American Pale Ale is a pale, moderately hopped ale with citrus- and pine-leaning American hop character, lighter in bitterness than American IPA. The hopIQ Score for American Pale Ale evaluates each beer against the American-Pale-Ale reference and weights medals from style-judged competitions.
Currently leading the ranking: DBA (Firestone Walker Brewing Company), Sierra Nevada Pale Ale (Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.) and Mai Tai P.A. (Alvarado Street Brewery).
How this ranking works
The hopIQ Score judges every beer against its style first: it rewards medals from competitions that judge within style categories and deducts points where a beer measurably deviates from its style reference. Community ratings add to that. Non-alcoholic excluded. No paid placement — order follows the data alone. Ranking spans 347 beers from 174 breweries.
Top 5 of 49
ABV
5.0%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Colour
golden 8
DBA, short for Double Barrel Ale, was the brewery's first beer and pays tribute to English ales fermented in wooden casks: it is fermented in American oak barrels. The palate is built on malt rather than hops, with ribbons of caramel and…DBA, short for Double Barrel Ale, was the brewery's first beer and pays tribute to English ales fermented in wooden casks: it is fermented in American oak barrels. The palate is built on malt rather than hops, with ribbons of caramel and English toffee over a biscuity base, framed by toasted oak, a light vanilla touch and a faint smokiness. Bitterness stays in the background, and the finish is smooth and dry.
Sierra Nevada Pale Ale#21 worldwide
ABV
5.6%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Colour
golden 7
The beer the brewery was built on, first brewed in 1980 and hopped exclusively with Cascade, a variety that was new at the time. Two-row pale and caramelized malts give a smooth, lightly toasty base with a touch of caramel sweetness. The…The beer the brewery was built on, first brewed in 1980 and hopped exclusively with Cascade, a variety that was new at the time. Two-row pale and caramelized malts give a smooth, lightly toasty base with a touch of caramel sweetness. The aroma leads with pine resin and grapefruit peel, followed by orange zest and a faint floral note; the palate stays balanced before a firm, drying bitterness closes the finish.
ABV
6.5%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Colour
golden 8
Mai Tai P.A. is a Pale Ale from Alvarado Street Brewery, based in sun-soaked Salinas, California. True to its tropical namesake, this Californian brew pours a clear, golden-amber hue with a bright white head. The aroma is an inviting wave…Mai Tai P.A. is a Pale Ale from Alvarado Street Brewery, based in sun-soaked Salinas, California. True to its tropical namesake, this Californian brew pours a clear, golden-amber hue with a bright white head. The aroma is an inviting wave of citrus and stone fruit — think fresh orange peel, passionfruit, and a hint of coconut — carried on a clean, biscuity malt backbone. On the palate, it's light to medium in body, refreshingly crisp, with juicy hop character balancing a gentle sweetness. Bitterness is moderate and approachable, never harsh. The finish is clean and dry, with lingering tropical fruit notes that make it as easy-drinking as a well-made poolside cocktail.
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True Blonde#37 worldwide
ABV
5.0%
Bitterness
Lightly bitter
Colour
pale gold 4
Mildly sweet from local honey, then bready malts, a touch of tangy wheat, a pleasantly mild bitterness and citrus hop flavors at the end. True Blonde is a crisp, golden Blonde Ale of medium body, 5.0% and 20 IBU, brewed with honey from…Mildly sweet from local honey, then bready malts, a touch of tangy wheat, a pleasantly mild bitterness and citrus hop flavors at the end. True Blonde is a crisp, golden Blonde Ale of medium body, 5.0% and 20 IBU, brewed with honey from Durango's Honeyville bees, and it won gold at the 2026 World Beer Cup and at the Great American Beer Festival in 2013.
