Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 5.7

93/100

Aroma:	11
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	18
Mouthfeel:	4

SweetWater Brewing Company 420 Extra Pale

What the brewers say

“SweetWater 420 Extra Pale Ale is a tasty West Coast Style Pale Ale with a stimulating hops character and a crisp finish. Brewed with Munich, 40L, and 2-Row malts and Centennial and Cascade hops.”

What our panel thought

Aroma: “Clean citrusy hops aroma with a slight malt sweetness. Woody, floral hops with a light citrus edge evoke orange peel, mild vanilla, and black pepper. Perfume-like aromatics—very floral. Light bready malt notes in the back. Grapefruit comes out as it warms. Nutty yeast aromas and spicy phenolic notes. Esters of pear or plum.”

Flavor: “Slightly bready malt bill balanced to style by classic West Coast citrusy hops. Spicy, almost Belgian phenolic yeast character with a light wheat tartness, decent floral hops flavor under the spice, pineapple. Peach and cranberry notes. Malt is bready and slightly sweet with a clean finish. Lingering bitterness in finish without harshness.”

Overall: “Good example of a West Coast pale ale in terms of hops character and overall balance. Leans toward the phenolic character of a Belgian pale ale, but very tasty. Caramel sweetness may be a bit high for style, but the layers of malt and ester flavors add interest. A full-flavored, excellent choice to pair with richer dinners.”

What our editors thought

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How We Review

REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Victory Brewing Company Headwaters Pale Ale

**Aroma:** “Floral hops aroma meets medium sweet malt with biscuit notes verging on caramel. Light esters of pear or peach and very subdued citrus notes. Mild floral hops, with a fair amount of peach. Musty yeast aromatics, low orange peel hops, lovely honey-bread crust malt, low but noticeable.” **Flavor:** “Full bodied with a sweeter malt finish and hops bitterness to match the body. Hops are mostly piney and resinous with a touch of lemon. Moderate hops flavor—peach, pear, and some cherry, with a proper bitter finish. Initial flavor is much more simple than aromatics suggest—a good surprise. Lovely.” **Overall:** “Well crafted, balanced pale ale. Hops flavor lingers into aftertaste with juicy citrus notes and fresh pine boughs. Right down the center of the style, an archetypal example. Carb makes the hops pop, and then the bitterness lingers. Great West Coast hops character. Nicely balanced beer. Stylewise it may be a bit bitter overall, but the malt complexity backs it up well.”

SweetWater Brewing Company IPA

__Aroma:__ “Big orange with a touch of pine and mint in the background. Some grapefruit and lemon on the second whiff. Some sweetness hits in the back. Big complex hops aroma: white grape, melon, a bit of lemon, a bit of iris, white pepper, and thyme. A bit of bready malt in the background.” __Flavor:__ “Great hops presentation without being heavy handed. Malt supports without being sweet. Hops profile is a tasty blend of orange and pine with a simple malt backbone beneath. The orange has some sweetness with orange peel bitterness. Light hops flavor reprises the floral aroma and adds some citrus. Well balanced for the style.” __Overall:__ “The orange flavor is nice, and the bitterness works well with the hops complexity. Refreshing. Right down the pipe for West Coast. This one has the pint-after-pint bonus for me.”

SweetWater Brewery 420 Strain: G13 IPA

Imagine that you’ve dropped by your local dispensary, trying to decide which cannabis strain to choose. Also a little bit of blueberry and other fruits. The terpene character carries through to the flavor but unexpectedly simplifies a bit into a more normal dank hops flavor. The bitterness is fairly clean, lasting into the aftertaste without being harsh.

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