Amish Four Grain Pale Ale - Lancaster Brewing Company

TheMultiYeast

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear dark orange with two fingers of head

Smell is really malt forward. Sweet nutty caramel and brown sugar.. Hopa are really restrained

Taste also lacks hops but offers more sweet bready malts. Very little bitterness.

Medium bodied and easy to drink

Decent beer but not much of a pale ale

Serving type: bottle

12-26-2012 05:11:09 | More by TheMultiYeast

BWED

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +10.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to a promo at Exton Beverage, Exton, PA I came home with a variety pack of Lancasters, along with a Winter Warmer (which I've also reviewed) pint glass! So, a few more Lancaster reviews soon to come.

Poured into a tumbler from a 12 oz. bottle.

A- nice burnt orange, with a light haze, and a creamy two-finger, just barely off white head. Retention fantastic, seemingly being able to stick around for days, if I'd let it. Lumps of foam stick around the glass, and even a pile of the head lies at the bottom when I'm finished.

S- Strong malt and grain, which was expected. The thing that really struck me was the aroma of the mashing process, a homebrewer's kitchen on brewing day. It's great. Sweet, breadlike, but distinct to the brewing world. Hops aren't very apparent, maybe a little dryness.

T- Up front with the malt again. I think it is a good balance sweetness, then a bit of a rye bite to spice it up. Again, hops are well hidden, but I can sense them in there somewhere.

M- Smooth, medium-light body, good light carbonation.

O- This beer is damn good. It looks, smells, and tastes great. Emphasis on the smell. I like how the mash has converted all the way to the end. Sometimes hops spoil the smell and flavor for me, but they don't here. Seasonally, I would drink this in the late summer/early fall; kind of a farewell to summer beer. It's a crisp smooth ale, but the grain gives it a light heaviness that welcomes cooler weather.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2012 21:30:44 | More by BWED

kangarooAdam59

Pennsylvania

2.33/5  rDev -34.9%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 1.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.75

Nice to be back in PA for the time being, time to get some stuff knocked off my list:

Into a pint glass:

A: copper colored body that left a film of a white that appeared and immediately died. No lacing was left. The body was fairly transparent but no carbonation was seen rising.

S: some faint breadiness, nothing else there

T: bland metal, aftertaste was plain and dry.

M: light to medium with some light harshness on the tongue. This beer was fairly drinkable.

O: there wasn't much flavoring to this pale ale, and I am slightly disappointed. I probably won't come back to this.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 19:38:01 | More by kangarooAdam59

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The beet poured a medium, clear amber gold. The creamy tan head aw about one and a half fingers high. It dissipates fast, but leaves good lacing.
The smell is earthy, grassy, malt and some caramel.
Tasting the beer , up front is a nice bouquet of flowery hops , mingled with some sweetness of toffee, actually very refreshing. In the middle more earthy flavors and a good malt backbone dominate. In the finish there are more grainy notes to round up the taste.
Nice brew, very drinkable and a good value for the price, $12, for a sixpack.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 03:34:15 | More by Hopfenpeter

malprep

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Having already had the Lancaster Milk Stout and enjoying it, I was excited to try the Amish Four Grain. Not a huge fan of the Pale Ale, I did try to keep an open mind. The Four Grain is good.

It starts off well with a more amber color than most Pale Ales. The body holds up well.
Has a bit of a banana like smell to it.
The sweet taste holds stay with you but is not overpowering..
Very smooth on the palate.

It is not your typical Pale Ale and one in which I would enjoy again.

Serving type: bottle

08-18-2012 02:17:37 | More by malprep

57md

Pennsylvania

3.8/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a brownish-copper with less than a finger of head. Apples and raisins are both present in the nose. Bready flavor, but on the lighter side (not in a bad way). Slightly sour on the finish. Complex.

Not your typical American Pale Ale, but very respectable nonetheless.

Serving type: bottle

07-17-2012 03:15:51 | More by 57md

KellyL

Illinois

2.53/5  rDev -29.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Sam Adams glass.

Appearance: Copper color, faint white head faded fast. No lacing.

Smell: Tart banana, smells like a beginners home brew.

Taste: Tastes like a beer. Nothing remarkable. Slight bite on the finish, more carbonic than bitter from hops.

Mouthfeel: Medium to thin bodied, too much carbonation for the style. The level of carbonation should contribute to better head retention but it didn't.

