12x12 Tuckerman Pale Ale

Beers included: Tuckerman Pale Ale

Purchase date: 6 September 2025

Purchase price: $16.99

Initial Impressions

When I resolved to start this 12x12 series, and earlier deemed the 12-pack the workhorse of the beer fridge, I wasn't sure if I specified 12-pack cans or not. Even if I had, I still would write the post. Either way I am glad that Tuckerman Pale Ale is the first 12-pack of bottles to be featured. 

Tuckerman Brewing, based in Conway, New Hampshire is located not too far from the New Hampshire Lakes Region where Jamboree is held. Tuckerman Pale Ale is a beer I usually pick up that weekend. 

Now distributed in Massachusetts by Berkshire Distributing, I have seen 4-packs of Tuckereman beer in Mass, but I have not seen the 12-packs of Pale Ale in bottles. Like many craft stalwarts like Sierra Nevada Pale Ale and Allagash White, Tuckerman Pale Ale is bottle-conditioned which is why the brewery hasn't abandoned the format entirely. 

Aroma: Bread crust and light toast. Hint of caramel. Malt aroma moderate overall. Low floral hops and esters. Subtle but some complexity if you look for it. Very inviting. 

Appearance: Light copper with moderate haze. Thick, foamy off white head with good retention. 

Flavor: Malt flavor has maybe a little more caramel the aroma suggests. A tiny bit less roast at first but if does build. Notes of biscuit and vanilla in background, Perfectly balanced by medium-low hop bitterness and spicy hop flavor. Fermentation fairly clean  

Mouthfeel: Medium body with medium-high carb. The carbonation prickles ever-so-slightly and cuts through the malt. Finish crisp to slightly dry. 

Overall: I remember this drinking more like a Blonde Ale, but it does have a little more flavor across the board.  This beer reminds me of other classic pale ales I love.  It is quite similar to Ipswich Ale, but maybe a little smoother, less hoppy and overall more refined. More toasty and less fruity than Wachusett Country Ale. Lighter than I remember Smuttynose Shoals Pale Ale. 

This is a beer that I can imagine an American lager drinker in 1995 wouldn't be as confronted by as they might be by something like Boston Lager with it's Caramel Malt or Sierra Nevada with it's Cascade hop flavor. Beers like Tuckerman used to be a gateway to craft beer. Now it feels like drinkers want hazy IPAs or Lagers, and aren't as interested in anything else. 

Tuckerman Pale Ale is easy to drink, with plenty of complexity if you look for it but that really isn't necessary. This is a beer brewed to be drunk more than it is to be tasted. I could drink one or two with dinner or on the couch if I wanted to unwind on a weeknight. I could drink if I were watching football on a Sunday.