Old Slugger - Cooperstown Brewing Company

alexskovan

New York

4.22/5  rDev +20.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a pale amber with a great big white head. Aroma is . . . hey! Creamy and toasty -- can you imagine? An APA that smells like something other than breakfast citrus! Let's have a sip . . . ok, to be fair, the grapefruit hops are there, but balanced and working with the other members of the cast -- not chewing the scenery as they scream, "Hops! HOPS! This isn't macro and you can tell 'cause its got HOPS!!!"

A complex taste. That creamy flavor is the first thing I notice, but then it is balanced out by the toasty malt and hops. This beer has the complexity and character that you will find in a good English Special Bitter, but it is lighter in color and body.

Good stuff! (But the hop-heads won't be happy. . .)

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2007 21:56:46 | More by alexskovan

sponberg

New York

4.2/5  rDev +20%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Sampled: On tap, at the brewery, and in numerous bottles.

A very nicely balanced pale ale that uses Fuggles in addition to the usual Cascade hops, which to me adds a degree of flavor & aroma complexity that some of the purely Cascade pale ales seem to miss. Call it a mid-Atlantic pale ale - halfway between British & American in character. Very drinkable, with background flavor notes of butterscotch and just a bit of Ringwood yeast flavor which add to the firm maltiness and balancing bitterness. In my fridge more often than not when I look at my beer stash.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2002 14:08:00 | More by sponberg

Denali

Pennsylvania

4.15/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Package: 12-ounce bottle.

Appearance: Orange-amber with thick off white head that lasted and laced really well.

Smell: Nice sweet malt and citrus. I can smell this all day. Bottle this as an air freshener.

Taste: Strong malt and bitter flavors. Notes of caramel and citrus also present. Tinge of sweetness and citrus in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Very crisp and clean with moderate carbonation.

Drinkability: I’ll have another one, or 2 or 3.

Comments: Extremely enjoyable brew. One of the better pale ales that I have had. Easy drinking – would make an excellent session beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2003 09:51:20 | More by Denali

BeerLover48Fan

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +18.6%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I'm choosing to review this as an English Pale Ale, because pretty much every aspect of this beer is more English than American, and it's a very successful English Ale for the reasons I will enumerate below, whereas it lacks the hop bite that we expect from an APA. I think the negative reviews this beer has received of late have been because of its miscategorization.

That said, it pours a hazy amber with a mountain of light tan head, which eventually bubbled away into a persistent half-inch of foam that left decent lacing most of the way down the glass. The smell was primarily of rich biscuity malts and honey, but there's fruity yeast and buttery diacetyl present as well. It's very pleasant.

I think it's quite a tasty brew, and don't understand other reviewers' gripes, aside from the fact that it's not a real APA. Up front, you've got the malts and honey, the fruity yeast, but the earthy/grassy hops do come out, and I don't find the finsh cloying at all -- more of a tart green apple.

It's got a big body, which borders on being too heavy, but the finish really makes up for it -- the mouthfeel is wet & sticky while the beer is still in your mouth, but right after each swallow, my tongue dried right up, which left me in the perfect position to have another sip. I'm not sure I'd drink this on a warm afternoon, but it's perfect for a cool spring evening such as tonight. A good seasonal beer, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2007 10:43:24 | More by BeerLover48Fan

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev +17.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Very appealling orange bronze body, some carbonation streams, medium clarity, and a huge tower of egg-shell white foam, rising above the rim, with some impressive dents in the top. Some dripping lacing.

Big bakery bready aroma, with some floral and fruity hints along the edge.

Taste kicks off with a nice solid sweet caramelly foundation. Pleasant tide of earthy hops build on that foundation enough to call it their own. Light, mellow hop tingle gently lingers from the finish and on into the aftertaste. Good balance overall. A Very English pale ale.

Proper mediumish mouthfeel.

Good drinkability, I could session this.

I know Cooperstown gets overshadowed by the other guys in town, but they make solid English-ish ales. Give them some at bats.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2006 23:48:10 | More by RonfromJersey

jbsteiny

Hawaii

4.05/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I'm choosing to review this as an English Pale Ale, because pretty much every aspect of this beer is more English than American, and it's a very successful English Ale for the reasons I will enumerate below, whereas it lacks the hop bite that we expect from an APA. I think the negative reviews this beer has received of late have been because of its miscategorization.

