Euphoria Pale Ale - Ska Brewing Co.

denver10

Colorado

2.42/5  rDev -36.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

A: A thick amber, with some orange tint. At the onset there was a nice head that drops down to aslight lacing that covers most of the surface.

S: A little sweet citrus at the start followed closely by some pine. The best aspect of this beer for me.

T: There is some sweet malt backbone there but not enough balance for me personally that I remained focused more on the piney hops. Some bitterness to it.

M: Medium bodied, some stickiness that gets washed away from the carbonation.

Overall: Not bad, probably good for what it is, just not really my deal.

Serving type: can

10-26-2011 01:30:16 | More by denver10

yeahnatenelson

Illinois

2.93/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Appearance -- Pours a cupric amber hue, lots of brightness, with golden highlights and a slim sudsy beige head. The hard pour didn't do much for the head. A modicum of lace can be seen. Good color, bad head.

Smell -- Juicy citrus, pine boughs, dank earthiness, grassy meadows, peppery spice, and toasted malt. There's a lot going on, and I like it.

Taste -- Toasted malt, cane juice sweetness, white pepper, dank basement, faint citrus, pine resin. Finish is sweet with spicy hops and citrus peel. Weird.

Mouthfeel -- Medium-light body with sharp carbonation. Finish is dry with a bit of tannin. Not great.

Drinkability -- This beer is a bit of a muddled mess: lots of interesting flavors, but they don't gel: toasty sweet, musky, spicy, earthy. Less would have been more. In the end it's about average.

Serving type: can

01-05-2011 23:08:08 | More by yeahnatenelson

nickhiller

Texas

3.03/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A: clear amber, one finger head, with thick residual lacing.

S: strong grassy, earthy hops, quite a bit of funk, some pine.

T: musty, skunky, the hops are a little harsh though. The grass and pine from the nose. Can't really tell the difference between this and the Modus Hoperadi.

M: light body, decent carbonation, though a little watery. Not warming at all which is disappointing for a self proclaimed "winter offering."

D: my immediate reaction? Meh. I'm not sure what's winter-y about a super hoppy pale ale. It's the absence of warmth. To put it bluntly, I will not be drinking this this winter.

Serving type: can

10-31-2010 00:50:00 | More by nickhiller

jjayjaye

New York

3.05/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a hazy copper color with better than a full finger foamy off white head that fades to stringy patterns of Belgian lacing. The smell starts of with a toasted nutty malt followed by an astringent piny citrus. The bitter flavor slams in, over shadows the mouth feel and posses a bit of a distraction to the overall drinkability. Not sure what the ABV is but it has a warming factor. This one is catching me by surprise.

Serving type: can

12-31-2009 07:16:02 | More by jjayjaye

hawks10

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -20.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz can - Best by April 20th, 2011, should be decently fresh - Poured into a pint glass...

Pours a deep, dark amber color with tons of meringue-like, light tan head. A bunch of lacing is left behind...

A good amount of aromatic hops fill the nose, piny and resinous, with just a little bit of citrus twist. An abundance of sweet, caramel malt adds a lot to the nose, but cuts down a bit too much on the hop aromas. Somewhere lingering in the background is this weird, almost "cherry cholorseptic spray" smell, but now that is all I can focus on...

Hmmm, taste is a bit thin, and kind of weird. Starts out almost completely void of flavor at first, watery, then the hops build, but they are bitter and one-sided, not much flavor, just bittering hops. Caramel malt adds a bit of body and some sweetness, but overall, this one just falls flat...

Light bodied, too thin and watery. Moderate carbonation, bitter lingering aftertaste...

Serving type: can

01-08-2011 01:49:13 | More by hawks10

scruffwhor

Illinois

3.15/5  rDev -17.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours an extra uper clear dark amber hue. Good head of light tan after the pour, but recedes quickly to a nice filmy foam, but no bubbling. The aroma is spicey and super resiny with some pop of hop oil. Lots of citrus and maybe some bread loaf. Supper bitter orange marmalade hits your palate first. Then you notice the super thick, resiny hops for an APA. The middle is even more resiny, almost sludgey on the middle to back of your tongue. Not enough for my taste in an APA, plenty of bitterness though for any hophead.

