickly faded to a thinner cap, about a half-finger high. Head retention was solid. There was some subsequent lacing; it was very spotty and not too widespread. It is a pleasant looking beer but nothing to write home about.

The nose is light on hops, I detect some grassy herbal citrus notes but these aromas are far from pungent. A hoppy APA, this is not. The malt is light, I like the soft caramel sweetness but there isn’t much development beyond that. There are some apple smells and honey. Mild potency; while not a chatty beer I like what it says… it is simplistic but on target. It is inviting in a carefree way.

The palate has more life then the nose. The hops are more upfront, firm bitterness but not out-of-sorts. The palate is fairly balanced, citrus notes, herbal and grassy qualities at the start, in the middle is a suggestion of mixed fruit (like apples and berries) plus some caramel malt. The finish has a bitter-sweet twang. Hops and malt in perfect harmony. I swear there is a kiss of alcohol as well. Overall, this is a tasty beer. It is a very solid APA, a good drinker… it reminds me of a slightly hoppier version of Boulevard Pale Ale.

Medium in body, the carbonation is light but scrubbing enough. The mouthfeel fits this beer well, there is some bulk (but not too much)… it is very satisfying.

I like this beer. I wish I could buy it in Nebraska. I could session with it. This APA would work well for a BBQ or burgers or anything grilled really. Tasty. One thing I really like about this beer is the long aftertaste and hop burps! I purchased a six-pack in Kansas City, MO. I want more. This was a surprisingly yummy (while simple) Pale Ale. It is worth a try if you want a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2005 15:01:55 | More by bditty187

RedHaze

Nebraska

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Courtesy of bditty187

Pours a hazy honey/gold color with a frothy one inch head that fades very slowly to a thin cap, and leaves sheets of lacing.

Smell; has more of a grassy, herbal smell instead of the citrus I'm used to in most APAs.

Taste; the herbal taste really stands out, with a little bitterness. It has a dry crispness in the finish, with just a touch of sweet caramel. This doesn't have a big hop profile like a lot of pale ales, but I think that can be a good thing. Mouthfeel was medium to light bodied. I would have no problem drinking a few of these.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2005 01:09:25 | More by RedHaze

mynie

Indiana

4.18/5  rDev +11.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Ohhh, Jimney. That is a might fine pour, yes sir. Honey yellow orange, hazed like a cheap butterscotch candy that's been sucked on for a little while. That head's a big as boy with a real big head and it ain't going nowhere, not 'till you finish the whole damn thing.

Good APA smells. Dry hops, very potent and fruity but not citrusy. Can't quite figer out what kind of a hop this is. As zingy as a grapefruit only without that grapefruit zing. Nice sweet malt balance. The whole scent is just strong enough, too. Not overpowering.

Tastes so much like it smells you'd think you were drinking it through your nose. Hops might be a little light for some, but they're varied and balanced well against the dry, sweet malt and they work.

Big Flavor + Small Alcohol make this about as a good a session APA you can find. Perfectly balanced and it leaves you wanting more.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2005 02:44:06 | More by mynie

jimdkc

Missouri

3.85/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured a light golden amber with a good-sized off-white head. Head fell back pretty quickly, but a ring of foam lingered. Aroma is herbal hops with a bit of citrus. Good amount of hop bitterness is the first thing noticed about the taste. Decent malt backbone... not too sweet. Hop flavors are herbal and floral at first with some citrus and maybe a bit piney on the finish. Decent mouthfeel with a nice amount of carbonation. A pretty good pale ale. I'd buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2005 01:08:27 | More by jimdkc