That said, it pours a hazy amber with a mountain of light tan head, which eventually bubbled away into a persistent half-inch of foam that left decent lacing most of the way down the glass. The smell was primarily of rich biscuity malts and honey, but there's fruity yeast and buttery diacetyl present as well. It's very pleasant.

I think it's quite a tasty brew, and don't understand other reviewers' gripes, aside from the fact that it's not a real APA. Up front, you've got the malts and honey, the fruity yeast, but the earthy/grassy hops do come out, and I don't find the finsh cloying at all -- more of a tart green apple.

It's got a big body, which borders on being too heavy, but the finish really makes up for it -- the mouthfeel is wet & sticky while the beer is still in your mouth, but right after each swallow, my tongue dried right up, which left me in the perfect position to have another sip. I'm not sure I'd drink this on a warm afternoon, but it's perfect for a cool spring evening such as tonight. A good session beer, IMO.

Serving type: bottle

05-25-2007 03:02:18 | More by jbsteiny

foxmul924

New York

4.03/5  rDev +15.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Semi-Agressively Poured from Cold Bottle to Room-Temperature Pint. Full, Off-White Colored Head.

English-Style Ale with an Oily, Light-Medium Body/Mouthfeel

Sweet, Malty Aroma

Taste Bears Hints of Honey, Piney/Grass, and Sour Blueberries

Hops not Overwhelming, Although I Did Expect a Hoppier Taste for a Pale Ale. Upon Swallowing, Sweet Malt Flavor Chases and Lingers After Initial Hoppiness.

Overall a Very Drinkable, Everyday Brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2007 00:03:01 | More by foxmul924

palma

New York

4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on-tap at the Cooperstown Brewery itself.
Golden body. Pretty thick head. Lace sticks around the edges well. Mild malt smell with some fruity notes. Light hop aroma as well. Decently hopped for an APA. Plenty sufficient. Malt backs up the bitterness nicely. Enjoyable yeasty finish along with the slight citrus twang. A very well balanced pale in my opinion and one of my favorite offerings from the Cooperstown Brewing Co.

Serving type: on-tap

11-19-2004 23:03:35 | More by palma

TheFeintingGoat

New York

4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle from right here in Oneonta (about 20 miles away from Cooperstown).

Pours a nice copper color with a billowy head--moderatly good rentention. Lots of carbonation drifting up, very pretty.
A sweet carmel hops smell permeates the air couples with a red wheat aroma.
Nice foamy, sudsy taste at the start, giving way to a bittersweet sugar grain taste. The hops are quite prevalent, but on a whole the beer is quite relaxed.
The mouthfeel gives way to a higher carmel flavor and smoothes the beer out a bit while also intensifying the hops bite after the swallow. Very smooth and sticky as well.
Not complex, yet not the simplest thing either it's just overall a very nice beer. Very relaxing, sweet and smooth like caramel. Nice for a ballgame, that's for sure. The head retention is a big plus.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2006 04:29:01 | More by TheFeintingGoat

funkengruven

Ontario (Canada)

4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I would have to concur with some of the previous reviewers and say this does resemble an English Pale Ale moreso than an American one. One of the very reasons I enjoyed this brew. It poured a clear dark amber with lots of slightly off-white head, subsided to a ton of lacing. Smell is malty, with some hop aroma. Hops are definitely present in the flavor, Fuggles, maybe Goldings, could be wrong though. Aroma has a slight sweetness to it, very pleasant. This goes down nice and smooth, very easy to drink.

This is a very good ale. A perfect accompaniment to the Jays final game of the season.

Serving type: bottle

09-30-2007 18:05:56 | More by funkengruven

Durge

Connecticut

4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This pours cold into a short pilsner glass a slightly hazy copper color with a nice fluffy white head and fair lacing. The aroma is a very pleasant blend of buttery malt and flowery hops. The taste is a chewy sweet malt with good hop bitterness, almost a chocolate butterscotch touch with good hop bite. Much more substantial than I anticipated. A bit peppery with a pretty heavy feel for a pale ale. Recommended for something a little different and decent. Plenty drinkable to boot.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2008 04:13:09 | More by Durge

generallee

New York

4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: It was poured from a brown 12oz bottle into a pint glass. No other information is available on the label.

Appearance: The body has a slightly hazy look with a good amber color and a creamy off white head. The two finger head slowly settles as I drink and makes some spotty lacing on the glass.