Serving type: can

10-23-2009 07:58:26 | More by scruffwhor

SerialHiker

Illinois

3.18/5  rDev -17%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a dark caramel brown with hints of merlot red…though it’s dark, it’s clear with no bubble action…some light khaki color head did form but only a thin layer has hung around…(3.25/5)

Smell: Tons of sweet caramel malts, mild on the spicy earthy hops…straight from the fridge it lacks some depth and variety…the sweet caramel malts are nice, but it’s like a cowboy wandering the pasture on a rainy night looking for his horse…(3.5/5)

Taste: Sweet caramel malts combined with pale malts…there’s a noticeable earthy, spicy hops quality to this, but it’s real light…could be more and that would round the flavor out much better…it’s a sweet caramel malt concoction that is good, but it lacks in overall character...some earthy/piney bitterness shows up late…(3.25/5)

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body…light on carbonation...there’s a light, chewy, earthy hops resin feel on my palate that I wish was stronger, it would really add to the overall outcome…as it is, like most everything else, it leaves just that little bit extra that could ultimately make this a much better brew…(2.5/5)

Overall: Average beer with just slightly above average flavor…every aspect of its construction leaves me wanting, the flavor isn’t strong, the aroma isn’t strong, the mouthfeel is light (aka watery)…there’s no sign of the 6.1% ABV…I will say, if I wasn’t trying to breakdown its particular qualities, I’d happily be drinking this brew, it really does have a good, drinkable flavor…as it is, I’ve had one, probably won’t have another…(3/5)

Serving type: can

01-20-2013 00:19:55 | More by SerialHiker

mactrail

California

3.2/5  rDev -16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Dark amber in the glass. Veers off into IPA territory. Quite bitter. Rather fruity with some candied grapefruit peel flavors. Watery mouthfeel. Big nose of resins. "Dank" is the word for this stuff. Starts with some sweetness, possible malt, but big blast of hops. Bitterness for the aftertaste, but lets some of the malt through for the finish.

I don't see this as an improvement of lots of other more interesting hoppy beers. But if you're in Durango in the winter, it's what's happening. Bought this can in Denver. "Best by" date is 02/28/12.

Serving type: can

12-23-2011 03:42:04 | More by mactrail

samie85

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -15.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-Pours a clear amber color with three fingers of incredibly dense, white head.

S-Smells of strong orange and a little bit of pine.

T-I was expecting a little more bitterness here. Some light and sweet orange notes with a hint of pine and some crystal malt.

M-Low carbonation with medium body and a smooth slickness to it.

D-Pretty easy drinking but a little simple. It would be a good summer sipper.

Serving type: can

01-01-2011 04:11:20 | More by samie85

wnh

Missouri

3.33/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12 oz. can poured into a pint glass.

Pours a beautiful crisp and clear bronze-copper with a dense, creamy pale tan head. Nice lacing.

Aromas of slightly pungent bittersweet citrus on top of a rich caramel malty base, with a light piney woodsy note. Spot on for the style.

Lacking somewhat on the palate; flavors are qutie muddled and subdued. Dry, bitter hops, almost astringent, but kind of vague, with something of a vague maltiness to back it up. There's a bit of citrusy sweetness and a mild buttery toffee character, but that's about it.

Medium bodied and firm, dry and a bit tacky. Has a bit of a "wintery" feel to it, but disappointing.

Serving type: can

12-03-2010 21:31:24 | More by wnh

Beaver13

Colorado

3.35/5  rDev -12.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

22 oz bottle. Pours copper red with a frothy white head that retains well and laces the glass.

The aroma is subdued - caramel malts, some melon and tropical fruits and spices and a hint of pine.

The flavor is caramel malts and tropical fruit with a decent grassy bitterness. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with sharp carbonation.

Overall, it has good bitterness for a pale ale, but would be a pretty mediocre IPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2009 07:37:16 | More by Beaver13

otto251068

Tennessee

3.38/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12 oz can, curtesy of Emmasdad (thanks!), into a Chimay goblet

Appearance: Dark, darker than I was expecting anyway for an American Pale Ale. A deep amber color which is surprisingly pretty easy to see through. Turns red when held up to light. Half finger of light-brown head which dissipates quickly around the edges and a thin layer lingers in the middle.

Smell: Hops. Not a lot, but I don't pick up much more. A little bit of a piney smell, am I missing something? Do I have a cold I don't know about?

Taste: Malts right away, starts off surprisingly sweet. Turns slightly bitter with a piney taste (which is pleasant) in the middle, and then more bitterness at the end which sticks in the back of the throat.

Mouthfeel: Low carbonation, medium to heavy body. Really enjoyable mouthfeel on this one. What bubbles there are stick around on the tongue.

