XP Pale Ale - Bear Republic Brewing Co.

Dantes

New Jersey

3.58/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Package: 1 pint, 6 oz. (22oz.) crowned, brown bomber. Uncharacteristically restrained blue label with large white letters spelling out “XP Pale Ale.” Detailed blurb explains the name as standing for “Exceptional Pale Ale” (I think there’s a redundancy in there somewhere. Shouldn’t it be X Pale Ale?); and the beer as being “Bear’s interpretation of a classic American pale,” with “English and American malts melded with Centennial and Cascade hops. No date or ABV information.

Cost: $3.49 at Finger Lakes Beverage

Presentation: 20oz. imperial pint at ~50º

Appearance: Vigorous pop and copious gunsmoke greeted me as I opened this bottle. The beer poured a snowy white, voluminous head reminiscent of some French and Belgians. The body was a bit on the pale side (even for a pale), lacking some of the burnished depth of some of the English pales and some recent American Pales I’ve had. Crystal clear, it had lots of fine carbonation percolating through, replenishing the Île Flotant-like head, which just sank as I drained the glass without much lacing.

Smell: Crisp and tangy with a wisp of biscuit. The hops lean to the grassy, pine-resin side rather than the citrus (hooray!). The malts are (as expected) a bit subdued. Still, I really enjoyed the very refreshing aroma.

Taste: The first impression is of crisply herbal hops and a very fine prickle of carbonation. Unfortunately, the expected wave of biscuity malts arrives with a whimper. They seem quite diluted and insubstantial, giving the overall flavor a brittle quality. The flavor that’s there is quite good, but it lacks concentration. I can sense the balance in the beer, but the extraction might be improved. 5.5% ABV is no lightweight, but this seems to drink like one. The finish is clean and dry but mild and weak.

Mouthfeel: This area is the beer’s weakest. I’ve been drinking a bunch of pale ales lately (they seem to be making a comeback), and this one is amongst the wateriest. The great flavors are vitiated by a lack of body, making the beer thin. I guess it’s a tribute to Bear Republic that despite the weak body, the hops aren’t sharp and overly acidic but balance nicely with the pleasant if anemic malts. The carbonation is well-done though.

Drinkability: Very drinkable if not overwhelmingly satisfying. The ABV is well-hidden, as expected in a pale ale. Still, I expected a great drinking experience, not a fair one.

Backwash: Perhaps I had unsustainable expectations after having Hop Rod Rye, Racer 5, and Big Bear Black Stout; but this was a bit disappointing. The flavors and balance were there, but the beer had a very washed-out, diluted flavor to it. Normally I’d guess my palate was burnt-out from too many high-octane beers, but I had these by themselves with just popcorn; and I’ve had several other pales lately that just seemed to do the job better (Royal Oak, Ithaca, and Alpha King come to mind).

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2005 20:03:36 | More by Dantes

Bromine

Florida

4.5/5  rDev +16%

05-16-2013 23:00:50 | More by Bromine

chinchill

South Carolina

3.98/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. bomber served in a snifter. Pours orange-amber with a light white head. Modest head retention; spotty lacing.

S: Grassy and herbal hops with some faint citrus. A solid malt base.

T: Nice fruity-grassy flavors from the hops grab attention from the underlying sweet malt with its hints of toffee. Orange is the most obvious component of the citrus character.

M: Light/medium body; mild carbonation, but enough to keep it alive; smooth; exceptionally dry finish for style.

O: An exceptional example of the APA style from a very reliable brewer.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 22:53:00 | More by chinchill

drummermattie02

Texas

4/5  rDev +3.1%

05-14-2013 18:19:17 | More by drummermattie02

CBlack85

South Carolina

2.98/5  rDev -23.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Poured from a 22 oz. bomber into a New Belgium globe glass

The beer pours a light copper color with golden highlights. An aggressive pour yields a smallish white head that recedes quickly leaving behind a small amount of lacing.

The aroma is comprised largely of sweet caramel, and to a lesser degree citrus hops. Not quite what I expected from a west coast pale ale.

The flavor follows closely with the aroma, a bit too sweet with some bready notes. The hop profile is pleasant; mostly citrisy with some piney notes as well. While it is slightly less than I am used to in most APA's, it is not outside of style guidelines.

The body is a bit full for the style, combine that with the sweetness of the flavor, the beer becomes a bit hard to drink. While it is good, it is not suited to consuming multiple pints in one sitting.

Overall, XP is good, but with so many superior examples of the style I cannot see myself purchasing it on a regular basis...