Smell: It has a nice blend of bready maltiness with a pleasant butterfinger like caramel/toffee sweetness and citrus/grassy hops.

Taste/Palate: It starts with a good base of bready malt and very light toasted grain. This is balanced buy mildly bitter hops that add a touch of citrus and grassy flavor to the overall character. It finishes with a mild bitter fade on a smooth yet well carbonated medium body.

Notes: It's good in the bottle but much better and with a brighter hop character on tap.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2011 18:54:33 | More by generallee

Lawl3ss

Texas

4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Chilled 12 oz. bottle poured into a mug. No freshness date on this one.

Look- Hazy deep amber with a blood orange tinge, it looks like butterscotch candy. The reasonable amount of head starts off a sparkly off-white color, and it definitely twinkled more than usual. Not sure if that was a trick of the light or just the density and color, but it looked pretty snazzy. The head takes on more of an old parchment tone and character as it compacts down to a ~2mm film that crowds towards the sides of the mug. No lacing to speak of. By the end of the mug, the head was barely a wisp at the surface and the glass was as clean as it would be were I drinking windex (not a recommended pastime.) I really wish I had another one of these on hand to see if that sparkly pour was a fluke. +.5 just for that.

Smell- Quite pleasant and lighthearted; I get a bright banana bread/toffee that borders on a candi sugar sweetness, but isn't at all offensive. Any bitter hop aroma is pretty solidly buried, but the leafy character of what is detectable balances out the sweetness quite well. Agitation brings out a light bitter citrus and a hint of lavender.

Taste- Much like the smell- light and playful. Starts off with a crisp smack of piney hops that mellows quickly into a light biscuity flavor with touches of buttery diacetyl, mineral water, and something flowery. Very clean, with only the faintest resiny aftertaste.

Mouthfeel- Medium bodied with moderate amount of carbonation, slightly oily and dry at the finish. The surprise was a very faint minty/herbal cooling sensation that lingered on the tongue. At first I thought it was just the beer's temperature, but it grew more pronounced as it warmed. Curiouser and curiouser. Other than that, it's exceptionally clean and leaves nothing but a desire for more- this is one easy-drinking beverage! I found myself sipping it quicker than I expected and was rather disappointed to find my glass empty in a matter of minutes.

Overall, this would be an excellent session beer, and I could drink quite a few in a row. Not sure on the freshness, but it's got an unusual hop/malt balance with enough complexity to make it reasonably interesting. Not lip-smacking, but quite quaffable- a solid session APA that I'll definitely try again.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 01:31:22 | More by Lawl3ss

ybnorml

Rhode Island

3.98/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A clean orange/ amber ale With a bubbly off white head that leaves a little bit of lace. Has an inviting spicey and sweet/carmel aroma. A hint of carmel sweetness teases the tip of the tongue, while a hop spiceiness fills your mouth. The finish has a smooth bitterness followed by a hint of butterscotch. An even handed tasty Pale Ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2004 21:17:55 | More by ybnorml

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +13.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a hazy copper color with an off white head. In the aroma, mellow hops and a small gingerbread balanced malt. In the taste, a small pine hop, with a note of gingerbread malt, a bit hop forward, but nice. A small hop bite and a medium bodied mouthfeel, with a semi dry pine hop in the aftertaste. A basic pale, a bit hop forward, but decent nonetheless.

Serving type: on-tap

08-21-2012 17:01:42 | More by OWSLEY069

Thrasher

Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A very nice pale ale, medium amber with good head that dwindles to thin layer, crisp fruity malt nose. Sweet, crisp malts are the backbone of this brew, reminiscent of leaves in autumn, sweet caramel, and tart apples. The hops round the finish, making this an incredibly clean tasting brew. The marriage is perfect and the hops really bring out the best in the malts. Finish is initially dry, then a lingering wetness sets in. Mouthfeel is a little sharp and fizzy. All in all quite tasty, and appetizing.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2002 15:29:24 | More by Thrasher

kunzbrew

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This brew pours a clear copper color with no head, and leaves no lace behind. Hops a light malt fill the nose, along with a sence of paleness if that is a word. Hops are moderate to high in flavor which is what I am looking for with this brew. A citrus flavor is also present but not strong. I had a lot of hopes for this beer but they did not come true. This is still a great brew and I recommend it to anyone in the New York area.

Cheers

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2003 16:53:50 | More by kunzbrew

Charthepirate

New York

3.93/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

I think I've found my new session brew.