5
City of Dreams#56 worldwide
ABV
5.5%
Bitterness
Noticeably bitter
Colour
golden 8
Tropical and citrus notes from the hops, with plenty of wheat for a hazy mouthfeel and Juice yeast: City of Dreams is a Hazy Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV, hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Azacca and Huell Melon. The name points to a place at the edge of…Tropical and citrus notes from the hops, with plenty of wheat for a hazy mouthfeel and Juice yeast: City of Dreams is a Hazy Pale Ale at 5.5% ABV, hopped with Citra, Mosaic, Azacca and Huell Melon. The name points to a place at the edge of nowhere where the cityscape ends and the open ocean begins. Gold at the World Beer Cup 2024 and the Great American Beer Festival 2025 in Juicy or Hazy Pale Ale; can art by Carson Ellis.
Ranks 6–10
6
Mirror Pond#61 worldwide
Named after a stretch of the Deschutes River in downtown Bend, Mirror Pond is a tawny pale ale hopped only with Cascade. The hops bring grapefruit and orange-peel citrus with a light floral edge, set against caramel and bready malt from…Named after a stretch of the Deschutes River in downtown Bend, Mirror Pond is a tawny pale ale hopped only with Cascade. The hops bring grapefruit and orange-peel citrus with a light floral edge, set against caramel and bready malt from crystal, Munich and carapils. The body is smooth and fairly light, and the finish turns crisp with a moderate, clean bitterness.
7
Uncle#66 worldwide
Uncle is a sessionable ale at 4.2% ABV, a mainstay on draft at Rhinegeist since day one and on tap when the brewery opened in June 2013. Its sweet, bready character is the brewery's definition of sessionable. It has won four U.S. Open…Uncle is a sessionable ale at 4.2% ABV, a mainstay on draft at Rhinegeist since day one and on tap when the brewery opened in June 2013. Its sweet, bready character is the brewery's definition of sessionable. It has won four U.S. Open medals in the English mild categories, between 2017 and 2026, and is available seasonally in cans.
8
Lawnmower#87 worldwide
A Kölsch-style blonde with a sweet malty body, a complex citrus hop character, a slightly fruity flavor from its Kölsch yeast and a distinctly floral hop aroma. Hallertauer Hersbrucker goes into the kettle in four separate additions, and…A Kölsch-style blonde with a sweet malty body, a complex citrus hop character, a slightly fruity flavor from its Kölsch yeast and a distinctly floral hop aroma. Hallertauer Hersbrucker goes into the kettle in four separate additions, and the ale yeast ferments at lager temperatures. The name came from a party-and-bar poll of five candidates: Fancy Lawnmower Beer drew only 1s and 5s, yet everyone wanted to talk about it.
9
pFriem Pale#92 worldwide
pFriem Pale follows the newer American approach to pale ale: dry-hopped at a rate close to an IPA, but lighter and easier to drink. Standard two-row and pilsner malt form the base, with Citra, Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin in the hop bill and a…pFriem Pale follows the newer American approach to pale ale: dry-hopped at a rate close to an IPA, but lighter and easier to drink. Standard two-row and pilsner malt form the base, with Citra, Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin in the hop bill and a moderate 25 IBU. It glows golden under a crown of white foam. Fruity aromas of melon, passion fruit, berries and citrus lead into juicy flavors of mango and cantaloupe, and the beer finishes full, crisp and clean. It has been part of the year-round lineup since 2020.
10
Old Chub#320 worldwide
Seven varieties of malt combine to give candied figs, raisins and toffee flavors with a hint of smoke. At 8% ABV, this Scotch ale is a year-round beer from Oskar Blues. The brewery says it is flavorful enough to inflate your bagpipes with…Seven varieties of malt combine to give candied figs, raisins and toffee flavors with a hint of smoke. At 8% ABV, this Scotch ale is a year-round beer from Oskar Blues. The brewery says it is flavorful enough to inflate your bagpipes with every swig. The Longmont taproom lists it as Scotch Ale / Wee Heavy.
The taste landscape
Of the 49 top beers, 17 lean malt-forward and 26 lean hop-forward.