Overall: Blah. Not bad, but not remarkable. It seemed like the fermentation temperature wasn't controlled. If someone poured this for me and I didn't know better, I'd think it was a mediocre home brew.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 21:16:43 | More by KellyL

goldennectar

Ohio

4.23/5  rDev +18.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass.

Appearance: Hazy amber with a off white head that quietly fades away.

Smell: Bread and malty, sweet malts. Good on the nose.

Taste: Sweet malts in front with enough hops behind it to quite nicely balance it out. Tastes as good as it smells!

Mouthfeel: Medium body and the right amount of carbonation.

Overall: Very well done and a very enjoyable pale ale. Goes down quite easily with loads of great flavor. A good beer for any day of the year. I wish it was available around here.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 16:42:44 | More by goldennectar

andrewjraab

Michigan

3.65/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - Pours a copper brown with thousands of racing bubbles. An unfiltered look to this brew. Huge foamy off white head after an aggressive pour. BIG foamy rings stick to the glass as the drink progresses.

S - Nice smell of freshly baked bread. Malty and wheat.

T - Clean and crisp up front followed by a semi sweet malty flavor and finishes with a nice bready and doughy aftertaste.

O - This is a very unique and well crafted brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2012 01:25:09 | More by andrewjraab

pvsob

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Deep amber/rust color with a half inch head. Fades quickly, leaving a thin film and some lacing.

S- Toffee/caramel, earthy English hops, light wheat and rye. Very subdued, but also enticing.

T- Malts are the star in this beer. Starts off with a nice bready malt flavor mixed with some toffee. Spicy rye and a sharp twang from the wheat come in at the end. A nice earthy/mineral flavor from the English hops and the Oats is every present.

M- Very smooth with medium carbonation.

O- This one won't satisfy hop heads, but if you're craving a interesting malt forward beer, this could be the one for you. In my opinion, an underrated/overlooked beer from Lancaster. Recommended. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2012 20:41:13 | More by pvsob

C20Percent

Virginia

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

*Included in a Beer of the Month shipment back in January*

A: Pours a slightly hazy dark amber color with a decent off-white head on it's shoulders. Although, that could be because I pulled off a perfect pour. Pint glass, by the way. Some definite sediment floating around. Don't remember that from the first two of these I had, but one was out of the bottle. Bubbles got it going on. Appearance is actually really good.

S: Fruity bread. Fruity wheat. Smells like a Hefewiezen -- this isn't one though, right? Kind of smells like your average wheat beer. Nothing really standing out for me. Pretty much standard.

T: Taste like it smells. Fruity wheat. Fruity bread. The finish, for me, is kind of flat. Although, this beer isn't "fresh" by any means. If this was an IPA I wouldn't even review it. Not a huge wheat beer guy. I prefer a hoppier Pale Ale. The finish is a big turn off -- almost metallic. Sour. I really look for flavor to bounce off my tongue, and I'm not getting that here. Average.

M: For a Pale Ale this is more on the heavy side. Almost syrupy for me. Chewing wet bread. Medium carbonation.

O: Meh. This is kind of off putting, to be honest. I was looking for something light to finish off the night. The subtle flavors are confusing me -- don't know if what I'm tasting is intentional or not. I could see ordering this on tap somewhere, but wouldn't purchase a bottle of it.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2012 03:00:24 | More by C20Percent

WoodBrew

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -16.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a nice amber color, light carbination, nice head to start but disapates quickly. A so so bready aroma. I can taste the rye and wheat here. I also detect Fuggles hops but there seem to be others. In fact is seems to have a lot of complex ingredients yet it is a very simple and clean taste. It is one of those beers that if necessary you could session, but I wouldnt go out of my way to get this beer....nevertheless it is worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2012 13:46:47 | More by WoodBrew

ryanclicks

4.13/5  rDev +15.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Got this beer as part of a beer of the month club my wife got for me. Beer pours a very pleasant amber/brown with a solid finger of off-white head. Smells a little sour, a little hoppy on the nose. Beer has a sweet start, smooth mouth feel and very solid hop flavor. Hops are not too strong, not too weak. Very drinkable pale ale.

Overall a very good beer. If more readily available in SD I would more than likely pick up a sixer.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2012 01:10:19 | More by ryanclicks

chilly460

Virginia

3.53/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours burnt orange with a nice finger of off white head, which sticks around as a solid cap. Decent flecks of lacing remain behind.

S – Get immediate toasted grains, along with some richer caramel tones. Earthy hops follow up nicely, this is a nice "session" brew smell.

T – Quite sweet initially, the caramel flavor is light on the tongue. Some more "nutty" flavors come in too. The hops are earthy style, more of an English style.

