English Bay Pale Ale - Granville Island Brewery

beertunes

Washington

2.88/5  rDev -8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into 10oz glass. Poured a lovely clear amber color with little head (even after switching to a more aggressive pour, I ended up less than 1/4 inch of head) that had zero retention or lacing.

The aroma had a slightly sweet malt scent, otherwise was very neutral. I was pleasantly surprised by a nice hit of citrus hops, but that flavor faded quickly and I was left with residual malt sweetness. Otherwise, the flavors were like the aroma, bland and neutral.

Body was typical for the style. Drinkability was good, but with such a lack of personality, why have more than one? Overall, worth trying if you see it, but don't go out of your way to get it.

Serving type: can

10-11-2009 19:54:32 | More by beertunes

donniecuffs

New Jersey

2.85/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Had this at Joe Forte's Restaurant on a recent trip to Vancouver. Poured copper with two fingers of offwhite head and great lacing. Decent amount of biscuit and malt in the nose, but not much else. The taste revealed biscuit toast and walnut, but not much fruitiness or hoppiness. Not much of a finish either. Not much carbonation in the feel, but it was smooth, and the nice head retention added a subtle creaminess to it. Decent session beer, but definitely needs a more robust flavor profile.

Serving type: on-tap

07-13-2010 21:47:15 | More by donniecuffs

allergictomacros

Ontario (Canada)

2.83/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Drinkability is this beer's strong point. Nothing particularly off about this brew, but definitely light in all respects. Clear copper with medium head. Sweet, caramelly aromas and grainy flavour with notes of toastedness. Some hops there in flavour and bitterness along with noticeable alcohol. Light bodied, low in carbonation and low in flavour makes for a session-type brew.

Serving type: on-tap

09-01-2006 06:29:26 | More by allergictomacros

DoubleJ

California

2.83/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On-tap inside Vancouver's International Airport, on to the beer:

Dark amber, patchy head retention, spotty lacing...ok, solid start. Iron and minerals to smell....uh, now I'm worried. It seems like GI is going for a maltier pael ale. The malts seem marzen-like, and probably explain the dark appearance for a pale ale. A little touch of diacetyl, a dash of fruit esters....damn, these BC pale ales have A LOT in common. Are they using the same yeast strain? Some of that overall flavor sticks in the palate into the aftertaste.

My day leaving Vancouver was not a good "beer tasting day", and GI Pale Ale played a part in that role. Maybe worth a try, but not worth a second try from me.

Serving type: on-tap

06-07-2010 04:06:31 | More by DoubleJ

BasementBer

Manitoba (Canada)

2.8/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Pale, yup. Overly carbonated, head retention is poor.

S: Sweet malts, slight dry hoppy aroma, floral if anything.

T: Malts. No hop nose or middle body.

M: smooth on the palate but generally agreeable because it doesnt have much going on for it other than simplicity.

D: Very drinkable, but you dont sit and ponder.

Serving type: can

07-03-2011 06:08:53 | More by BasementBer

bryehn

Ontario (Canada)

2.8/5  rDev -10.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a rusty amber tone with a definite brown tone. A sizeable, frothy tan head burns off quickly leaving no lace behind before settling as a thin film and collar.

Smells of nuts and fresh grains, with mild butter, alcohol and ripened fruit notes taking shape as it warms.

Tastes of buttery toffee before a solid nuttiness takes over. Very sweet in the finish with an odd, cloying metallic tinge to it.

Very thin and watery overall. Slightly yeasty, creamy feeling on the tongue comes from a light carbonation and long-lasting collar. Oddly sour sensation in the aftertaste.

A thoroughly unimpressive beer that meanders somewhere between a brown ale, an amber and an American pale ale. The metallic/sour finish and aftertaste are enough to keep me from buying it again.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 16:58:29 | More by bryehn

greenengineer

Massachusetts

2.78/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.75

473 mL Can, in the hotel room, Toronto.
A - foamy head dissipates quickly, orange bronze color.
S - a little bit of malt sweetness
T - sweet, malty, a little watery, hits of pepper. sweetness not balanced by hops
M - a little watery, good fizz on the tongue.
O - Overall, I'm not impressed by the beer options here in Ontario. Drinkable compared to the fizzy yellow stuff, but nothing I would seek out.

Serving type: can

05-12-2013 17:35:37 | More by greenengineer

santa109

Quebec (Canada)

2.73/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served at 45 degrees. Received as part of CanBIF4 courtesy of seldomseen.

A: Poured an amberish copper into a pint with about a finger of creme colored head. The heads diminishes quickly to a thick ring around the glass. This beer seems to be all show and no go.

S: Nothing spectacular, very mild in all departments. A bit of malt but even then it's very faint. There's an underlying sweetness that I can't put a word on.

T: A little bit of biscuit malts, again, very faint. The same general feeling of sweetness is present and as much as I'd like to find some traces of hops in there, I just can't.

M: On the thin side, very smooth with only a small amount of carbonation which gives it a bit of a creamy mouthfeel despite the thinness.

D: Generally, bland beers have great drinkability due to their resemblance to water but the weird sweetness of this one annoys me at each sip.

Overall, reminds me more of a bland amber than an APA. This one was a little disappointing.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2008 01:48:28 | More by santa109

slitherySOB

Ontario (Canada)

2.73/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.75

Probably the weakest beer in their mix pack, this pale ale has no hops whatsoever. Pours a clear caramel colour with one fingers worth of head that barely lasts. Smells of sweet malts, biscuits, and cinnamon. Tastes more biscuit than the smell. Medium body mouthfeel and kind of dry in the finish. A beer I will not be seeking a sixer of, but if they served it at the bar, I'd drink it.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 19:15:50 | More by slitherySOB

spinrsx

Ontario (Canada)

2.7/5  rDev -13.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz Bottle from the Ottawa LCBO for 2$

Appearance - Clear copper colour with a small size fizzy beige coloured head. There is an average amount of carbonation and there is some faint lacing. The head lasted for around 2-3 minutes.

