Arena Premium Pale Ale - Lake Louie Brewery Company

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from Notes

Pours Amber Brown, 1 finger head, has an biscuity lightly-buttered toast malty smell with a nice medium pine and floral hop presence, orange peel and honey residue. Medium body, but the bitter and somewhat spicy aftertaste lingers for just a bit longer than is welcome. And about that aftertaste: the bittering of the hops linger on and on. Requires thought and patience between sips or the bittering self-amplifies through overlapping aftertastes. This aftertaste is the only fault that I can find with this product, everything else is wonderfully integrated, so please forgive me for harping upon it. Carbonation is well done for the amount of hops present.
Only needs a little bit of fine tuning IMHO to be something really special.

Serving type: on-tap

06-24-2011 17:22:59 | More by WastingFreetime

Lemke10

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I bought this in a 8-pack Mircobrewery variety pack from Woodman's in Janesville, WI for $12 in late 2010.

Pours a cloudy amber color with a strong scent of malts and hops. Has a long lasting head. Has a very bold hoppy taste to it but is nicely blended together so it's not bitter. Finishes very smooth. A must try!

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2011 03:14:22 | More by Lemke10

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Reviewed from notes.

Served in a tulip glass. Pours a nice amber color with a white head and a bit of lacing. The nose brings some light earthy, pine, and floral hops. A bit of malt in the background. Taste is pretty mild with only a touch of hop flavor plus some backing malt. Pretty good body. Drinks pretty well and is nice and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2010 01:06:10 | More by Thorpe429

NeutroMan

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle into an imperial pint glass.

Hazy orangeish-copper color with an impressive two-finger off-white head that left some foamy lace. Citrusy, grassy hop aroma. Taste was a pleasant surprise: a moderately-high hop sting is finished off on the tail end of the palate with a wave of clean biscuity malts. Mouthfeel is medium bodied with a bit of a carbonic bite to it.

This wonderfully balanced APA may be the best I've had in the genre and I will definitely be picking up some more on my next trip up north.

Serving type: bottle

10-30-2010 22:17:30 | More by NeutroMan

AmberMan22

Minnesota

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

The name pale ale doesn't really seem to apply to this one. Bording on copper in color with a bright one finger head. Despite the plastic cup, some decent lacing is left behind.

Smell is just brilliantly hoppy. The malt plays a very very distant second fiddle, almost unnoticeable in actual taste. I really like Arena Premium because the hop flavor doesn't have any irritating spiciness to it. Just a very clean hop taste.

There is clearly malt at work, because the mouthfeel (and color) shows it. This is the first brew I've had by Lake Louie and I must say I'm impressed. A very crisp summer drinker with a bright hoppy taste.

Serving type: on-tap

05-02-2010 17:27:20 | More by AmberMan22

Kegatron

Pennsylvania

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

12 oz bottle into a pint glass.

Pours a clear copper, with 2 tight fingers of off-white foam. Retains with a smooth creamy layer, leaving some good looking thick foamy lacing back. The aroma is grassy hops, which have a good bit of a earthy feel going on with them. This has some citric and herbal character going on as well, mixing with the breadiness of the malts to impart a light tang in the nose.

The taste has quite the assertive little hop bite to it, being full of spice and bitter grapefruit. The hops are propped up by a tight layer of lightly toasted malts but man, the hops really come back strong in the finish with a dry, spicy, and pithy feel. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a crisp firmness to the carbonation which matches that strong hop profile. Nice easy drinkibility to this as well, which stays relatively smooth despite all of the sharpness.

Nice! This APA brought a lot to the table, with a ramped up (yet well balanced) hop profile that kept this quite flavorful and pleasureable to drink. A could session a few of these easy.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2010 17:56:47 | More by Kegatron

billyzoom666

Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A medium pour into a pint glass from a 12 oz bottle. It lost most of the head, but there was still enough there to cover the beer. The lacing was nice on this as well. Pours a nice copper color. Still light enough to see through, but a good APA style color. The smell is sweet and there's a definite malt take to the smell. Nice, but nothing special. A little bit of hoppy bitterness sticks to the roof of the mouth when drinking. This beer finishes with a fruity citrus taste. This has a nice/medium body to it and has a decent drinkability. Not a bad beer all in all.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2009 21:37:37 | More by billyzoom666

akorsak

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to eyncognito for this 12 oz bottle. Consumed on 30-Oct-09.

A: The is a cloudy orange-brown color, hazed over by the cold temperature. A bit of an auburn glow near the base of the glass is a nice visual touch but generally the ale is opaque. A half a finger of white head quickly bubbled away.