Gruntlumber

Missouri

3.5/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured with churning golden-orange foam which lingered for several minutes. I was surprised by the many minuscule particles floating; not as typical for pale ales, but nontheless I like thick beer. Overall a solid/average APA, nothing out of the ordinary but surely nothing offensive. It's not quite as hoppy as I was expecting, but then again many interpretations of this style these days blur the lines between APA and IPA with over-the-top hops. Nice session beer to say the least.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2005 19:30:00 | More by Gruntlumber

beerceller99

Louisiana

3.65/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

6-21-2005 bottling date. Has a light amber color with a small head.Has a mostly grainy, yeasty lagar type smell. Light to medium bodied with a frothy mouthfeel. A straight forward taste is of malted grains and mildly bitter. Finishes clean and dry on the palate.
Not a sweet beer, nor sour, it reminds me of liquid Grapenuts. Pretty nice.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2005 22:11:17 | More by beerceller99

Tang07

California

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

Pretty yummy.

Not super hoppy like I like my pale ales, but very nice all the same.

the beer pours a very appealing cloudy copper color, and had a great head and laced the glass all the way down to the bottom.

The beer is a nice ballance between hop and malt.

The smell is a little on the malty side for a pale ale. I didn't detect any citrus or any other complementary bitter flavors or smells.

It is a bit heavy and I'm feeling quite full after only one of them.

I'll certainly enjoy the rest of this six pack and I will see how their "American Pale Ale" is different from their regular pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2005 02:59:55 | More by Tang07

Backer2004

North Carolina

3.18/5  rDev -15.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Some pale ales are better than others. This one is the latter. Nothing exciting at all about this pale ale. Very little hops, okay carbonation--and this one came from the taps at the brewery itself from six feet from where I was sitting.

Much better choices available from Schlafly.

Serving type: on-tap

07-21-2005 14:37:33 | More by Backer2004

DrunkMcDermott

Illinois

4/5  rDev +6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served at Soulard Ale House, St. Louis (as Schlafly Expedition). My server didn’t know what style this was, so I guessed, and guessed wrong. I thought its taste tended toward the Belgian side, with dense malt flavor under a milk-foam head. I did catch the American Pale Ale hops, which put on a good spice show against the strong malts. Well done, everyone! Take five!

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2005 14:47:20 | More by DrunkMcDermott

carln26

Missouri

3.83/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer poured from the hand pump a dark copper/amber with a mild haze. It was topped by a thick fluffy head that receded quickly into the glass. The aro,a had alot more hop than you usually get froma Schlafly beer. It had a pronounced grapefruit rind smell along with hop flower (you don't get that from the bottle). It's finished by a light caramel aroma. The flavor has a nice sharp bitterness up front, and more orange than grapefruit. The malt comes next in the form of caramle and dates, and it's finished by a light bite on the tongue with a little pineapple. Good, robust mouth feel, good drinkability.

Serving type: cask

07-03-2005 21:12:55 | More by carln26

Bang34

California

4.13/5  rDev +9.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Schlafly's salute to the Lewis and Clark Expedition, brewed in comemoration of the 200th anniversary of the historic trip.

Pours an orangish amber with a thick white head that wticks around for a little while but leaves little lace on the glass.

The aroma hints at a little citrus but is predominantly floral and malty.

Taste, malty with a slight hop in the finish. Pretty balanced with a slight bitterness. Lighter hop profile than SNPA and quite drinkable. Very refreshing, would be good on a summer afternoon. Not too heavey to be a session beer but flavorful enough to not think you are missing much.

One of my favorite Schlafly brews.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2005 09:11:27 | More by Bang34

Shaw

Florida

3.55/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I first have to say how cool I think the packaging for this beer is. I'm a big fan of the Lewis & Clark expedition and this beer celebrates the 200th anniversary of them heading off from St. Louis on their way to the Pacific Ocean (in Oregon!). Way cool. A co-worker brought me back a six pack of this brew when he drove up to St. Louis. Thanks, Steve!

A nice pale copper color without much head at all. It has a mild hoppy aroma.

The taste is a bit more bitter than I would have expected. There's not much hop flavor. Instead, there is a nice malt front-end with grassy and mild biscuit flavors. The taste is above average, assuming you like bitter beers. After a few sips the bitterness greatly subsides.

