Mad Anthony's APA - Erie Brewing Co.

mempath

Pennsylvania

4.58/5  rDev +31.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

bought a single to check it out. a PA beer! a new APA! let's see, smell, taste...

looks fine. not much lacing...head settles fast but maintains a nice sudsy veneer. dark but bright, deep orange-amber tint.

wow. smells of fermented oranges or a marmalade. not just the sweetness but the tartness of oranges. peel, too.

thick, chewey mouthfeel allows the hop bitterness to meld with a notable sweetness, but in no way too sweet. very interesting and excellent balance. the maltiness edges from the shadows and asserts a bit as the glass warms. very nice.

i don't know, but those who think even the Newbold is 'bitter' (a friend couldn't handle two sips of that and went back to his nut brown honey lager...) might be able to handle the light but noticeable hop precense. for me, this is a treat and quite quaffable. yeah, a session brew for sure. easily. surprised at the current average rating....

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2009 23:13:31 | More by mempath

benmiliron

Ohio

4.5/5  rDev +29.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Paid $1.79 for a 12 oz. bottle. Light amber/copper with a dense white single finger of foam. Smell is floral hops, wildflowers and a hint of citrus. Taste is malty & bready at first, but quickly plunges into the floral hop bitterness. Not overpowering at all. Excellent match of hops and malt. There is a noticeable final gravity and spicy carbonation that's just right.

This is a classic example of what an American IPA should be. This is even more indicative of the style than Sierra Nevada. Superb!

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2007 02:25:31 | More by benmiliron

bpw28

New Jersey

4.43/5  rDev +27.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Look: Two finger bone white shaving cream head, orange-copper (about an 11 SRM), very nice lacing, light carb can be seen.

Smell:Hm. Very big fresh cherry (with little green branch still attached. Don't be confused with the candy cherry, this smells like the real thing.), very floral, light malt, light yeasty, biscuity.

Taste: No cherry on the taste. Very floral first, slight fruity taste like white grape, yeasty, nice malt backbone, pine on the finish, clean, perfect hop bite for an APA (IMO, of course. Not IPA strong, but very solid. Perfect.), good carb, body is very good.

Final Thoughts: I like this one. It's a few shades darker then I know a APA to be, but not much. It's hop forward, clean, and has a good malt backbone. A nice APA, I would gladly buy this again.

After I finished the bulk of this I opened a new tab and searched other peoples review to see if they smelled the cherry. Not only didn't I see anyone who said they smelled it in my short search but its also apparent that my experience seems almost totally different. I guess it really shows that personal experiences and tastes are in fact that, personal.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2011 03:59:45 | More by bpw28

Birdiebeagle

Pennsylvania

4.38/5  rDev +25.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottle Pours a clear light gold with a generous off white head. The head is frothy and seems too last well. The lacing is okay. Aroma has a decent hoppiness to it mostly oranges. Has a good carbonation and a good mouthfeel. The flavor is of hops with a lite touch of sweetness. I still get orange peel more than oranges. Has a medium body. An oily texture. Has a good finish with a nice bitter aftertaste. Not real strong but you know the bitterness is there. I hate to swim up stream but I think this is a damn good beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2009 11:28:26 | More by Birdiebeagle

stewart124

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +25%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

No freshness date but I picked this up back in October of 2010

Pours a light copper color with a nice fluffy white head. Bits of lacing are left along the glass.

Small notes of grain and pear, apple and some citrus in the nose.

Crisp and refreshing. This has plenty of light caramel and a pleasant citrus character. Medium bodied with plenty of carbonation which adds to the hop experience.

This is a delicious APA and one that reminds me of being back in Northwestern PA. Very drinkable!

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2011 02:15:28 | More by stewart124

greggivan

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +23%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

poured from a bottle into a mug - while sitting in an Erie hotel pub.

appearance - medium to light copper appearance with a one finger off-white head which falls quickly. the top half inch of the glass is laced. and it holds.

smell - suitable to the style but also... oddly of lemons.

taste - i am surprised by how much i really like this beer. i am fairly new to the APA and this (if it is a good representative) will spur me on to try other APAs.

drinkability - i could see this working well for me on a hot summer day.

all in all, an extremely pleasant surprise considering i wasnt expecting to review beers tonight - enjoy

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2008 02:26:09 | More by greggivan

Porkchuck

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +22.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Appears medium on the amber chart with a head that stays put.

