Top 10 American Pale Ales

1.  Sierra Nevada Harvest Ale - Sierra Nevada Brewing Company - 6.20%ABV
Poured a nice dark copper color. Good white head that left a nice lacing on glass. Excellent aroma of hops as you pour with just an undercurrent of malt. Flavor is initially dominated by the hops but, the malty biscuit flavor comes through to give it balance. Great mouthfeel makes this a truly excellent beer. It would be easy to drink a lot of these.

2.  Alpha King Pale Ale - Three Floyds Brewing - 6.00%ABV
Pours a clear copper with garnet hues. The head is a fluffy two fingers, with coloration like that of lightly toasted meringue. The head retains well, while the lacing is hearty. The hops infuse the beer with a citric bittersweetness. Flavors of grapefruit and apricot predominate. There is also a very satisfying roasted nuttiness that pulls through to add some heft to the taste. The finish is mostly bitter, but also contains notes of barley malt.
 
3.  Full Sail Pale Ale - Full Sail Brewing - 5.40%ABV
Appears a bronze copper hue with a large off white head leaves even dispersed thin lacing as it dwindles down. Aroma is full of citrus and pine hops with a slight metallic edge blended with toffee and caramel malts a tad bit of graininess is apparent but pleasing altogether. Flavor melds light biscuit malt sweetness with a flowing herbal, floral, and citrus peel hop profile very nice and textbook for what you want in an APA.
 
4.  Fresh Hop Pale Ale - Great Divide Brewing Company - 6.10%ABV
Brewing with fresh hops is a big endeavor, requiring four to five times the hop volume compared to using pelletized hops. Although the process is complex, it brings impressive results: Fresh Hop is an American-style pale ale with moderate hop bitterness marked by a unique and intensely grassy hop flavor and aroma. Fresh Hop is a superbly refreshing, medium bodied, light-copper colored pale ale weighing in at 55 IBUs.

5.  Terrapin Rye Pale Ale  - Terrapin Beer Company 5.30
By using an exact amount of rye, a grain seldom found in other micro brewed beers, the Rye Pale Ale acquires its signature taste. Made with five varieties of hops and a generous amount of specialty malts, it offers a complex flavor and aroma that is both aggressive and well balanced - a rare find among beers.
 
6.  Hop Trip -  Deschutes Brewery 5.50%ABV
This Fresh Hop Pale Ale is all about celebrating the hop harvest in the fall.  Fresh picked hops have to be added to the brew immediately and in abundance.  Roughly 270 pounds of Crystal hops from Doug Weathers' farm outside Salem, Oregon will be added to the 50 barrel batch in addition to some dry kilned whole flower hops.  That adds up to approximately 5.5 pounds of hops per barrel brewed. 
 
7.  Sierra Nevada Pale Ale -  Sierra Nevada Brewing Co  5.60%ABV
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale, is a delightful interpretation of a classic style. It has a deep amber color and an exceptionally full-bodied, complex character. Generous quantities of premium Cascade hops give the Pale Ale its fragrant bouquet and spicy flavor. IBU 37.

8.  Great Lakes Burning River Pale Ale - Great Lakes Brewing Company 6.00%ABV
Pours a very, very slightly fogged copper amber. Nose is mildly perfume toned, but exhibits a much more stronger citrus tone. Flavor has quite a zing to it at first but calms down enough to show some nice hop character. Feel is smooth and it has a fairly full carbonation that stays on the tongue.
 
9.  Anchor Liberty Ale - Anchor Brewing Company - 6.00%ABV
A special top-fermenting ale yeast is used during fermentation and is responsible for many of Liberty Ale's subtle flavors and characteristics. Carbonation is produced by an entirely natural process called "bunging," which produces champagne-like bubbles. Dry-hopping (adding fresh hops to the brew during aging), imparts a unique aroma to the ale.
 
10. Stone Pale Ale - Stone Brewing Company - 5.40%ABV
Dark gold color, nice frothy head. Smells of malts and hops, but with a stinging alcohol undertone. Tastes heavenly. The malts and hops are well balanced, and unlike other "pale ales," this one seems to focus more on the malts/hops rather than additional flavors. There are some dark fruits and herbal hints, but not overpowering. Lastly, there is a relatively strong and warming alcohol taste.