Avery Karma Belgium-Style Pale Ale

Avery Brewing Company
Boulder, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2/3
Golden-brown. Clear. White, foamy head that fades to ring the glass.

AROMA: 2.75/4
Pineapple, coriander, fruit-salad. Nutty, as well.

TASTE: 6.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.75/4: Sour, very nutty. Citrus-sour orange. Minimal hop flavor.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Sour aftertaste, woody. Subtly woody.
Mouth-Feel: 2/3: Medium-bodied, weakly carbonated.

OVERALL: 2/3: It's not bad; we expected more complexity from a Belgian yeast. Not knocked out, wouldn't buy it again, but okay.

TOTAL: 13.5/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Not terribly complex or interesting–in many ways, like a sour amber. Just okay (and for an Avery beer, that's disappointing).
Ben: Needs more hop flavor. I expected more spiciness based on the description–Avery has made far better beers.

Odell St. Lupulin Extra Pale Ale

Odell Brewing Company
Fort Collins, Colorado

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Pretty gold color, white head. Clear.

AROMA: 3.5/4
Grassy-citrusy-piney. Hop-dominant, floral, subtle sweetbread. Clean nose.

TASTE: 7.75/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Really piney, with lots of floral flavor. Lemon peel up front.
Aftertaste: 2.25/3: Bitter woodiness–pleasantly bitter. Slight sourness that sits on the outsides of the tongue.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Fairly light-bodied, very nicely carbonated.

OVERALL: 2.5/3
We're impressed! A floral, very pretty beer. Light yet hoppy yet citrusy, a great summer pale.

TOTAL: 16/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Always an Odell fan, and now I have a new favorite seasonal. Light-bodied, hoppy enough, with delightful flavors and aromas–get it while you can.
Ben: I sometimes forget about Odell–seems like a gateway brewer to me–but I've always been impressed with their lineup, and this lives up to those expectations. Very good.

Choc Basement Batch Pale Ale

Choc Beer Company
Krebs, OK

APPEARANCE: 2.25/3
Clear, copper colored. Thin white head. Effervescent.
AROMA: 3.25/4
Citrus, Cascade hop. Malty, subtly nutty.

TASTE: 7.5/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Lots of hop flavor up-front, bitter at the finish. Malty, nicely-balanced. Probably too hoppy for the style, but you know us–we're not complaining.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Fades to a slightly astringent bitter finish–a tad too bitter.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Starts sweet, quickly shifts to lasting bitter. Refreshing.

OVERALL: 2.25/3: The packaging of this uknown-to-us beer struck us as cheesy; the beer itself defied our expectations. A good, hoppy session pale.

TOTAL: 15.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: Probably benefited from low expectations–it's the "My Cousin Vinny"of beers. Still, an extremely drinkable, hoppy pale.
Ben: I was pleasantly surprised–a good session beer. Oklahoma officially can make good beer.

Boulevard Pale Ale

Boulevard Brewing Company
Kansas City, MO

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Golden brown. Clear. White, creamy head. Pretty enough.

AROMA: 3/4
Floral, hoppy nose. Some citrus, woodiness. Sugary.

TASTE: 6/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2.5/4: A bit too sweet, could use more hop flavor.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Hop bitterness up front, sweetness at the middle that fades back to bitter. Woody, nutty.
Mouth-Feel: 1.5/3: Sweet residual finish, weak carbonation.

OVERALL: 1.75/3: An okay pale ale that could be a lot better.

TOTAL: 13.25/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Not bad but it falls far short of really stellar pales (e.g. Sierra Nevada). Refreshing enough, just not as great as some other Boulevard offerings.
Ben: Given a choice between this and a domestic, I'd choose this, but it's not a great pale.

Boulevard 21st Anniversary Fresh Hop Pale Ale

Boulevard Brewing Company
Kansas City, MO

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Nice copper color. Hazy. Thick, cream-colored head, big bubbles linger nicely. REALLY opaque–you can't see through this stuff.

AROMA: 3/4
Lots of hop aroma–bready, citrusy, pineapple-y.

TASTE: 8.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3.25/4: Malty! Some flavor hop, but could stand more. (I realize, we always say that). Very smooth, nicely-balanced–not cloying.
Aftertaste: 2.5/3: Raisin, prune, sweetbread. Lasting hop bitterness. Dry, nutty finish–lasting grainy aftertaste.
Mouth-Feel: 2.5/3: Very sweet, like a sweet roll. Appropriate hop bitterness, could use more.

OVERALL: 2.5/3: Hazy for a pale, but we don't care. Another solid offering from our hometown brewery–money well-spent.

TOTAL: 16.25/20–Pour Me Another

NOTES:
Matt: I wish they would take the best parts of this and apply it to their lackluster pale. A big beer–a nice step up from a boring pale.
Ben: I like this a lot more than their regular pale. Hop it up a bit more and this could be a really good beer.

Goose Island Honker's Ale

Goose Island Beer Company
Chicago, Illinois

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Copper/light brown color. White, lasting head. Crisp, clean-looking. Nice.

AROMA: 3/4
Sweet. Nutty—almond, brown sugar, grainy. Sweet corn. No hop aroma.

TASTE: 6.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 3/4: Malty, fades to bitter. Minimal hop flavor.
Aftertaste: 1.75/3: Grainy—grape nut, sweet raisin. Really nutty. Slight weird chemical aftertaste.
Mouth-Feel: 1.75/3: Dry, clean. Sour at front, ends grassy, woody. A bit watery at the close.

OVERALL: 2/3: Could use more aroma and bittering hop. Slightly watery. Goose Island's beer for the masses.

TOTAL: 14/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: I don't love it, but I appreciate the attempt. A nutty take on a standard pale–if I have to drink a pale ale, this isn't a bad one.
Ben: Unique enough to be craft, safe enough to entice newbies to try more ambitious Goose Island products. I don't love it, don't hate it—it's better than Sam Adams.

Summit Extra Pale Ale

Summit Brewing Company
St. Paul, Minnesota

APPEARANCE: 2.5/3
Light caramel color. Very clear. White, foamy head.

AROMA: 3/4
Caramel. Nutty–roasted nuts. Subtle coffee. Malty. Very little hop–needs more, in our opinion.

TASTE: 6.25/10
Hop/Malt Balance: 2/4: Malty, not much hop. Bittering hop, but needs more hop balance.
Aftertaste: 2/3: Bitter finish. Sweet, honey notes. Roasty, very nutty. Woody. Caramel, brown sugar. Bready, even.
Mouth-Feel: 2.25/3: Fades to a bitter, dry finish. A bit watery, but fills the mouth.

OVERALL: 1.75/3: Summit's version of the Boulevard Pale Ale–a standard, I understand they feel they need to have one, but unremarkable. There are much better Summit beers out there.

TOTAL: 13.5/20–I'll Try A Pint

NOTES:
Matt: Dry, woody, nutty. Very earthy, but not hoppy, so one is enough for me.
Ben: Okay. A session beer, but could be hoppier; I'd be more inclined to drink it if it were.