Smell is light and maybe on the friuty side.

Taste is slightly on the hoppy side.

Mouthlfeel isn't as smooth and you would anticipate but is a nice accent.

Drinkability is better than expected as well. It has a great finish and is overall a good beer.

Thanks Erie Brewing Co. Go PA!

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2007 02:25:37 | More by Porkchuck

aaronh

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

This is a fantastic beer, and I feel it is the best of the three offerred year-round by EBC. It has a nice amber color and pours with a very nice head. The flavor is well balanced and the finish is clean. A nice hops aroma delights the nose. This beer is still one of the dark horse favorites from our "beer club" (started to lessen the impact of PA case laws). EBC doesn't use fancy graphics or expensive labels and caps, but the put a lot of effort into their beers, and this is an excellent Ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-06-2002 07:39:08 | More by aaronh

nickthetick

Maryland

4.22/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

A: pours a slightly dark gold in an american shaker with a thin (from an experienced beer-bar beertender) light tan head that hangs around for an impressively long time and leaves very nice lacing.

S: mmm, darker than usual malts for an APA. Like a malted milkball center and a noice dose of piney hop goodness.

T: the smell can defiantly describe the taste, but you do get more umphf on the tongue than in the nose. The malt, while still holding on to that malted milkball center, introduces a toffee flavor. And the hops take on more of a bitter sweet citrus which over powers the pine a bit. The taste left in the mouth is a brilliant mingle of the two.

MF: the beer is a bit on the lighter side, but has plenty of carbonation and leaves a nice astringent feel on the tongue.

O: what a great APA, and beer in general. Complexity that makes up for the shortcomings in the MF category, I would grab this quickly if I saw it again and would probably pick it over a SNPA.

Serving type: on-tap

04-27-2011 00:36:07 | More by nickthetick

Lauthaha

Michigan

4.22/5  rDev +21.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 ounce bottle into a tulip glass.

Appearance: Beer is a somewhat deeper golden than most APAs. Head is frothy and cream-colored, and reduces to a ring of foam around the edge of the glass.

Smell: Toasted bready malt character. Some butterscotch notable. Less of a hop profile than other APAs I've tasted...but if I had to name them, I'd say more floral than bitter.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Malt is very pleasant here...definite creaminess with the carbonation. Hops are more apparent here than in the nose, and their bitterness mixes extremely well with the malt profile. Aftertaste is 25% bitter, 75% sweet, but in manageable amounts.

Overall: A very tasty beer...possibly a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2011 00:52:29 | More by Lauthaha

therica

Maryland

4.2/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

An amazingly happy surprise to find on a blind-guess try. Definitely better and more fully-balanced than our local Flying Dog Scratch Dog and Clipper City's Heavy Seas Loose Cannon beers.

A= typical copper-amber with modest head, light lacing.

S= overwhelming nose of hops galore! Florals, citrus, spices, and occasional whiffs of bready malts. Nothing that's nose-burning, either. The great scents are still there even at the finish.

T= lots to explore in the depth and variety of hops styles. Lightly sweet, just enough for balance. Balanced malts. Enough bitters to make APA fans happy, and yet the hops are more beta-acid for flavor and scent than uber-alpha acid bitterness.

M= perfect if you're a fan of great APA.

D= depending on your enjoyment of APA style, you can probably session on this.

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2009 04:41:39 | More by therica

plaid75

New York

4.18/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

Poured a slightly hazy light copper hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was decent retention and good lacing.

The smell featured a soft graininess with a clean herbal and grassy hop.

The taste was extremely well balanced with very clean and soft malts encompassing a light grassy hoppiness that cleaned up the already tidy malt. Slight bitterness at the finish.

The mouthfeel was toward the lighter side, but in a good way. Some residual spiciness.

Overall an extremely easy to drink ale. If I had to define the flavor of this beer in the most simple terms possible, I would say it tastes like ale. If there is such thing as an American table ale, this is it. Simple and sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2007 03:30:27 | More by plaid75

gciccarelli

Pennsylvania

4.18/5  rDev +20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle poured into pint glass.