A smooth maltiness with just the appropriate fruity esthers. generally mild, but as the hops and malt mix in the middle of the mouth the beer nicely fills the mouth. On the way out it leaves a nice clean trail with a kcki of bitterness. a

Not the best pale on earth, but smooth malty and flavorful all around.

Char

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2004 00:59:47 | More by Charthepirate

Pencible

Virginia

3.93/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

This poured a clear bronze color with a good amount of white head. It smelled like grassy hops, light refined yeast, and caramel malt. It tasted like a watery but balanced blend of sweet caramel malt and mild copper hops. It was somewhat oily with some carbonation, and had a mild aftertaste. Overall this was a very simple but clean and refreshing beer. Quite drinkable despite its generic character.

Serving type: bottle

06-20-2008 14:42:49 | More by Pencible

MVotter

New York

3.93/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Cooperstown Brewery's Old Slugger Pale Ale pours into a chalice a clear copper, sporting a thin cream-colored head.

The smell is citrus hops, and sweet malts, grains, grasses.

The taste of this pale ale actually leads with some of the sweeter malt notes alluded to as part of the aroma ... a caramel flavor. The finish is a slight bitter hops taste.

The mouthfeel is medium gravity with plenty of carbonation, enough to give the overall experience a "dry" quality ... subsequent sips on this one tended to increase in frequency (hehe).

The drinkability follows suit with the previous categories. The Old Slugger Pale Ale is a really pleasant experience all the way. Maybe not a grand slam, from my perspective, but definitely an extra base hit.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2009 03:16:51 | More by MVotter

ThePorterSorter

New York

3.93/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer is definitely different than expected.
It pours a deep, hazy amber with a gushing and foamy tan head that laces. There is a generous amount of carbonation helping to uplift an interesting & dank, garlic & onion hoppiness. The smell caught me off guard at first, but the thick, mineral character grows on both your nose and palate. The beer's aroma carries through to its flavor profile nicely and seems to be relatively balanced in regards to its tame hoppy bitterness and light alcohol. I honestly like this beer and went tried it with no expectations... pleasantly surprised.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2012 00:33:06 | More by ThePorterSorter

John

New York

3.9/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A classic pale. Nice, subtle hop profile. Good session brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2001 14:57:01 | More by John

Jason

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Presentation: 12 oz. brown long neck with a baseball motif label and cap. No freshness date.

Appearance: Light copper in colour with a well retaining white lace.

Smell: Sweet crisp malt, mild hop and faint butterscotch diacetyl.

Taste: Semi crisp sweet malt with a light coating of buttery diacetyl and mild caramel. Hop bitterness evens out the malt profile the goes hand and hand with a crisp grainy flavour. Nice rounded hop finish of citrus and herbal fades into the background with a lingering residual sweetness.

Notes: A pleasant pale ale, fermented out with the Ringwood strain and a well blended mix of hops to make for a nice finish. A great hybrid pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2002 04:03:52 | More by Jason

Stimack

New York

3.9/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Brew poured to an amber color with golden highlights while possessing a nice sized white head that has good retention. The lacing is very good down the whole side if the glass. The aroma is nice as well, clear malt scent of caramel with some nice roasted highlights. For an American IPA, it does not have a clear hop scent, it is there but is quite muted compared to the malts. The taste is very solid, nice caramel malt flavors of front that quickly snap to a hop flavor that lingers into the after taste. The hops that are present are clearly there but seem to be a good complement rather than a dominant feature. Has a nice amount of carbonation that seems to add to the hop flavor as it tingles the tongue. This is a very easy drinking brew, one that is a good session brew especially when you can get it for about $10.00 a 12 pack. A real strong offering from CBC.

Serving type: bottle

01-29-2007 02:15:47 | More by Stimack

williamherbert

New York

3.9/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This has a nice, hazy cider orange. Large pillowy head. Darkish orange. Head sticks around for a while. Tiny specks of lace at the top.

Has a nice English Pale smell. Ale-y, slightly fruity (apricot/orange?). Sweet ale malt, few hops to be detected. Fruity and inviting.

Malty ale taste, with a fruity base in the malt. Musty hops act as a bitter parting shot, mild though they are. All flavors increase/improve as it warms up.

Thick ale feel. Slightly creamy and with a wet after-feel. It has a definite English Pale taste. Lovely actually; a fine, sweet ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2007 03:33:24 | More by williamherbert