Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale Review

Ales are not as popular in the United States as lager and other styles, but most every craft brewer has taken a stab at brewing at least a few ales and among the different types of ales, pale ale is a common offering for many brewing operations. American varieties often have a different flavor profile compared to pale ale in other countries, and they usually offer a pronounced taste of citrus hops. A good example of the American style is Third Eye Pale Ale, a product of the Steamworks Brewing Company of Durango, Colorado.

Beer Commentary:

Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale is copper/orange in color and a steady pour results in a sturdy head of foam that eventually collapses into a thin coating that remains all the way to the final sip. The nose of this pale ale is one of grapefruit/citrus hops, bread, and yeast.

This pale ale offers a nice array of flavors including caramel, citrus hops, floral hops, and toasted malt notes. The finish of this beer is dry and bitter, with a slight bite. The bitter finish lingers for a short time, however, before switching to a pleasant aftertaste of citrus hops. The alcohol level of this beer is 6.4 percent by volume and each serving contains a bitterness rating of 65 IBU.

Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale is an American pale style, and this fact is obvious from both the aroma and the taste, which emphasizes hops. The hops in this ale are flavorful, with floral and citrus notes battling for dominance. The taste of hops is the taste that sticks with you, all the way through the aftertaste. But while the hops are dominant, they are not the only flavor present. Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale also offers a nice, malty backbone which can be easily detected in the caramal/bread/toasted flavors. Because of the malty presence, Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale is like a hybrid between an English and American Pale Ale, offering a nicely balanced taste.  

Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale has an alcohol content approaching seven percent by volume and because of this, one would expect a stronger presence of alcohol in the taste, but it is actually less noticeable than I expected. The beer finishes bitter, but the alcohol cannot be given credit for this. It is the hops that are most responsible for the bitterness. Given that the alcohol level is greater than seven percent, a stronger presence of alcohol was anticipated.

Bottom Line Viewpoint:

Steamworks Third Eye Pale Ale is a nice, solid pale ale that hopheads of all degrees will find to their liking. It's a hop- accented brew but the contribution from the sweet malts keeps the hops in check, leading to a nicely balanced taste for pale ale.