Silverback Pale Ale - Wynkoop Brewing Company

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -13.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #45 (Oct 2010):

Brewed with Grains of Paradise, a spice native to western Africa and one that's eaten by wild gorillas in the region (50 percent of the proceeds go toward saveagorilla.org). Pours a hazy amber with a tight, creamy white lacing. A bit buttery in the nose with caramel and bread. Crisp up front. Smooth underneath. Big, buttery, caramel profile (diace- tyl-like) that's both overpowering and out of place. Bready. Hoppy with some herbal flavors, peppery notes from the grains, and a husky grain, tannic edge that follows through into the dry finish. Lingering chalky, aspirin-like flavors, and dryness too. Things are simply not syncing-up on this one. Great cause and intentions; mediocre beer.

Serving type: can

01-21-2011 23:28:11 | More by BeerAdvocate

hoosier222002

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

06-14-2013 22:15:45 | More by hoosier222002

jonkerbaugh

Colorado

4/5  rDev +15.3%

05-21-2013 19:18:57 | More by jonkerbaugh

MeisterMayhem

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

05-07-2013 18:59:11 | More by MeisterMayhem

ThreeFishes

Florida

2.5/5  rDev -28%

04-21-2013 00:44:16 | More by ThreeFishes

GOGRANDE

Colorado

3/5  rDev -13.5%

03-30-2013 04:16:40 | More by GOGRANDE

Oxymoron

Colorado

3.19/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Pours a orange color with amber hues throughout. Good clarity and a soft white head with ok retention.

The nose is hop forward with more of an IPA appeal. Noticeable grassy and citrus notes. Some minor floral and herbal notes as well. No real malt aroma for backing. Some minor yeast issues. I picked up a touch of butter but not over the top.

The taste is more on par for style. Although hops really come out more than the malt with a citrus lemon and orange flavor and fresh cut grassy note. The bitterness is a bit much and lingers into the finish. The malt backs well but a big biscuit, nutty note is a bit of a distraction. A touch vegi as well that I get with lower caramel malt notes. Butter on the back end that is distracting as well.

The body is moderate and a touch sweet for style. The bitterness from the hops is a bit much. Carbonation is good. Overall nice hoppy notes but would like a touch less bittering and clean up the diacetyl.

Serving type: can

03-16-2013 21:52:02 | More by Oxymoron

blakelive784

Colorado

2.55/5  rDev -26.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.5

12 fl oz can served in a goblet, reviewed live:

A - Pours a translucent copper orange color with a finger of cream colored, bubbly head. Retention is OK. Muted and dull.

S - Heavy caramel and a faint sweet candy note. Smells almost metallic. Faint, distant grassy, floral hops notes. They're buried and you have to search for them. I wasn't expecting a hop bomb, but it's definitely missing the fresh hoppy notes you'd look for in an APA.

T - Follows the nose very closely. A bland and messy body opens over indistinct hops notes. The bittering hops don't quite keep up with the sweet body. Did the brewers totally miss the aromatic hops addition? I'm missing the grains of paradise (or any other spice, for that matter). Sloppy brewing.

M - Thick and smooth. Almost buttery.

D - Just a poor example of the style. Not very good. I know the brewery is capable of more.

Serving type: can

03-12-2013 22:54:17 | More by blakelive784

stampfler07

Colorado

4.25/5  rDev +22.5%

01-13-2013 22:27:22 | More by stampfler07

Dmart1223

Colorado

3.21/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

It's okay. It's meh. But it's for a good cause, so who cares?

It pours a true amber with a lumpy, quick-fading head and some sticky lacings.

The smell isn't strong, but it's pleasant. You get the slight citrusy sweetness from Western hops tied to some heartier grain.

The taste follows the smell: It's light with a slight hop bitterness and flavor mid-palate to the end. There's some malt body, as well. It's, by all accounts, a pale ale.

Overall, it's not anything special but it's definitely thirst-quenching. If the alcohol were a slight bit lower, it would be a great session. And if anything else, drink it for the gorillas.

Serving type: can

01-08-2013 19:05:38 | More by Dmart1223

TubaManJack

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%

12-28-2012 02:37:23 | More by TubaManJack

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.3/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Also had on tap at the brewery. Strangely, the can had more hop character than what was on tap. Anyways, here, we, go. . .

Pours out a mostly yellow liquid, 1" white head forms over the top. Retention is average at best. Lacing, spotty. For the claims of this being dry hopped, my nose could not tell, upon multiple servings. Really just smells like a non dry hopped 90s pale ale. Some grain to it, and that's about it.

Taste, some residual sweetness, the hops pop up finally, but they're far from big and bold, this pale ale is stuck somewhere between old school British style and run of the mill American (not west coast). A little bit of breadiness prolly gives that sweetness a boost, its enjoyable for that aspect, which is a little better than the average pale, but the hopping is subpar. The biscuity like malt cracker snap is cool. Damn, why couldn't they make a double dry hop version of this? It might turn out like they think the single dry hop was supposed to.

Serving type: on-tap

12-24-2012 18:39:51 | More by Beerandraiderfan

ATMinBoulder

4/5  rDev +15.3%

12-08-2012 02:08:19 | More by ATMinBoulder

vipergtsr171

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

11-16-2012 02:48:32 | More by vipergtsr171

jenray

Texas

3/5  rDev -13.5%

11-12-2012 21:07:10 | More by jenray

BigBry

Alberta (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

11-10-2012 17:46:32 | More by BigBry

YalovaIA

Iowa

3/5  rDev -13.5%

11-08-2012 22:37:53 | More by YalovaIA

Daniellobo

District of Columbia

3/5  rDev -13.5%

10-21-2012 20:36:33 | More by Daniellobo

fishguyac

Washington

2.25/5  rDev -35.2%

10-05-2012 00:06:02 | More by fishguyac

meghmmm

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%

09-04-2012 05:33:20 | More by meghmmm

crobinso

Colorado

3/5  rDev -13.5%

06-30-2012 22:45:05 | More by crobinso

Ispeakforthetrees

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%

06-30-2012 05:35:47 | More by Ispeakforthetrees

beer2day

North Carolina

4.08/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Gold with just a hint of orange haze in the pour. 1/2 finger tan head, fades fast. Not getting much in the way of lace.

Nose is grapefruit and passion fruit. Lots of it. Big, bold, aggressive - especially for a pale. I like it.

Lots of hop flavor here. Big on the grapefruit, but maybe even bigger on apricot and passion fruit. Dry finish with just a touch of sweetness.

Feel is about right for the style for my tastes. Others in my group thought it was too heavy.

Good solid hop-heavy pale.

Serving type: can

06-25-2012 00:17:09 | More by beer2day

keenanite21

Colorado

3.75/5  rDev +8.1%

05-28-2012 08:02:59 | More by keenanite21

Twal

Colorado

2.25/5  rDev -35.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Serving; A can and honestly did not feel the need to dirty a glass once opened.

Appearance; I have no idea as to the appearance because I can't see through the can.

smell; none/can

Taste; I could barley detect the "spices" this is brewed w/ and nothing else.

Mouthfeel: felt wet and that may be the best feature of this beer.

Overall; After recently getting on board w/ Wynkoops B3K I thought this may be good ....EPIC FAIL!
Bottom line, If you're not a beer person this is the beer for you !
In fact if you can't taste and enjoy drinking beer this is the one for you...

I honestly get more flavor from a pabst.

Serving type: can

05-04-2012 00:42:54 | More by Twal