The body is light and crisp with just a little bit of heft.

Overall this is an above-average beer. It would make a good session brew.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2005 06:54:02 | More by Shaw

Vancer

Illinois

2.83/5  rDev -24.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

The pour was the best part, a hazy amber orange with a small white head. But the aroma, oh no, I detect floral! And I can’t stand much floral in my pale ales. Crap, in the taste too. The brew has some nice hop kick, but I’m bummed by the dominating floral. I can taste some interesting aspects, but just can’t get beyond the flowers.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2005 14:59:31 | More by Vancer

Shultzerdugen

Missouri

3.65/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. brown bottle with "Brewed with love on" date of April 25 05.

Slightly hazed amber with pillowy off-white head that goes down to a collar.

Big round malts and herbal-grassy hops with a tinge of citrus in the nose.

Smooth and creamy, malts are big and smooth, the star of the show. Hops come in at the back, grapefruit or orange zest notes, but just enough to balance; not really assertive.

A quenching, not too fussy, easy drinking beer for laid back enjoyment. Personally, I would like some more hops, but the malt body is pretty nice.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2005 03:42:37 | More by Shultzerdugen

amicar

Missouri

3.9/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a nice barely cloudy amber with mid to small white head that leaves a trace of itself. There's mix of grass/ herb/ citrus hop smells, none of which predominate- they're balanced in such a way that you have a hard time picking them out. Tastes nice; toasted malt kinda taste. Reminds me of aromatic malt a little. Bitterness is nicely balanced. No single hop flavor predominates, but citrus is there. Feels good and smooth in the mouth, easy to plan on one and having three.

Overall very nice. Not the most complex ale, but nice balance. One of their beers that I consider for day- to day having around.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2005 05:55:26 | More by amicar

ericburnley

Missouri

4.47/5  rDev +18.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This is one of my favorite regularly bottled Schlafly beers. Thankfully they worked this one into regular distribution. It pours a nice cloudy light golden color with somewhat sparse but rocky off-white head. The nose is wonderfully hoppy (plenty of cascades here, I believe) and the flavor well balanced with citrus/grapefruit notes. The only thing this beer reminds me of is Anchor's Liberty Ale, although possibly not as complex. A really effervescent mouthfeel with light and clean finish, and one of my regular purchases.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2005 22:44:07 | More by ericburnley

amatuerbeerguy

Oklahoma

3.98/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Moderate hop aroma, some citrus, color golden to amber, nice moderate hop, slight citrus, mild maltiness, somewhat mild bitterness flavors present, light, carbonated, effervescent mouthfeel makes for an overall impression of a delicately balanced, highly drinkable beer, nice, aroma leading to, a mild maltiness, with suttle forth coming of the mild bitterness, with light carbonation, the drink does not feel overwhelmed, something to enjoy.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2005 05:03:29 | More by amatuerbeerguy

meathookjones

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes taken on 1/30/05 from a 12oz sample with a bottled on date of September 29, 2004.

Appears a hazy golden copper with about an inch of cream colored foams that sits on top for awhile leaving some clumps of lace. Nose is hoppy with citric notes mainly grapefruit. A light malt backbone is there but is overall a bit weak. A sweet cameral and a bitter citric hops bite meet on the front of the taste. Some earthy hops are also noticeable. Overall this is pretty balanced while still have a nice bitter bite. After taste is a tad dry with a citric bitter hoppiness rolling through. Mouthfeel has that prickly hop feel to it and it about medium and goes down quite smooth. Pretty good drinkability here, this is a solid all around brew I could have a few of. Thanks goes to nogoodreason for the sample.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2005 13:33:01 | More by meathookjones

swamiswamu

Indiana

4.1/5  rDev +9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I'd take this over Schlafly's any day of the week. It ours oranngish-golden with a short head that sticks around much longer than you'd think. A lot of hops for PA and I like it. Its too bad this one is on its way out, it would have made a nice session brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2005 17:16:22 | More by swamiswamu