Overall: This a pale ale I can really enjoy. The mouthfeel is the best part of this beer, with the taste in a close second. Those two components make for a beer that is very drinkable and enjoyable.

Serving type: can

10-16-2010 23:38:40 | More by otto251068

kmatlack

California

3.38/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12oz can into a stemless wine glass. Best by date 01/28/11 on bottom of the can.

A- Pours a clear orange-brown that has a one finger head due to a vigorous pour. Head goes away and leaves small bubbles on top of the beer.

S- Smells fresh, grainy, bready, a little hoppy. Citrus, earthy, grassy, almost dirt like notes?

T- Sweet almost tangy at first on the tongue, bitter, citrus, orange peels, just tastes clean.

M- Decent for a pale ale, would like a little less carbonation, but what else is new.

O- A great pale ale. Not the best, but slightly above average. It seems to me that, like Modus Hoparandi, this beer would be much better on tap.

Serving type: can

11-05-2011 03:25:09 | More by kmatlack

Mebuzzard

Colorado

3.4/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A light amber pour, clear with a medium foamed head. Slight lacing. Appearance belays the feel to this beer. It seems light and mild. Yet, this is a bit hoppy and resiny. Lack of head seems to hint at the malt backbone. And I would agree. The hops here aren't much as far as bitter, but they feel raw. Almost spicy, like a winter warmer. It's an easy drinking beer. Mouthfeel is a bit resiny and leaves a clinging sensation at the end. But it still has that crispness bite. Can't figure this one out...

Serving type: can

11-09-2009 23:13:19 | More by Mebuzzard

homebrew311

Illinois

3.4/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: pours a clear dark amber with red highlights and a little white head which leaves sticky lacing

S: nose is piney, resinous hops with some grapefruit and other tropical fruits, a presence of caramel malts at the end

T: the flavors seem reversed on the palate with the malt presence coming first and then being taken over by hop bitterness, the hops come through a bit strong on the finish. The overall taste is unbalanced.

MF: light body with medium carbonation

D: this beer isn't bad and certainly has a prominent hop presence, but it finishes a bit too bitter... it seems one dimensional. If there was more malt presence, this beer could be a real winner.

Serving type: can

02-16-2010 04:25:10 | More by homebrew311

BretSikkink

Mexico

3.43/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Clear, amber brew. Head is nice-looking: tall, sticky, off white color. Leaves a filmy trace down the glass.
Nose is malty, with some caramel and toffee. Notes of citrus juice jump in to tag along. Flavor notes are floral and citric, with grapefruit pith leading the way. Malts come in sticky and caramel-like. A little bready, but not quite thick enough. Medium to full mouthfeel - syrupy hopping. Carbonation is about right.
Not bad, but doesn't stand out much from the crowd. Slightly chemical note from the can doesn't make a great impression.

Serving type: can

04-12-2010 05:47:30 | More by BretSikkink

AlCaponeJunior

Texas

3.45/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Coppery and clear, one finger head that didn't last but left nice sheets of thin lacing with each sip.

A little smoky and woodsy smelling, lots of earthy hops, a good malty base. Ever so slightly musty, which I felt was a touch offputting.

The taste was plenty malty with an almost IPA like level of pungent, bitter hops. Quite bitter and almost dry with hoppiness. The earthy smell definitely follows in the taste.

Body could perhaps use just a touch more carbonation, but it's adequate. Medium and just a touch slick on the finish with a bitter finale.

It's an interesting choice. More like an IPA and less like the typical pale ale. Certainly try this one if you like hoppy pale ales.

Serving type: can

02-19-2012 22:35:16 | More by AlCaponeJunior

phishsihq

Colorado

3.49/5  rDev -8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Ska Brewing's Euphoria Pale Ale is a winter seasonal release. The beer pours a clear copper, and it is capped by a decent sized, off-white head that provides solid lace. Floral and citrus hop aromas burst from the glass, and light caramel malt notes weave in and out of the hop domination. Rich malt flavors including caramel and toasted bread help create a level of sweetness that balance the onslaught of hop bitterness that is underlined by grapefruit and pine. Smooth and well balanced, Euphoria is medium bodied and moderately carbonated. Euphoria!

Serving type: can

02-24-2013 00:18:56 | More by phishsihq

allforbetterbeer

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter. "Best By" date stamped (and smudged) on can.

This looks much darker than average for a pale ale; if it were labeled as an amber I would believe it.