S: The APA has a pleasant citrus bite that jumps out the first time I sniff it. Ample hops with a nice dose of caramel give this beer a good start.

T: The malt body takes center stage with a caramel and biscuit presence. Following in short order are the citrusy hops that have a floral sweetness. Grassiness is evident, heightening the contrast of the grains and the hops. Bready grains are a nice punctuation to each sip, lingering for a long period of time.

M: The ale is crisp, a bready pale ale that delivers a strong hop presence in both the nose and taste.

D: An enjoyable APA, well-balanced with an ample malt bill, far more flavorful than I expected.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2009 15:46:47 | More by akorsak

Wisconsin

Wisconsin

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

12 ounce bottle into a pint glass

A - Pours a clear amber body that has a white frothy inch and a half head. Plenty of carbonation is present in this beer. The head fades to a lace minutes later with patches thicker and darker than others.

S - Smell of hops, citrus notes and some light malts and grains. The smell seems more of an IPA to me with the strong hop smell and sweet citrus nose.

T - Hops, sweet citrus notes and some earthy, floral notes all enter the mouth initially. There is also a nice malt balance in this beer with an adequate level of carbonation to allow the malts and hops to go hand in hand. No sign of alcohol in this one.

M - Medium bodied with a ample amount of carbonation. Malts and grains first enter your mouth with a nice transition to the hops and citrus finish. A little bitter but pretty smooth overall.

D - I am not a huge fan of hops and this APA has a bit more than usual. However, it is still quite smooth and easy to drink. I could see myself having a couple in a sitting.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2009 03:10:41 | More by Wisconsin

MadTown1000

Virginia

3.83/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Some crud stuck around the rim of the bottle under the cap. Never an encouraging sign.

Pours a ruddy amber into a pint glass, with barely half an inch of orangish-white small-bubble foam. Smell is not strong - mainly sweet malt. Taste is reminiscent of Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, with its own character. A clean, almost weak opening flavor gives way to a full, hoppy, distinctly alcoholic finish that sticks around on the tongue for a long time. It doesn't have the bite of some other pale ales I've tried, so hopheads might be disappointed. For me, that's a good thing.

This one grew on me as I drank it. The taste takes a little getting used to, but it seems to build on itself as the flavor from the last sip lingers into the next. A worthwhile beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-12-2009 23:57:14 | More by MadTown1000

KarlHungus

Minnesota

2.2/5  rDev -43.6%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

This beer pours a cloudy pale amber color. The head is one inch in height, and recedes slowly into nice lacing. The aroma is of butterscotch which is so strong it covers up whatever else was supposed to be there. The diacetyl in the taste isn't as strong as it is in the aroma, but is still dominates everything else. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with spritely carbonation, and a velvety texture. Overall, this might not be a bad beer when the brewer pays attention to what they are brewing, or at least tastes what has been brewed before bottling it. I can't imagine a brewer not tasting every batch of beer before bottling, so I have to ask why still bottle something that is this off (and this is the more diacetyl I have ever encountered)? Profit...it must be. But putting out a beer like this is only going to drive away a lot of future purchases as it gives a bad first impression to new drinkers, and is disrespectful to long time costumers. From reading other reviews I would try this again, and I would probably re-review it, but I can see myself deleting this review as the brewery is full to blame for this bottle being so off.

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2009 00:14:21 | More by KarlHungus

wheatyweiss

Wisconsin

4.33/5  rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a twelve ounce bottle into a nonic. Nice home brewed looking non-descript label is actually appealing.

Pours a light honey with a towering frothy three finger head that sticks very well.

Aroma is of earthy, piney hops. Sweet roasty malt comes through on the back but the predominant aroma is the pine cone hops. The smell is bitter and resinous, but slightly sweet at the same time.

Flavor is hops alpha acids on the front. Hop flavor is piney, resinous and earthy. Unfortunately I think the hops captured more of the alpha acid bitterness than the fruitiness. This is not a drawback however, in my opinion. Any APA with a stronger than normal hop flavor is awesome. I get a biscuit and bread with honey from the malt on the middle. Finishes bitter and dry with the bitter alpha hop flavor balancing the sweetness, this is actually a very refreshing beer. Diacetyl is kept unnoticeable, and I don't know the ABV, but there is no discernable alcohol esters.

Mouthfeel is light to medium, and the carbonation is good. The beer leaves a slightly bitter afteraste along the lines with the finish. Very refreshing, a good hot weather quencher.

In my opinion, this is an excellent example of an APA. This beer is almost an IPA. If it were a bit thicker with more maltiness it would be.

