For many people, pale ales are their first introduction to craft beer - they have more flavour than the mass produced lagers they’d known before, but not as much alcohol or bitterness or weirdness as some of the other beer styles out there.

Like most beers, pale ales are made with four ingredients - malt, hops, yeast, and water - but it’s what brewers do with these ingredients that gives pale ales their appeal. 

What makes it a pale ale?

The story of pale ales goes back to 17th and 18th century Britain. Before that, most beers were dark, since malts were roasted with wood fire, which generally resulted in dark malts. But the use of a new kind of fuel gave people more control over the malting process, making pale malts available.

‘Pale ale’ is actually a broad category rather than a single style. While any pale ale is made using mostly (or only) pale malts and fermented with ale yeast (as opposed to lager yeast), and most sit between 4% and 6% ABV, there’s plenty of variety under the pale ale umbrella.

What should you expect?

Pale ales are approachable, versatile, and refreshing. When you take a sip, you’ll generally notice both the sweetness from the malts and the flavour and bitterness from the hops (but less than in an IPA).

There are styles within the style: an American pale ale will feature the citrus and piney flavours of American hops, and have a bitterness you can’t ignore; an English pale will let caramelly malts come to play more than the hops; an Australian pale ale is designed for our climate, bursting with the tropical fruit aromas of Aussie hops while still being light and easy to smash; and a hazy or New England pale is all about a cloudy appearance, juicy flavours, and low bitterness.

Having said all this, keep in mind that a lot of brewers don’t follow the rules - they brew beer that they and their customers enjoy, rather than sticking to a defined style. So don’t be surprised if a beer doesn’t fit neatly into any category.

Pale Ale

Page
Set Descending Direction
per page
Top on the info icon for flavour info
  1. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    Strate & Amarillo hops impart subtle notes that, if in a wine, might be expressed as barnyard. Finishes dry and crisp.
    11 Days Pale Ale
    11 Days Pale Ale
    Australian Pale Ale
    Jervis Bay Brewing Co
    Sold By Jervis Bay Brewing Co
    Pay as little as $43.00
    8 pack
    $51.00
    16 pack
    $84.00
    4 pack
    $26.00
    View Beer
  2. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    A blissful symphony of hops in a tropical oasis!
    Affinity
    Affinity
    Tropical Ale
    Blackflag Brewing
    Sold By Blackflag Brewing
    Pay as little as $38.00
    8 pack
    $42.00
    16 pack
    $70.00
    4 pack
    $21.00
    View Beer
  3. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Delicate
    • Clean
    • Light
    Tasting notes
    Crisp mouthfeel with a moderate degree of clarity. Strong aroma and taste of a fruit salad from the hops, particularly stone fruits and citrus. Little aftertaste as the hops and malt burst in the mouth and dissipate rapidly
    All Australian Pale Ale
    All Australian Pale Ale
    Pale Ale
    Aether Brewing
    Sold By Aether Brewing
    Pay as little as $38.00
    8 pack
    $45.00
    16 pack
    $75.00
    4 pack
    $23.00
    View Beer
  4. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Chewy
    Tasting notes
    An easy drinking ale with subtle bitterness and clean malt finish.
    American Pale Ale
    American Pale Ale
    American Pale Ale
    Rocks Brewing Co
    Sold By Rocks Brewing Co
    Pay as little as $41.00
    12 pack
    $50.00
    24 pack
    $82.50
    6 pack
    $25.00
    View Beer
  5. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    Slightly Bitter and with Stonefruity and
  6. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Blackwoods
    Blackwoods
    American Pale Ale
    Sunday Road Brewing
    Sold By Sunday Road Brewing
    Pay as little as $54.00
    12 pack
    $62.00
    24 pack
    $95.00
    View Beer
  7. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    Moderate hop aroma of sweet fruits, predominately berries, with a very slight note of citrus. Hop flavour of sweet ripe berries, and a hint of toasty oat comes from the malt.
  8. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    Light toasted malt with citrus and pine notes. A harmonious flavour symphony.
    Boxer Pale Ale
    Boxer Pale Ale
    Pale Ale
    Boxer Brewing Co
    Sold By Boxer Brewing Co
    Pay as little as $25.00
    4 pack
    $29.00
    8 pack
    $58.00
    16 pack
    $87.00
    View Beer
  9. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    Bright citrus, lemon peels and myrtle herbaceous. Present malt backbone and smooth body.
    Citronium
    Citronium
    Pale Ale
    The Zythologist
    Sold By The Zythologist
    Pay as little as $28.00
    8 pack
    $35.00
    24 pack
    $75.00
    4 pack
    $18.00
    View Beer
  10. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    Loaded with tropical Kiwi hops that deliver peach, lychee, and hints of citrus, this is a perfect brew for lazing in the the sun in our beer garden.
  11. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Delicate
    Tasting notes
    Easy drinking full strength ale made with familiar Australian hops.
  12. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    Well-balanced, caramel malt with earthy hops. Subtle bitter finish. A classic English bitter.
  13. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    What we're going for here is that when somebody sits down to drink it, there's fantastic aromatics but when you take a sip, it's a more subtle flavour profile with just enough hops and bitterness that makes them want to take another sip. It has a pleasant, flowery and fruity / citrus-like quality. We use Cascade and Simcoe hops combined with Weyerman and Barrett Burston malts.
  14. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Creamy
    • Dry
    Tasting notes
    Mellow malt flavours, slight white wine hop aroma on back palate. No overbearing fruit aromas. Drinks clean
  15. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Clean
    Tasting notes
    A clean crisp finish makes this fruity hop forward beer an ideal thirst quencher.
    Enigma
    Enigma
    Australian Pale Ale
    Sunday Road Brewing
    Sold By Sunday Road Brewing
    Pay as little as $50.00
    12 pack
    $57.00
    24 pack
    $87.00
    View Beer
  16. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Sharp
    Tasting notes
    The malt and American hops are balanced by the subtle rye tartness.
  17. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Clean
    Tasting notes
    Pineapple juiciness, Hoppy and Citric.
  18. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    Fruity and perfectly rounded
  19. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    Smooth and tropical
  20. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Tasting notes
    Citrus hop flavours of orange and mandarin alongside a caramel malt flavour.
  21. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Astringent
    Tasting notes
    Passion fruit, Pineapple and Mango. Subtle malt sweetness.
  22. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Delicate
    Tasting notes
    Bright tropical hops balanced by an assertive bitterness.
    Lightning Minds Pale Ale
    Lightning Minds Pale Ale
    American Pale Ale
    Lightning Minds
    Sold By Lightning Minds
    Pay as little as $28.00
    8 pack
    $35.00
    24 pack
    $75.00
    4 pack
    $18.00
    View Beer
  23. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Smooth / Velvety
    Maude Street Pale Ale
    Maude Street Pale Ale
    Pale Ale
    Shepparton Brewery
    Sold By Shepparton Brewery
    Pay as little as $40.00
    8 pack
    $50.00
    16 pack
    $65.00
    4 pack
    $25.00
    View Beer
  24. Flavour Profile
    Hops
    Malt
    • Chewy
    Tasting notes
    Herbal stone fruit aroma and the little brother of our American Pale Ale.
    Mid-Strength Pale Ale
    Mid-Strength Pale Ale
    Pale Ale
    Rocks Brewing Co
    Sold By Rocks Brewing Co
    Pay as little as $33.00
    12 pack
    $40.00
    24 pack
    $66.00
    6 pack
    $20.00
    View Beer
Page
Set Descending Direction
per page