Smell - Malts, caramel, grass

Taste & Mouth - There is a below average amount of carbonation and I can taste light hops, malts, and caramel. There is also some dark fruit notes and a bit of a grassiness. It ends with a caramel malt aftertaste.

Overall - American PA it is not... It's more along the lines of a ESB, and not a very good one at that. The taste is boring and it's a little too thin/watery. I wouldn't pick this one up again.

Serving type: bottle

08-15-2012 23:48:19 | More by spinrsx

MeisterBurger

Ontario (Canada)

2.68/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a rich clear caramel amber topped by a lively head that laces well.

The aroma is caramel and a tinge of halitosis.

The taste is mostly minerally carbonation with light caramel malt. Not overly pleasant peaty, earthy yeastiness in the finish

Light body. Like it's watered down. Meh.

This is a beer that just is. There isn't a single way in which it stands out.

Serving type: bottle

07-14-2011 01:22:47 | More by MeisterBurger

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.48/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Huge foamy pour, maple syrup colour beer. Beery and not hoppy aroma, but initial taste is hoppy grapefruit Then the malts take over. Moderate carbonation, and medium to light mouthfeel. Quaffable but not a good example of a pale. Thanks Mark for bringing back.

Serving type: bottle

05-13-2005 21:37:54 | More by northyorksammy

jackorain

Pennsylvania

2.48/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

Had this at the hotyel bar on a recent business trip to Vancouver.

A-Dark amber, clear. Thick foamy head with very good retention and great lace. A very attractive glass of beer

S-Caramel malt biascuit malt, no hops to speak of on the nose. very mild aroma overall.

T-Carmel malt, biscuit malt, toffee, a hint of coffee. Very malty character. This part was not bad. However, the floral and earthy hop that follow have an odd funky off taste along with them. This off taste continues to linger for quite a long time. There is not the tradition mild hop bite and bitterness expected with an APA.

M-medium body. Smooth but prickly carbonation another dicotomy.

D-I couldn't drink another.

Serving type: on-tap

07-28-2007 16:52:38 | More by jackorain

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

2.48/5  rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

This began with a big, foamy, tan head that evidenced decent retention. The color was a medium amber. The nose was lightly sweet without much to remark on. The mouthfeel was thin with a mild sweetness on the tongue. The finish had a slight sourness, or as one of our group remarked, a kind of watery malt vinegar taste. I have had MUCH better from G'ville Island.

Serving type: can

05-03-2008 03:53:10 | More by woodychandler

prosper

Alberta (Canada)

2.25/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

this stuff is ubiquitous throughout the lower mainlaind. I've had it before, and remember that I wasn't impressed, so haven't ordered it. I decided to try it again today, and again - not impressed. It's downright boring. An ale, designed to compete in a field characterized as 'boring,' to sell alongside the light lagers and such.

it's a penny-coloured ale, with a decent white head, and virtually no aroma. What is there reminds me of pool water - a slight chlorine-ish whiff, and some grainy grass. Flavour is not much different - clean and unexciting. Some caramel and slight raisin-y malt, but not too much. Very light bittering, and no hop flavour or aroma. Very light, spritzy body with a lot of carbonation.

I'll take a pass on this next time. Uninteresting, boring - take the opportunity to try whatever else is available.

Serving type: on-tap

09-18-2009 04:55:57 | More by prosper

MisterClean

California

2.13/5  rDev -31.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

A - Pours samber-golden, bit of head, which dissipates fast. Loaded with carbonation.

S - Amber malts, caramel, and honey. Good for a Pale Ale, but almost resembles an amber or a lager minus the amber malts.

T - Honey and caramel, lots of earthy hops (relative of saaz I'd guess).

M - Awful. Bitter and too sweet.

D - Couldn't finish. Taste and mouthfeel leave more to be desired.

Serving type: can

06-28-2008 03:52:33 | More by MisterClean

TerryW

Ontario (Canada)

2.1/5  rDev -32.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours clear dark amber red with next to no head, just a ring to show. Unremarkable.

Don't like the smell. Comes across as an industrial brew, nothing inviting about it. Taste is pretty much absent. Mouth feel is slightly spritzy and metallic. Unpleasant tinny, bitter finish.

Not much pale ale about this at all. A poor effort. Macro-style.

Serving type: bottle

08-14-2012 00:06:39 | More by TerryW

imasickboy

Pennsylvania

2.08/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Thanks to woodychandler for the tasting.

Poured a semi-dark amber color, with little head. Smelled a wee bit malty, but with another aroma that I just couldn't place. Several days later, I can still smell it, but still cannot describe it. Thin in the mouth, with a taste matching the unknown aroma. Seemed watery, with little flavor other than the mystery one. I wish I had more to say about this beer, but the fact is, I can't describe it, and I really didn't like it.

Serving type: can

09-13-2007 01:06:45 | More by imasickboy

GrimmReaper

British Columbia (Canada)

2.08/5  rDev -33.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Also came in the 12 pk variety,otherwise i would'nt of tryed it.
Pours a copper-amber color with a small tan bubbly head with little retention and minimal lacing.
The nose is of malts,lite toffee,mild coffee with a sweetness in the air in there somwhere.
Taste is a little sweet with molasses coming thru and the malts and some stale something in there that lingers with you all the way thru this beer.
Got a creamy mouth which is medium to full body but at the same time kinda watery.
Not really my kind,and that stale taste really hits hard once it warms...not to my liking.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2007 18:59:19 | More by GrimmReaper