The ale is the oldest type of beer with a history dating back thousands of years. Although they have a longer history, ales generally are not as popular as their lager brethren. Personally, I find ales to be some of the tastier and more refreshing beers out there. There are many variants of the ale beer. Pale ale, red ale, brown ale, IPAs, and wheat ales are just a few of the styles of ales. Here the list of my top ten ales of all time:
10. Honker’s Ale, Goose Island (4.20% Alcohol By Volume) – Honker’s is Goose Island’s version of the English Bitter Ale. The Honker’s Ale is a honey-amber color. It has an earthy aroma with malts and caramel dominating the smell. This is a smooth beer with a caramel malt flavor. There is a little bit of nuttiness to it and just a hint of citrus. This is a great beer for when it is hot out.
9. Blue Moon Belgian White, Coors Brewing Company (5.40% ABV) – This is a wonderful citrus tasting beer and one of my favorite White Belgian Ales. This beer is golden yellow in color. It has a sweet citrus aroma mixed with some spicy coriander scents. It has a citrus taste, mainly orange, with a bit of tanginess at the end. Blue Moon is smooth and refreshing. It is best when served with an orange slice.
8. Hoegaarden Original White Ale, Brouwerji van Hoergaarden (4.90% ABV) – This Belgian import is another fine White Ale. It is a cloudy, pale yellow in color. It smells strongly of wheat and has hints of coriander and citrus. This beer has a very complex, flavorful taste. The wheat flavor is dominant at first, but it has hints of spiciness and citrus flavors. It finishes with just a little bitterness. This is a very refreshing beer.
7. Heavy Seas – Loose Cannon, Clipper City Brewery (7.25% ABV) – Loose Cannon is a quality India Pale Ale. This beer is golden amber in color and has a nice white head. It has a sweet citrus aroma with a hint of pine. The taste is crisp and refreshing, consisting of citrus and pine hops.
6. Sierra Nevada IPA, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (6.80% ABV) – This is another strong India Pale Ale. It is pale amber in color and pours with a nice white head. It has an earthy aroma with hints of citrus and caramel. The primary taste is earthy malts with a strong hint from the hops and a bitter aftertaste.
5. 312 Urban Wheat Ale, Goose Island (4.20% ABV) – This Wheat Ale from Goose Island is one of my favorites. It has a straw yellow color and is a bit cloudy. Wheat dominates the aroma with a hint of citrus. It has a crisp, dry flavor consisting of lemon and wheat. It is another refreshing ale that is great for the summertime.
4. Newcastle Brown Ale, Scottish & Newcastle UK Ltd. (4.70% ABV) – Newcastle is by far my favorite English Brown Ale and one of my favorite overall ales. It is reddish-brown in color and has a small, creamy head. The aroma is dominated by sweet malts. It has a smooth, malt flavor with just a hint of caramel and sweetness. A slight bitterness at the end is very nice.
3. Paulaner Hefe-Weizen, Paulaner Salvator Thomasbraeu AG (5.50% ABV) – This German import is the best Hefewizen available. It is golden yellow in color and has a big white head when poured. It smells like wheat and hops with hints of citrus and banana. The taste is smooth, consisting of wheat and citrus. This is a refreshing beer best served with a slice of orange.
2. Unfiltered Wheat Ale, Boulevard Brewing Company (4.60% ABV) – Boulevard’s Wheat Ale is my favorite Wheat Ale of all time. It is a pale yellow in color. Wheat dominates the aroma with a hint of citrus backing it up. It has a crisp, sweet taste at first that is followed by a citrus sourness. The hops add a nice bitterness to the finish.
1. Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, Sierra Nevada Brewing Company (5.60% ABV) – This Pale Ale is the best of the Sierra Nevada beers and my favorite ale of all time. It is a dark gold in color and has a nice white head when first poured. It has a sweet aroma of citrus and pine. The taste is sweet at first and the hops add a nice bitterness to it. It is definitely more bitter than most beers, but it is refreshing and smooth. This Pale Ale is always a good choice.