M – Fairly nice, light bodied but with nice creamy carbonation.

O - Solid brew, nice balance and good flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2012 14:48:44 | More by chilly460

zac16125

South Carolina

3.38/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Lancaster Amish Four Grain Pale Ale
12oz bottle poured into a pint glass
No born on date or other distinguishing numbers

A: Pours a dark amber with 2 fingers of very light khaki colored head, which takes a good while to dissipate down to a thick film which remains throughout most of the drink but leaves zero lacing.  

S: Earthy rye, an unexpected pepper spiciness, sweet malts (caramel and candied sugar).  Pretty much all sweet malts and rye, almost no hop presence on the nose, but does smell really good.  

T: Rye spiceyness, caramel malt,  peppery spice, a hint of clove.  The flavor profile is pretty straight forward rye and malt sweetness.  Would have really liked some hop characters in this brew.  I think they would certainly add a level of complexity and depth. But as it is, decent but unremarkable

M/D: Pretty smooth but with a biting carbonation, medium bodied and moderately easy to drink.  

O: Overall, an acceptable brew.  I enjoyed the rye and malt sweetness flavors but would have liked a hop presence to balance things out.  Decent but nothing special.  

Serving type: bottle

02-26-2012 22:24:43 | More by zac16125

hopsolutely

Ontario (Canada)

3.2/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A heavily malt-forward ale that I view as a decent example of a British pale ale, but lacking the hops I associate with American versions.

Beautiful clear amber colour with impressive head and lacing. Mouthfeel is pleasantly carbonated, but lacking both the viscous heaviness or brightness of others in its class. Malt forward aroma is pleasantly grainy, but the taste is more single dimensional than I'd choose, much rye and and lacking the "west cost" hop elements for which I'd hoped. No citrus or tropical fruits, with a thin bitter finish.

Lancaster shows potential and I'll continue to support them, but this isn't their best offering.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 22:34:19 | More by hopsolutely

bonkers

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I recieved as part of a BOTMC, pours golden yellow, decent white head. The aroma is bready, grassy hops. The flavor is maltier than expected, floral hops, grassy hops, slightly bitter finish. The body is medium, easy drinking APA, good carbonation. In 2012 kinda expect more of an APA, not a terrible brew, just expect more.

Serving type: bottle

02-17-2012 07:32:08 | More by bonkers

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.88/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from bottle into pint glass.

Appearance - Pours a rusty–copper color with a off white head; the color not quite so” pale” as the categorization implies. The head fades leaving very little lacing.

Smell –Rye maltiness is the main aroma detected. This maltines however is mixed with a fair degree of sweeter aromas as well; mainly some caramel and toffee as well as some wheat and an ever so light toasted nut, which seems almost none existent in the beginning, but shows up at the end.

Taste – Sweet caramel and rye malt are the backbone of the brew and seem ever present. A very light hop spiciness, mostly earthy in , is present at the start, but seem to fade quite fast, giving way to an even greater level of sweetness, with the caramel flavor mixing with some lighter fruit flavors,;a bit of banana, and some other sweeter flavors of vanilla. The taste transition is light and very smooth. Quite nice!!

Mouthfeel – The rye flavor seems to blanket the tongue with a nice creaminess; a much creamier tongue feel then would have been expected. The carbonation level seems to be right on par, making it a very easy drinking and enjoyable brew.

Overall – This is quite nice and very flavorful brew. The rye and sweet flavors and aroma are all quite smooth and enjoyable.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 01:43:27 | More by Darkmagus82

SickGnar

Pennsylvania

3.7/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Dark orangey robust copper that is bright and clear with a few streams of large bubbles rising to the small off-white head that vanishes with blazing speed. It barely manages to keep a ring and leaves next to no lacing.

S: Toasty grain, pale malts, quite a bit of malty sweetness, some bready notes, and a touch of caramel. Oh yeah, and lots of spicy & earthy & softly minty rye. A hint of grassy and spicy hops. Initial super faint hint of diacetyl, but it fades away to the imagination. Quite intriguing and very inviting.

T: I get a lot of rye. Lots of earthy & lots of spicy & a fair hint of mint. Almost reminds me of some of the yeast notes in a nice saison. Also reminiscent of an aromatic Hefeweizen. Behind this is a background of toasty grain, biscuity pale malt, some bready notes, and a lasting touch of caramel malty sweetness. Hops are just a hair behind the malts. Grassy and herbal up front, spicy through the middle, and earthy & resin in the end and through the finish.