A - Clear, crisp copper with good white foamy head. Good head retention. Leaves a good amount of lacing.

S - Hop presence, but not overpowering. Citrus notes. Sweet-smelling malt. A nice, complex smell.

T - Very similar to the smell. Malt sweetness with a slight bitter hop aftertaste. Citrus notes, slight hint of butter. Balanced quite nicely.

M - Light body, high carbonation. Perhaps slightly too carbonated. Leaves a pleasant feeling afterward.

D - Excellent balance and feel result in high drinkability. Could definitely have a few.

A very solid brew from Erie - recommended! Showcases a variety of excellent flavor.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2009 02:56:35 | More by gciccarelli

JamesS

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a very nice copper color with good head and some decent lacing. Nice scent, very floral and hoppy, with slight citrus tones. Excellent taste, a very well balanced, hoppy pale ale, with nice floral and slight citrus flavors. It goes down well, nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2008 01:46:59 | More by JamesS

dickroop

Maryland

4.15/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured with a 1 1/2 finger beige, pillowy head, dark and golden, with heavy, drooping lacing. Promising. Smell was also encouraging: citrus hoppy aroma with notes of honey and cider and spice.

Taste was rich, with a bitter bite. It was seltzery with chicory and some faint fruit notes, then more plain bitterness rather than hoppiness. Mouthfeel was light and pleasurable.

Overall drinkability was OK. I'd like to try this one on tap.

Serving type: bottle

11-09-2009 02:08:15 | More by dickroop

DrinkClub

New York

4.13/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A very nice beer to finish the evening. It's now fashionable to IPA everything to super bitter. That's okay for awhile, but after a bit, everything tastes like generic "craft beer." IPA, IPA, IPA. Only Bitter. Mad Anthony has gone milder. Less bitter than the generics but with a nice strong taste that sticks with you after you finish the bottle. I was so impressed I sent them a fan letter.

Serving type: bottle

02-13-2011 05:03:01 | More by DrinkClub

PittBeerGirl

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- copper colored body with nice white head.

S- smells strongly of floral hoppiness and malt.

T- Initial taste is floral and hops followed my a smooth caramel malt finish.

M- medium body with light carbonation.

D- this is an easy beer to enjoy with an interesting taste. Maybe it is not quite hoppy enough for an APA but its still really good.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2007 19:48:59 | More by PittBeerGirl

caminiti

New York

4.1/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Picked it up on a whim from Glenville Bev as part of a mix/match six pack, I liked the name.
Pleasantly surprised.
Poured into a stolen pint glass, copper orange with a small head that quickly vanished, smelled a bit fruity, and very hoppy, a good thing.
Taste was crisp, very crisp, and similiar to some of the more expensive pale ales. I was a bit surprised to find it was only 5.5%, as the alcohol taste didnt jump out at you but I thought it may have been hiding behind the crispness (did I mention that) and hops.
Worthy of purchasing a six pack

Serving type: bottle

01-04-2008 13:17:46 | More by caminiti

perfectkaos

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

this beer used to be a mainstay on the 100 beers list at my bar but i havent had one since they took it off a few years ago.

pours a cloudy orange color with no head. some hops are noticeable on the nose, a little sour, along with some roasted bready smells as well.

pretty strong hop kick up front with a little malt sweetness coming in later.

a very drinkable beer. drinking it now makes me wonder how i used to like Railbender better (well maybe it was the $2 special)

Serving type: bottle

06-18-2008 22:30:54 | More by perfectkaos

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

4.08/5  rDev +17.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A deep copper body is topped by a short, creamy, ivory head that holds fairly well, drops to a creamy collar, and leaves some nice lace. The nose expresses a butter-tinged, lightly sweet caramel & biscuit maltiness that's backed by some spicy and piney hops. The body is medium with a nice creaminess in the mouth from a soft and fine carbonation. The flavor is as the aroma suggests: "a butter-tinged, lightly sweet caramel & biscuit maltiness" that's supported by a firm (but not aggressive) bitterness and some soft piney hop flavor. It's very straight-forward but well-balanced and enjoyable. It finishes dry with a lingering combination of sticky maltiness and piney hops. Unique. The soft malt and piney hops work really well together, giving this beer a very good drinkability. Worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2002 17:45:14 | More by NeroFiddled

allboutbierge

Austria

4.05/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Well, this is it--number 100. Ive decided on second thought to review this as it was one of the beers that brought me from the dark side.

