Style: Pale Ale (American)

ABV: 5.6

93/100

Aroma:	12
Appearance:	3
Flavor:	19
Mouthfeel:	4

MadeWest Brewing Company Pale

What the brewers say

“Flagship pale ale featuring Mosaic, Simcoe, and Ekuanot.”

What our panel thought

“The aroma offers nice hops complexity, with tropical notes against a resinous backdrop and some toasty malt notes. Flavor is milder, with more focus on the pine, but a good balance. Finishes with a soft bitterness in scale with the general lightness throughout.”

What our editors thought

“Crisp white-flower notes in the nose with some tropical funk. Modern and vivid. That lightness persists in the sip, as gentle pale-malt notes support crisp tropical floral notes in the sip. Gorgeous.”

Review printed in: Rethinking the Classic Pale Ale (Winter 2023) (View All Issues)

Print Shelf Talker

How We Review

REVIEWS FOR YOU >

Green Bench Brewing Co Crab Pot

“Bright grassy, apple-skin nose. Medium white grape, soft pear aroma. Very dry, but still has noticeable apple character. Very tart. Some interesting depth. Dry, fairly acid-forward. Just enough tannin to give a touch elegance. Quite dry, riesling-adjacent.”

Temescal Brewing Plant Parent

“Dank woodsy combines with orange marmalade spread across a low biscuity, light cracker background. Bitterness stands up but in a hushed form that doesn’t measure up to the malt. Still, the hop flavor punches through. Clean aftertaste, and dry.”

MadeWest Brewing Company Hazy

“Vibrant aromas leap from the glass—layers of mango, orange peel, and spices. Judiciously employs non-juicy hops with diesel, dank, resin, and garlic elements to balance sweeter notes. Soft yet firm malt lets the tropical hop flavors shine. Lush and explosive finish. Well-struck balance of malt and hop flavors.”

FRESH BEERS >

The best new craft beers available in a beer store near you. Sponsored content.

New Belgium Dominga Grapefruit

New Belgium wood cellar blender Lauren Limbach was gifted a new foeder that she aptly named Dominga—a play on the Spanish word for Sunday. She first created a mimosa-inspired golden sour called “Dominga: Goddess of Brunch.” Now we are excited to introduce the cocktail-inspired version, Dominga Grapefruit Paloma. Inspired by the classic cocktail of Mexico, Dominga packs a refreshing combo of bright grapefruit and lime flavors, along with agave and a pinch of salt.

Firestone Walker Oaktoberfest

Oaktoberfest is our oak-inspired homage to the great German tradition of Oktoberfest. We go the extra mile of maturing this beer in French oak barrels to create an amazingly smooth mouthfeel. The result is a classic German festbier with a hint of West Coast hoppiness. Grab your stein, don your lederhosen, and enjoy!

Firestone Walker Parabola ’24

Parabola is always a beast of a beer, with intense flavors of black cherry, dark chocolate, vanilla, and roast coffee—yet each annual release also bears its own subtle imprint. For this latest edition, we aged the beer for a year in 12-year Elijah Craig barrels. These coveted bourbon barrels imparted signature notes of charred oak, caramel, and cinnamon, taking the Parabola experience to new heights. Pour some out in your favorite snifter; behold the impossibly opaque color as you allow it to warm up a bit; and then let the dark magic of Parabola stun your palate with its unrivaled flavor and complexity.

Sierra Nevada Cosmic Little Thing Hazy Double IPA

For the latest in the Hazy IPA series, ride Sierra Nevada’s interstellar wave of tropical flavor in this Cosmic Little Thing, a hazy nebula glowing with Comet, Strata, and Helios hops for notes of citrus, berries, and lychee. Head into orbit with this 8 percent ABV hazy double IPA before the next Hazy IPA rotator hits. Look for Cosmic Little Thing in six-packs and 19.2 oz singles.

Firestone Walker Cosmic Crusher Juicy Imperial IPA

Out-of-this-world flavor that packs a punch—take a journey with Cosmic Crusher. “Cosmic Crusher is our crazy adventure into the realm of imperial juicy IPAs,” says brewmaster Matt Brynildson. Cosmic Crusher is built around two ultra-tropical hops—Galaxy and Strata. The result is a level of flavor, aroma, and mouthfeel that can only materialize at high strength, crossing the line into a whole new cosmos of punchy mango and pineapple character. SKUs available: 12 oz six-pack cans, 19.2 oz single serve, and Mind Haze Variety Pack.

Firestone Walker Luponic Distortion

Luponic Distortion is the Firestone Walker trailblazer that continues to break the rules, back for the first time since 2021. The classic Luponic Distortion base recipe returns with an all-new hop blend to deliver a fresh blast from the past. Brewed with a secret blend of new-age hops, the 2024 edition of Luponic Distortion turns up the volume with mind-bending flavors of lychee, peach, nectarine, and strawberry. Available exclusively in the Beer Before Glory IPA Mixed Pack.