Even though the IPA gets all the press, it’s the American pale ale that we can thank (at least in part) for the epic rise in hoppy craft brews in the US over the past forty years. Way back in 1980, Sierra Nevada’s Ken Grossman decided to make a pale ale that utilized the aromatic, flavorful hops found in the Pacific Northwest: Cascade hops. The original English-style pale all is known more for its malts than hops, but when Grossman dropped the now iconic Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, he made something focused on the floral and citrus aromas and flavors of Cascade hops.
This has led to countless brewers emulating his style all while adding their own unique takes on the style. Beer drinkers have savored the spoils!
Nowadays, you can walk into any grocer, supermarket, or beer store and find a seemingly endless number of American pale ales. There are a ton of great choices available almost anywhere. And with spring having sprung, we decided the time was right to pick eight well-known pale ales and rank them based on balance and flavor. Keep scrolling to see how your favorite pale ale stacked up.
8) Ballast Point Grunion Pale Ale
ABV: 5.5%
Average Price: $13 for a six-pack
The Beer:
This award-winning pale ale has an interesting origin story. Named for a miniature local fish, it began as an entry in a Ballast Point employee home brewing competition. It’s known for its balance of fruity, citrus, and herbal flavors, all with a caramel malt backbone.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is dominated by citrus peels and pine sol and not much else. The palate has slightly more going on with tangerine, grapefruit, light malts, and resinous pine. The finish is lightly bitter. Overall, the beer is a bit one-dimensional.
Bottom Line:
There is a malt presence, but this beer is a little heavier on the citrus and pine than we’d prefer in a pale ale. Appeals more to classic IPA fans.
7) Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
The first canned craft pale ale (and one of the first canned craft beers ever), Oskar Blue’s Dale’s Pale Ale was launched in 2002. It’s known for its balanced flavor profile featuring Comet, Centennial, and Cascade hops. It’s floral, snappy, and lightly bitter.
Tasting Notes:
There’s a ton of citrus on this beer’s nose. Orange peel, grapefruit, and lemon all make an appearance along with pine needles. The palate is more of the same with a ton of citrus, some sweet malts, and a wallop of dank pine. The finish has a surprisingly bitter sting.
Bottom Line:
This is a well-made, flavorful pale ale. It’s just a little astringent and bitter at the finish for some casual pale ale fans.
6) Drake’s 1500 Pale Ale
ABV: 5.5%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
This popular 5.5% ABV pale ale is brewed with Berkeley yeast and 2-row and Crystal 35 malts. It gets its bright, orange, grapefruit, and herbal pine flavor from the addition of Hallertau Mandarina, Lemondrop, Simcoe, Amarillo, and Cascade hops.
Tasting Notes:
The nose begins with a ton of pine resin and moves into grapefruit, lemongrass, and grapefruit. This pine and citrus parade continues on the palate with grapefruit peels, orange, lemon, a nice malt sweetness, and a dank, piney finish that leaves you wanting more. Albeit a little watery.
Bottom Line:
This beer is well-balanced and flavorful. The finish is subtly bitter, but a little thinner than you’d hope for in a classic pale ale.
5) Rogue Newport Daze Pale Ale
ABV: 5.5%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
If you’ve never tried Rogue Newport Daze, you should. This year-round, 5.5% ABV hazy pale ale is brewed with imperial juice yeast, 2-row malts, rolled oats, and white wheat. It gets its floral, citrus, hoppy flavor from the use of El Dorado and Sabro hops.
Tasting Notes:
The nose is surprisingly fruity with fragrances of ripe pineapple, tangerine, grapefruit, and lightly herbal, floral pine. Drinking it reveals flavors of peaches, grapefruit, pineapple, oats, caramel malts, and herbal, earthy pine. The finish is a memorable mix of sweetness and bitterness.
Bottom Line:
This is the epitome of an easy-drinking, hazy pale ale. It’s bursting with fruit flavors and has just the right amount of bitterness to tie everything together.
4) Sierra Nevada Pale Ale
ABV: 5.5%
Average Price: $12 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale is the beer that started an American craft beer revolution. This Cascade hop-fueled, citrus and pine bomb has been brewed the same way since its inception in 1980. It’s a classic that stands the test of time.
Tasting Notes:
On the nose, you’ll find classic aromas of bright pine needles, grapefruit, orange peel, lemongrass, and light caramel malts. The palate continues this trend with hints of biscuit-like malts, grapefruit, lemon, and herbal, earthy, floral, dank pine. The last few sips are pleasantly bitter and bring all the other flavors together in a nice crescendo.
Bottom Line:
Before you try any of the other pale ales on this list, you need to drink Sierra Nevada first. It’s the beer that many modern American pale ales are hoping to emulate.
3) Deschutes Mirror Pond
ABV: 5%
Average Price: $11 for a six-pack
The Beer:
Sure, Sierra Nevada was first. But it was followed closely behind by Deschutes with its Mirror Pond Pale Ale in 1988. Also, a Cascade hop-centered pale ale, it gets its nice, sweet malt backbone from the addition of 2-row, Crystal, Carapils, and Munich malts.
Tasting Notes:
This session beer begins with aromas of tangerines, toffee, lemongrass, and light, floral pine. The palate begins with a nice kick of caramel malts and then moves into orange peel, grapefruit, wet grass, and dank, resinous pine. The finish is crisp, citrus-filled, and lightly bitter.
Bottom Line:
This is one for the beer fans who prefer their pale ale to have more of a malt backbone. Caramel, citrus, and pine work in total unison.
2) 3 Floyds Zombie Dust
ABV: 6.5%
Average Price: $15 for a six-pack
The Beer:
This wildly popular 6.5% ABV pale ale is adorned with a spooky, undead, zombie king. Hopped exclusively with Citra hops, it’s known for its mix of bright, vibrant citrus, tropical fruits, and dank pine.
Tasting Notes:
Complex aromas of peach, ripe berries, mango, caramelized pineapple, tangerine, and grassy, herbal pine start this beer off on the right foot. There’s more of the same on the palate with caramel malts, grapefruit, mango, peach, berries, and floral, dank pine taking center stage. The finish is dry and lightly bitter.
Bottom Line:
Fruity, dry, lightly bitter. What’s not to love? This is an incredibly popular pale ale and for good reason. Seek this one out if you’ve never tried it.
1) Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue
ABV: 5.8%
Average Price: $13 for a four-pack of 16-ounce cans
The Beer:
Another single-hop pale ale, this beloved 5.8% ABV brew is brewed solely with Citra hops. The result is a boldly fruity beer featuring heavy doses of mango, grapefruit, lemon zest, and pine. All with a tyrannosaurus-sized amount of hop bitterness.
Tasting Notes:
Mango, peach, guava, pineapple, and a ton of bold citrus and pine start are prevalent on this beer’s nose. It really draws you in. Drinking it reveals more pineapple, grapefruit, tangerine, mango, lemongrass, sweet malts, and dank, resinous hops. The finish is a mix of fruit and bitter hops.
Bottom Line:
When it comes to balance and flavor, it’s tough to beat the appeal of Toppling Goliath Pseudo Sue. Seek this pale ale out. You won’t regret your decision.