Shiner Wild Hare Pale Ale

The Dirt
I have to admit that I was rather intrigued that Shiner would make a pale ale. It was on sale one week, so I decided to give it a shot.

I prefer pale ales to be one of two things: big floral hops on the front that quickly disappear to a clean finish, or have a light but certainly present hop profile from start to finish, being a refreshing beer. I found the Wild Hare to be neither.

There was a very mild hop flavor up front, but it was pretty hidden. The beer reminded me more of a slightly sweeter amber, which more or less translates into being a generic ale or what some might call a "mild". This is also the case with the color profile, which is too dark for a pale ale in my opinion.

In all honesty, this isn't a bad beer - it's just not what I'd classify as a pale ale. If it were marketed as something else, I'd probably give it higher marks.

Worth it?
Eh, I think I paid $5.99 for the six-pack, so in that respect it was since it wasn't a bad beer. But if you want a true pale ale, I'd try something else.

The Final Word

Bristol Red Rocket Pale Ale

The Dirt
A large degree of variance exists in American pale ales these days. From flirting with IPAs to flirting with pure boredom, the style can be all over the place it seems. Not my favorite of styles, but I typically go for a pale when I don't want the in-your-face hop storm and fullness of an IPA. Red Rocket provides just that - a hoppy but refreshing beer. The hops are certainly present, as the Red Rocket approaches IPA-dom, but they don't overpower and there isn't any biscuity sweetness on the back end. The initial hit is more piney/floral in nature rather than pure bitterness, and it fades somewhat quickly to clean and smooth hop notes. The body is somewhat light, but doesn't make it feel like you're drinking water. Quite honestly when I think of what an American pale ale should do, the Red Rocket does it quite well. If you like hops, but don't want an IPA and are often disappointed with other pale ales, give the Red Rocket a ride.

Worth it?
Totally - a nice change of pace from IPAs during the summer months. Bought in a mix-pack, but would buy alone or on draft.

The Final Word

Terrapin Rye Pale Ale

The Dirt
Rye beers are making a big comeback (or moment in the sun), and with good cause. Rye adds a little spice versus a lot of malty taste. And of course, pale ales are hoppy, so it was interesting to see how these two would play with each other.

This beer got it all right, with the perfect balance of hops and rye. Smooth at first, but the hop and rye flavors fade in quickly. Citrus notes from the hops and the spice of the rye linger on the backside, with a hint of sweet at the end. Just plain tasty and very drinkable. Hop heads (which I am), you may want more hops, but I think that would hide the rye. Although letting a pale ale warm up isn't something I'd recommend, I will say that the rye becomes more present later in the glass, as the beer warms up just a tad. The only way this could get better is if it was made into a double pale or something.

Worth it?
A trick question this time around. A very generous friend gave me of few of these, as they're not available here in Texas. But if you see it somewhere (probably more in the Southeast), I recommend getting one, especially if you like pale ales and want to be introduced to rye.

The Final Word