An ordinary (despite Special tag) golden ale lacking specificity and intent. Nebulous hop bitterness, derelict yellow fruit tartness, and faded carbonation dim its chances. Brewery defunct: 2004.

Closer to light-bodied India Pale Ale than dry ‘paile’ ale, this goes down easy thanks to crisp water consistency, pleasant malt sweetness, and tingling hop bitterness. But lack of distinction deters off-dry finish. Brewery defunct: 2000.

Sweet whiskey aroma pervades highly carbonated, well rounded pale ale perhaps closer to red ale with its hop pop, grain sharpness, and creamy caramel undercurrent. Sour yeast urgency adds depth.

Dankly sour-scented musty-grained pale ale’s frisky fruit frolic consists of faded blueberry, black cherry, and citrus accents muting bitter nutty hop saturation.

Toasted almond aroma welcomes otherwise passive corn sugared middleweight. Pale malt sweetness counters polite hop backing, bitter citrus siding and piney tinge before hasty dry finish slips into minor acidity.

Middling amber yellow-hazed medium-bodied pale ale (special 2001 bottling of Rogue’s Oregon Golden Ale) offers plain wheat biscuit frontage to embittered Cascade-hopped citric zest. Tangy orange-peach-grapefruit briskness enlivens grassy-bottomed toasted barley finish.

Nebulous coppery dry-bodied English-styled ale benefits from up-front brown chocolate-y molasses malting and ancillary chestnut-tobacco sweetness. However, drab phenol-hopped aridity and overriding diacetyl nature diminish honey grained midst to bland mocha finish. A modest acquisition.

Floral citric hop nose and soured blueberry setting admit lively lemony orange-grapefruit juiciness to embitter spicy herbal comeuppance. Spruce finish gathers grassy green tea nuance for refreshing lightweight mood.

Bittersweet fruited malt surge acquires floral-hopped bouquet juxtaposing nutty bottom. Raspy blueberry-raspberry sweetness anchors off-dry medium body. On second passing, sharp orange-peeled lemon rind zest punctuates whiskey-soaked wheat husk, leaving spritzy mandarin orange aftertaste.

Boring Irish-styled pale ale with skunky malt aroma, crisp hop flow and unassuming dry-fruited finish. Neither bitter nor sweet, just an average ale lost in the middle of the pack.

Interesting blonde-hazed white-headed dry-grained pilsner-styled India Pale Ale uses old fashion country hops to embitter roasted barleymalt sweetness, setting firm foundation. Despite undefined sour fruiting, muted nuttiness, and soapy finish, compares favorably to Labatt’s ales (or similar mountain-watered Canadian refreshments).

Dry tea and pine tips inform embittered Fuggle-hopped medium-bodied pale ale, countering toasted malt linger at pleasingly soft finish.