M: Leans toward lower end of medium with carbonation slightly over-matched but within average range. Still it does have hints of dextrins and slight bits of texture. Finish is slowly drying.

D: Very rye beer – quite a bit more earthy and spicy than I expected. Almost a quasi-yeast derived impression. I didn’t find it as malty as some others noted, but it is malty rather than the usual hoppy rye offereing. A very nice use of rye. Quite a tasty and interesting brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-30-2012 01:58:19 | More by SickGnar

Tschnab

New York

3.9/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- pours a darker than I expected dark orange with a nice big head and a good sheet of sticky lace.

S- an aroma is is surprisingly filled with banana and clove, with a touch of rye spice and woodsy touches, along with a sweet fruity malt.

T- the bananas mixed with the subtle but dark earthy rye gives a strong suggestion of a dunkel, but there are enough malty and hoppy characters that make this a really unique and eye opening session pale.

o- a pale ale that is quite unique because of the combination of grains used. It tastes like a dunkel/pale ale hybrid.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2012 17:32:23 | More by Tschnab

kojevergas

California

3.23/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a N'Ice Chouffe beer flute in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are above average; I just recently tried Lancaster's milk stout and was pretty impressed.

A: Pours a half finger head of slight cream, fair thickness, and average retention. Colour is a hazy dark copper.

Sm: An intriguing blend of hops, toasted malt, and strong bright fruit esters - I get mango, banana, and maybe passion fruit. Very interesting. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Hops alongside the fruit esters from the nose, over a lightly toasted malt foundation. The individual fruit esters combine nicely to form a balanced interesting flavour, with the banana and mango continuing through the finish. It's a great approach to a pale ale, and works very effectively. It's a bit simple, but that's to be expected for the style. I like what they're doing here. No hop bitterness ever emerges. No alcohol is detectable (though it shouldn't be). It's a bit too sugary all around, going so far as to feel like candied sugar - which is inappropriate for the style and intrudes on the flavour profile mildly. It's forgivable, but is far too prominent on the finish, ruining the aftertaste.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with some coarseness up front. Fizzy tingly sugars are also present. Cream is absent, as it should be in this style.

Dr: Drinkable, but with the heaviness of the sugar load, it'd be hard to have more than one or two of these in a short time frame. That said, I do enjoy it and I like their experimentation within the style. This one is definitely worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 07:59:34 | More by kojevergas

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This brew poured out as a really nice looking clear amber color with a white fizzy head on top. The lacing wasn't too bad. The smell of the beer had a good amount of malt aromas on the nose. The taste of the beer has a little bit a of a sweetness upfront that I liked. The finish was bitter and dry. The mouthfeel was pretty good, drinkable, good medium body and a healthy carbonation. Overall I would drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2012 04:54:59 | More by Knapp85

tdm168

North Carolina

3.2/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a caramel amber with a thin lacing of loose head. There are carbonation bubbles rising to the top. The nose is weird. I get notes of white grapes, dark fruit, and alcohol phenols. The taste is similar to the nose. There is light malt up front but mostly white grapes. The finish is slightly bitter with notes of dark fruit. The is a very faint diacetylic undertone. There is also some slight, unexpected alcohol warmth in the finish. It's light to medium bodied but heavily carbonated and crisp.

This is a weird APA in my opinion. Between the alcohol and the grape notes, it's more winey than pale ale-like. It's a little sweet and the creamy undertones are off putting. It's not awful, but by no means great.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 13:21:59 | More by tdm168

DrinkingDrake

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to a friend who brought some gifts back from a road trip.
A hazy orange/brown leaf color. Small amount of large bubbly head which vanishes quickly. Nothing much happening in the aroma. Some light toasted German malts and a faint layer of herbal hops. First sip I instantly thought Vienna Lager. Light and crisp but rich on toasted, whole grain biscuit. Also, some herbal hops, that are very subtle but not hidden and some clean yeast character. Such a smooth, malty beer that I just kept thinking Vienna lager. I would love to actually try their Vienna lager.

Serving type: bottle

11-16-2011 01:29:09 | More by DrinkingDrake

barleyroad

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Amber in appearance with a nice clarity. Smell has a nice beer smell, the right mix, the way beer should smell. Mouthfeel is hoppy up front and cleans the mouth well. Taste is mild pale ale one that would good go well with a nice white meat. Will not over power a good fish fry. Overall this Pale Ale is ok and one that will allow you to drink more.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 23:06:53 | More by barleyroad