Smells of light fruity hops, displaying particularly the tropical notes. A little swirl brings up more pineapple and some bitter notes.

The taste contains a fair bit of the pineapple-hop notes from the nose, and they come off well. A fair dose of bitterness and a balancing but not very prominent dose of malt is present. This could be a low-powered IPA.

The mouthfeel has lower carbonation as is typical with cans (which I like). Otherwise it is unremarkable.

Conclusion: This is a hoppy pale ale that fits well into this overgrown and plentiful category of American beer. This particular example focuses more on the hops and doesn't include much in the way of specific malt flavors (but more so than a typical IPA). Tasty but generic. Tasting this blind would leave me clueless, as it could be one of hundreds (or thousands)...

Serving type: can

12-16-2011 23:30:41 | More by allforbetterbeer

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

(Served in an American pint glass)
A- This beer has a deep dark amber body with lots of floaties swirling around in with the gentle carbonation. There is a lumpy beige head that last for a good bit.
S- This fresh pale malt has a slight biscuit note to it with a woody green hops to follow that is soft and has an orange citrus quality to it.
T- The soft pale malt flavor is followed by a watery taste that grows as the beer opens up. There is a soft woody hops that leads to a big bitter pungent finish. The bitterness lingers a bit.
M- This beer has a medium light mouthfeel with a tight fizz finish.
D- This beer has big hops in the bitterness that overpower a lot of the other flavors. The malt is a bit soft and pretty light considering the dark amber body.

Serving type: can

09-16-2010 14:33:24 | More by rhoadsrage

syrupjoe

Minnesota

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz can into pint glass.

Pours a medium amber color with eggshell colored head.

Nose gives off a strong lemony citrus scent with a pungent almost oniony "dankness" - also a bit of caramel malt sweetness.

Moderate to slightly high carbonation, this is a nice, hoppy, dank pale ale that finishes rather dry.

Overall a good pale ale with a biting hop presence... perhaps a bit lacking in malt backbone.

Serving type: can

11-29-2011 00:35:48 | More by syrupjoe

hopfacebrew

Colorado

3.53/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from 12oz can with best by date of 5/29/11 to a pint glass.

A - The beer pours a deep amber color with a 2 finger white head with decent retention and lacing.

S - Hoppy earhy pine and grapefruit character with a mild malt aroma.

T - The beer is fairly well balanced with a crisp clean malt, hop, and yeast blend. The hops are just like the nose and the toasted malts even everything out well. The beer finishes dry.

M - The beer is of medium body with a bit too much carbonation, in my opinion.

D - Pretty solid.

Overall, this is a pretty decent Pale Ale. I am glad to have tried it but I wouldn't go out of my way for it. I'd rather had a Modus Hoperandi :)

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.

Serving type: can

Reviewed on: 02-19-2011 02:46:14

Serving type: can

01-27-2012 14:52:40 | More by hopfacebrew

jrallen34

Illinois

3.55/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I drank this from a 12oz can into my Orval glass.

The beer pours a dark gold, pretty clear, with a lot of brown to it. The head is light tan, rises about two fingers but it is gone quickly. Light lacing.

The aroma is super light, only gives off a hint of light hops.

The taste is ok, mostly bitter hops with a hint of pine to them.

The feel is light and a little watery with a light bitter finish.

The drinkability is ok, nothing special.

Overall, this is ok, especially for ska, but nothing special.

Serving type: can

03-21-2010 22:01:40 | More by jrallen34

oberon

North Carolina

3.55/5  rDev -7.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

oured into a standard pint glass a rich copper with a well defined 1/2 finger white head atop,sweet caramel/biscuit malt with leafy "green" hops in the nose,a real big sweetish malt aroma to this APA.Leafy and citric hops show thru overtop of a hefty sweet caramel base,again its quite sweet for the style but there is a nice shot of hops to somewhat balance it out.Not bad but I would like a little less sweetness in the style,still a decent beer.

Serving type: can

10-10-2011 21:11:46 | More by oberon

Vashtar

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 3.5

The beer looks dirty

It smells hoppy, but down to earth

It tastes like hops, but also has a really familiar taste. It's like a comfort beer. It tastes like grandma's house.

The mouthfeel is neither sharp nor smooth, but then turns smooth. It's very full as well. So nice

Overall, this is probably my favorite hoppy beer.

Serving type: can

12-17-2011 07:05:04 | More by Vashtar