”Water, Malt, Hops, Yeast. And that’s all.”

With spring and the warmer weather just arriving, my beer palate has been calling out for some new brew experiences and a new found Pale Ale fit the bill. North Coast Brewing Company’s Acme California Pale Ale is newly available in my neck of the woods and a six-pack staring at me from inside my beer cooler of choice was hard to resist.

North Coast was founded in Fort Bragg, Mendocino County, in Northern California in 1988 and currently brews 10+ beers in a variety of styles (www.northcoastbrewing.com). The brewery’s products have won numerous awards and it has developed a solid following.

North Coast describes Acme California Pale Ale as a ”smooth, clean ale with faint citrus and honey flavor notes and a dry finish.” The ale is made with “Yakima Valley hops, American two-row malt” and some added ”British specialty malt.” The alcohol by volume (ABV) rating is 5.0% which is fairly benign in this category.

North Coast brews three beers under the “Acme California” name to honor a brewery that existed in San Francisco dating back to the 1860s. The other two beers in the line are Acme California Brown Ale and Acme California IPA.

The Pour
Acme California Pale Ale pours to an amber gold color with a nice head and evidently good carbonation. There is a floral sweet note readily apparent.

The Taste
The taste is immediately pleasant; the mouthfeel features a nice shot of sweetness with a lingering crispness and dry bite at the back of the throat. I definitely denote the citrus/honey flavor and other reviews I’ve read mention an apple-like tartness. Either way, I like it.

There is a continuing stylistic controversy (beer geek arguments) in the “American Pale Ale” category with some beer aficionados demanding the biggest hop flavor they can find, while others are content with a more subtle hop implosion. Consequently some reviewers can be exceedingly harsh in their criticism of brews that fail to meet their standards. I go either way. I enjoy both the large blasts of hoppy APAs and the more subdued versions.

Here, the sweetness is pretty well balanced by the hops present, though a more pronounced hop kiss would be fine by me. Acme California Pale Ale is not overpowering in that regard at all and would be a good choice for a Pale Ale novice in my estimation.

Would I Have Another?
Yes. North Coast describes their Acme California Pale Ale as a good session beer and I readily agree with that. It’s a solid beer choice (three stars) for those nights when sitting outside and conversing is a preferred activity. It’s also a good beer for the usual barbecue fare and for summer get-togethers.



Recommended: Yes