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2013 00:48:17 | More by CBlack85

twenty5

Pennsylvania

3.25/5  rDev -16.2%

05-10-2013 14:48:55 | More by twenty5

2beerdogs

California

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

05-09-2013 04:37:58 | More by 2beerdogs

waddellc2

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +16%

05-08-2013 20:06:16 | More by waddellc2

tswater

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

04-28-2013 06:30:47 | More by tswater

EFR94

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

04-27-2013 22:18:27 | More by EFR94

marct

Nevada

3.5/5  rDev -9.8%

04-27-2013 03:13:19 | More by marct

LSx

California

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%

04-24-2013 19:47:43 | More by LSx

twax

Florida

4/5  rDev +3.1%

04-21-2013 03:18:02 | More by twax

ZJPierce

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +16%

04-18-2013 01:04:24 | More by ZJPierce

babaracas

Florida

3.75/5  rDev -3.4%

04-17-2013 03:42:35 | More by babaracas

Rick778

California

3.25/5  rDev -16.2%

04-15-2013 00:37:06 | More by Rick778

nickfl

Florida

3.64/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

A - Pours with a small head of white foam on top of a clear, copper colored body. The foam settles at a moderate pace and leaves little lace.

S - Sight citrus with notes of lemon and shiny of grapefruit, backed by toffee and bready malt notes.

T - Grassy hops up front with some sweet malt. A bit of toffee in the middle with moderate bitterness emerging and a finish of spicy, lemony hops and light caramel malt.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, and a slightly sweet finish.

D - Just a bit on the thick side for a pale ale, which hurts the drinkability a bit. The hops aren't as pungent as they could be, though they taste fresh. Lemon and toffee are the dominant characteristics and somehow it just doesn't come together in the end. Decent, but I wouldn't buy it again.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 05:04:13 | More by nickfl

tbryan5

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +3.1%

04-01-2013 23:21:20 | More by tbryan5

jsanmarco

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +3.1%

03-31-2013 01:28:19 | More by jsanmarco

rm9679

Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +16%

03-26-2013 00:42:55 | More by rm9679

AmitC

Indiana

3.84/5  rDev -1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter.

Color is amber. A lot of haze and suspensions. About one finger thick head with decent retention. Excellent lacing on the sides. Translucent. No bubbles.

Aroma is a lot earthy and a lot of malt. Hops are ground and slightly old. Earthy smell dominates. Strength is good but a lot like an old ale.

Taste is raw bready malt that is mixed with some earthy hops. Malt upfront and in the middle. Finish is slightly bitter. A little bit of dry hopped piney taste.

Mouth feel is light to medium bodied. Moderate carbonation. No astringency.

Very average pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 23:23:45 | More by AmitC

DIPAFAN

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +3.1%

03-24-2013 02:15:44 | More by DIPAFAN

mfnmbvp

Illinois

3.58/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22 oz. (1 pint 6 fl oz) bottle, with no apparent bottled on date present. Excited to try this next offering from Bear Republic, as I have been generally impressed by them so far.

Poured into a Firestone Walker pint glass.

A - Fairly aggressive pour yields virtually no head whatsoever, and a coppery orange colored body with plenty of sediment swirling around. Second pour yields about two fingers of fluffy doughy off-white head, with decent retention. Tons of attractive sediment suspended in the glass. Nice scattered lacing.

S - Light pine needle / mango hop resin smell, amidst crisp fruit and biscuit malts. Not packing a very strong aroma, but it tells the tale.

T - Taste generally follows what you would expect from the nose, nice bitter crisp hop bite up front, with a clean fruity malty sweetness. Bit of honey in the finish. Extremely well-balanced for an APA, perfect carbonation, and not excessive on the Cascade and Centennial hops like some APA's which are basically just hop bombs.

M - Smooth creamy, fruity sweet finish. Slight hop resins. Slightly dry.

Overall, light bodied and well balanced with a moderate and highly drinkable 5.40% abv, this is definitely a beer you could session or share a couple 22 oz. bottles with some friends. Once again, although not breaking any new ground, Bear Republic continues to impress with another well-made, well-balanced brew.

Bear Republic XP Pale Ale ---4/5

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 02:02:23 | More by mfnmbvp

PicoPapa

Connecticut

3.83/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

On tap at Rattle N Hum. Pours a hazy dark orange color with a thin layer of head. Lots of lacing. The aroma is caramel, pine and some light citrus and apricots. Slightly bready. The flavor is apricots with some piney hops. Caramel malts and breadiness follow. Maybe even hints of peach. Bitter at the end. Light mouthfeel. Pretty flavorful pale ale thats very drinkable. Overall, worth grabbing again.

Serving type: on-tap

03-21-2013 20:06:49 | More by PicoPapa

Schwantz

Florida

4/5  rDev +3.1%

03-16-2013 23:53:27 | More by Schwantz