soccer290 (14), Highland Park, Illinois, USA May 14, 2008 12 oz bottle (purchased for only 99 cents a bottle), poured into a lager glass. Appearance is a dark amber color. Little to no head from the pour. Aroma is a typical pale ale smell, full of hops. Taste is much like a typical pale ale, with a bit more hop bite than your average PA. Palate is very smooth, a slight alcohol taste to it, but still smooth, definitely not overpowering. Good beer, nothing special, but a solid 3F staple. CharlesDarwin (1245), State College, Pennsylvania, USA May 13, 2008 12oz Bottle. Pig barn and Amarillo nose. What’s all that earth doing in there? A nip of alcohol and a cloak of balsam fir. Peculiar. Pours a clear ruddy amber, with a soapy lace in off-white. Flavor develops a rather complex grain profile. There’s toothy oats, chewy bread crust, and some sweet nuttiness. Hops fight back with a fist of resin-filled cones and a bough of pine. Light acerbic quality. Heavily grasses. Hop flavor is rather complex as well. A bit of that FFF soapiness climbs through the hops and malt to scent my nostrils in the alcohol flow. I can’t decide if that’s okay. Medium-bodied. Not as light as I expected, but not too rich or dense. Smack is phenomenal, with a long citrus peel parch. Well-hopped, well-malted, and well-brewed, with a rather interesting recipe. Thanks Sean! ThaBobfather (73), Cincinnati, Ohio, USA May 11, 2008 It smells like delicious flowers. It pours a strong golden wonderfulness. It’s hoppy flavor is amazing. It leaves a great flowering taste on my mouth. I am highly impressed with Alpha King’s pale greatness! FunkyBrewster (9), Chicago, Illinois, USA does not count May 9, 2008 Sweet malty body, nice deep amber color. The hops aren’t as pronounced as some other pale ales. A strong example of a pale ale that doesn’t need an overwhelming hop presence. Butters (79), Richmond, Virginia, USA May 9, 2008 I picked this up today and while it doesn’t have a date on it, the bottle of Gumballhead beside was dated 2003, so it’s a good chance this is also from that year. The hop aroma has mellowed considerably and a sweet malty backbone is showing itself now. Good head with large bubbles. The hop flavor is exceptionaly well balanced. A truly wonderful APA.
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