Check it out.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2009 02:57:04 | More by wheatyweiss

sgoodship

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up in a make a six extravaganza that I had when I visited Steve's Liquors in Madison.

A: A hazy and dare I say murky looking dark amber. A finger off-white head. Some topographic lacing. Seemed like there was some yeast floating around in there.

S: Nice and hoppy but in the spirit of a Pale Ale, the malt comes through and refuses to be the complete underdog. Hops are citrusy - a little floral.

T: First taste is a hint of maltiness but is quickly surpassed by a stronger lemony hop flavor. There isn't much hop bite but the hop does stay with you into the aftertaste leaving you with the nice dryness that makes you want to session on. The malt was a let-down for me. Didn't quite deliver anything substantial. The hop flavor dominated the malt and it could have been a little better balanced.

M: Really good buttery mouthfeel. Nice and smooth malt makes you feel like it is a fuller body but the medium carbonation and hops keep it in perspective and make it lively on the palette.

D: For all my nit picking, I enjoyed this drink and threw it back amazingly quickly. I could easily pop a number of these. A nice, simple pleasure. I felt like this brew was more in the British tradition.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2009 04:00:08 | More by sgoodship

botham

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a tulip glass. pours a crystal clear, golden amber color, with three fingers of light tan head that retains for a few minutes, leaving moderate lacings.

aroma is mildly hoppy, with a nice mix between aromatic coniferous hops and citrusy hops. a distant malt base is detectable, with little else for the nose.

taste is distinctly hoppy, without much on the malt side at all. the hops are mildly bitter, with a smooth and citrusy character, yet curiously creamy at the same time. finishes clean for a hoppy brew, with only a light bitterness in the aftertaste.

mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a lightly creamy and bitter texture, along with a mildly bitter finish. nicely composed in texture with regard to the flavors present.

drinkability is good. this is a solid APA, with all the required ingredients, that stays true to the style. the brew could use a bit more malt character to work with the hops, but even so, it is a nicely crafted brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2008 00:21:10 | More by botham

kmeves

Wisconsin

3.05/5  rDev -21.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a light cloudy copper color with a small filmy white head. Aroma is very light sweetness with some caramel and citrus. The flavor comes on a bit more strong with caramel but a less noticeable hop presence. Somewhat short and bitter astringent finish. Light to medium bodied, lively texture.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2008 17:19:27 | More by kmeves

Rennpferd

Wisconsin

4.47/5  rDev +14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It poured a dark amber color with a frothy two finger head that slowly receded down. Nice moderate activity could be seen along the edges of the glass.

It smelled sweet-hoppy. Not too strong but stronger than normal for an APA.

A great taste, a slightly malty, rich in smooth hops taste. It was just barely medium body and easy to go down with a nice hoppy dry finish. It was so good that I took three drinks from my glass before I stopped to ponder.

Very drinkable. Slightly more hoppy than other APA's that I have had but very good none the less. I really enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

09-08-2008 03:32:44 | More by Rennpferd

kenito799

New York

3.68/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Thanks to tizzod, midwest beer guide.

Pleasant dark amber hazy brew with substantial creamy tan foamy head. Looks very effervescent.

In the mouth the bubbles are not forceful, but provide a crisp and soft mouthfeel. Aroma is softly malty with restrained citrus hop aroma, not a big dry-hop scent, hops are intergarted into the malt. The flavor is similarly well-integrated, dry witha citrus hop sour-bitter aftertaste to the smooth malt. A well-made pale ale, very drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2008 01:20:23 | More by kenito799

chiapete

Wisconsin

3.9/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a dark orange, copper , almost brass color.Has a nice off white , thick foamy head.Lots of lacing down entire glass. A pretty good amount of carbonation.

Aroma was very light , a blend of sweetness , citrus , and a little grassy or woody . Not much of any of these really stand out.

Taste is sweet citrus , almost apple under tones. Some hops , a little toasted.

slight bitterness , with a little after taste but neither of these linger long.

smooth , clean , crisp , mouth feel. A beer a would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2008 15:21:59 | More by chiapete

objectivemonkey

Minnesota

3.63/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Into a pint glass, pours a dark amber copper, with a solid, fluffy inch plus head that has great staying power, good lacing. Aroma hints more toward IPA than APA, lots of hops citrus, fruit, not much malty sweetness to be found. Taste, even more so, lots of lemon zest, some orange, maybe some apple, but definitely little malting. Which really, usually I'd call that abd, but for this it works pretty well. Unfortunately, it has a little metallic zing to it on finish, marring an otherwise good mouth of good body and carbonation. Overall, I prefer Lake Louie's Scotch brews, but this one is itself a pretty decent. And now I'm done with the Lake Louie package from nflmvp. Much thanks, they've been great.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2007 04:47:09 | More by objectivemonkey