A creamy, pinky-wide toffee/off-white head is poured on top a slightly murky and deep copper brown body. Head disapates but leaves a trail of lace. Carbonation is very light and body is medium yet full. Could use a touch more carbonation to tickle the tongue and palate thereby improving mouthfeel. This is the only apparent flaw in this offering, and a rather mild one at that. The aromas given off by this brew are exactly the same as the flavors: sweet and mellow carmel malts with a background of mild almost pine tasting hops. Hops are slightly bitter; they are perfectly balanced with the malt flavors. Drinkability is excellent. Though a flaw to mouthfeel the lighter carbonation helps drinkability. Flavors arent hidden behind a wall of bubbles, thus come out with full flavor and keep the drinker interested throughout the evening. ABV is 5.5%.

I read somewhere Erie Brewing employees only 6 people. I am not sure if this is true but it can't be much more than that. Support the little guy! (especially considering that he produces beers this good for a rather reasonable price--$19).

Serving type: bottle

02-02-2003 12:37:17 | More by allboutbierge

williamherbert

New York

4/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

[Original thoughts from 9/24/06, and then updated thoughts from 6/28/08 between ***Asterisks***]

Light amber in color. Clear, but not exceptional. (3.5)
***Bright yellow in the sun; light orange in the light. A thick but brief head. Minor icy lace. Clear but a bit hazy.***

Malty aroma, light-bodied and pleasant enough. (3.0)
***The smell is very mild. There is a slight pale malt, but the smell is overall very hard to detect. Pleasant enough though.***

Heavy malt flavor, but not an overpowering aftertaste. Slight sweetness, very very light. Aftertaste is slight. (3.5)
***The taste has a surprisingly nice, fresh citrusy flavor to go along with the spicy pale malt flavor. The spicy hop is almost witbier-ish. The citrus sets it apart. Really surprising.***

Smooth but slightly thick. Has very little presence on the tongue after it's swallowed. (3.5)
***A little fizzy, but actually makes the flavors come alive. Nice, minor thickness.***

This beer is very easy to drink, but there really isn't much to it. It's a nice ale, with not much distinguising it from other similar ales. It's pleasant, but doesn't really resonate. A decent pickup if you can find it at a good price. (3.5)
***This time around, I found this to be a surprisingly citrusy, fruit-tinged pale ale. Easy drinking and refreshing.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2006 20:35:07 | More by williamherbert

rhoadsrage

Illinois

4/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

(Served in an American pint glass)

A- This beer has a warm aged copper body with a slight hazy to it. There is a thin even head of off-white foam that last for a good bit. There is a carbonation of tiny bubbles that for a net when rising to the surface.

S- This beer has a light sweet honey malt note with some lightly toasted malt smells that are very fresh.

T- This beer has a soft honey malt and fresh dry pale malt flavors with a soft green hops in the finish. There is a little bitterness to the hops but the dominant flavors are the malts.

M- This beer has a medium mouthfeel with a soft fizz that boost the hop flavor a little bit.

D- This beer has a nice flavor and good flavors to the malt with a light hop finish. This has nice complexity even though it doesn't have the big hops typical of most APAs. Very nice for a session beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2007 02:21:40 | More by rhoadsrage

tgbljb

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured a slightly hazy medium copper color with minute white head.
Smell is light, with some soft notes a hops detectable.
Taste also shows a very restrained hop profile, with a tough of malt in the background.
Finishes refreshing and a bit dry.
A very pleasnt drinking beer. Would be sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2007 23:26:14 | More by tgbljb

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz bottle obtained via trade with imstillthegman. Thanks for the opportunity.

Poured into an imperial pint glass, formed a 3/4" beige head above the slightly cloudy orangey amber brew. Head lasts nicely, with plentiful chunky lacing. Aroma is fruity hps character with some underlying sweetness, just about to style for me. Taste follows the nose, maybe not as much pale maltiness as I would have expected. Mouthfeel and drinkability are good also, a solid representation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2009 22:14:00 | More by ppoitras