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on tap at the newest Great Dane in Hilldale/Madison, WI. Clear dark copper body beneath a short head of antique-white foam. Gently citrusy nose. Some mild caramelsih maltiness beneath. Medium-bodied and crisp in the mouth. Malt and hops struggle in the flavor throughout the glass, with the caramelish maltiness dominating at the outset, and the citrusy hops winning towards the end. Standard arc of bitterness beneath. Decent. Very drinkable but average, with a bit more caramelish malt than some APA's, but still pretty straightforward.

Serving type: on-tap

02-14-2007 05:12:01 | More by NeroFiddled

bjohnson

Massachusetts

3.6/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to nflmvp for the chance to sample this.

A: Pours a cloudy over ripe peachish color with a frothy white head. Nice retention--cloud like. Sticky lacing.
S: Fruity and floral hop notes. Juicy with orange and lemon zest.
T/M: Fruity hop notes are hard to catch. Soft on the palate. Grapefruit, lemon zest, slight pine notes. A little bit of honey. Slight bitterness but no burn. Toasted grain becomes more apparent as it warms up.
D: Could be a nice session brew. Flavors and aromas are interesting enough. Nice and smooth. Easy drinking.

Serving type: bottle

01-23-2007 00:22:51 | More by bjohnson

tempest

Pennsylvania

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

I'd call it a nice dry-hopped APA. I could be wrong about the dry-hopped part, but the beer is very reminiscent of Boulder's Hazed & Infuzed. Nice grapefuit and citrus arouma, big on the tart-fruit hops. Like hops but don't want to get beat over the head with bitterness? Get 6'er of this.

Serving type: bottle

12-18-2006 00:51:37 | More by tempest

weeare138

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Thanks to stonecrusher for the trade...
Appears a clear, light gold with a fluffy white head that slowly fades out. Sticky lacing is left around the glass.
Smell is of light corn, grain, berries, peach, fruity, light hay, and sugar.
Taste is of the same aromas with a highlight of yeast shining through.
The mouthfeel is light, earthy, and mildly sweet for a decent but not too impressive brew.

Serving type: bottle

12-08-2006 16:54:24 | More by weeare138

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

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

Bold pumpkin orange with a cloud of fine yeast and an abundance of uprushing bubbles. All that carbonation has created and is sustaining a three finger cap of semi-rocky foam that is orange-tinted alabaster in color and that is beginning to deposit broken sheets of fine lace. Unfortunately, very little sticks.

The nose is citrus fruit hoppy with lemon and orange juiciness a wee bit more prominent than grapefruit. It isn't often that I can't appreciate any malt whatsoever, but such is the case here. Here's hoping the flavor is a direct translation.

It is. Again, pale malt is virtually absent on the palate in terms of flavor contribution, although it provides a light, sugar cookie-like sweetness and a wonderful mouthfeel. Lemon zesty and orange zesty hops are Arena Premium's centerpiece and they're shown off to great effect.

I would prefer a bit less sourness and bit more bitterness, but that borders on nitpicking. I've become spoiled by Lake Louie beer and now expect it to be close to perfect (which is usually is). 'Highly hopped', as claimed by the brewery, is an overstatement, but it's certainly hoppy enough to get the job done. The job of delivering APA deliciousness to the taste buds that is.

The mouthfeel is medium in heft with a lovely, mouthfilling creaminess. In spite of the fact that bubbles are abundant to the eye, at least initially, they aren't abundant to the tongue. This is a lively ale without being a fizzy or a buzzy one. Solid across the board...

... which is exactly how I would describe the lineup from one of my new favorite breweries, Lake Louie. Arena Premium Pale Ale may not be quite as amazing as a few of its stablemates, but it's a wonderful, drinkable beer that I'd be pleased to be able to buy on a regular basis. Thanks to terrabyte for the bottle.

Serving type: bottle

11-25-2006 14:35:00 | More by BuckeyeNation

emerge077

Illinois

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Hops dominate the flavor profile of this one. More of a fresh pine scent and flavor, not a huge bitterness. Pours a cloudy orange to yellow into a pilsner glass. Nice bubblegum note in the aftertaste, finishes sort of dry.

Mouthfeel is very smooth, average carbonation, perfect for a session.
Glad that a few of these turned up on my recent trip to WI.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2006 06:38:59 | More by emerge077