Alaskan Amber

Brewed by Alaskan Brewing Co
Style: Altbier
Juneau, Alaska USA

12oz btl, acquired from a nice gentleman at the Jack Daniels distillery of all places. Dark red/amber pour, fizzy diminishing head. Aroma is honeyed malts, toffee and graham crackers, all blended nicely. Subtlety is an Alaskan strength, best showcased here. Flavor is still sweet malts, with notes of toffee, berries and mild hop character near the end. finishes clean and sweet. Nice session beer.

Amber with minimal head. Aroma is caramel malts and light spice. Flavour is caramel and sweet with a nut presence. Dry finish. Well made brew.

Oh yeah they call this an Alt beer. I remember a spicy dryness. Not really an Alt beer. Had this at Calgary’s Millennium Mirco Brewery Stampede. Page 15 of Michael Jackson’s Great Beer Guide and only 199 of his Classic Brews to go.

A nose of honey and cloves with just a bit of roasted nuts in the background. Well balanced and smooth palate of honey, banana, and almonds all frolicking with the malts in this brew. A very good altbier.

12oz bottle. Poured a medium brownish color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of toffee, caramel, and a some toasted nuts. Tastes of toffee, toasted nuts, and caramel.

Alaskan Amber is exactly what an altbier is supposed to be. it is smooth, medium bitterness, with a hint of spice or nuts and caramel, it seemed more robust in flavor when I first discovered this gem doing TDY at Ft. Wainwright eleven years ago. However, it is a great beer for converting my spudweiser piss beer drinking friends to real beer.

Really a bland version of Full Sail Amber, this Alt style beer really left me hanging. I was hoping for a lot more, and was let down tremendously. Nutty and caramel notes in the nose and taste, but again it was a bit bland for me. Aftertaste was bland, but it was a smooth drinking beer. I would drink it again, but I won’t be the one buying it.

Aroma: moderate hop aroma from dry hopping or late kettle additions of American hop varieties. A citrusy hop character moderately high maltiness balances and masks the hop presentation, and shows a moderate caramel character. Esters moderate Appearance: coppery brown in color. Moderately large off-white head with good retention. Flavor: Moderate to high hop flavor from American hop varieties, which often but not always has a citrusy quality. Malt flavors are moderate to strong, and usually show an initial malty sweetness followed by a moderate caramel flavor (and sometimes other character malts in lesser amounts). Malt and hop bitterness are usually balanced and mutually supportive. Fruity esters can be moderate to none. Caramel sweetness and hop flavor/bitterness can linger somewhat into the medium to full finish. No diacetyl. Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-full body. Carbonation moderate to high. Overall smooth finish without astringency often associated with high hopping rates. Stronger versions may have a slight alcohol warmth. Overall Impression: Like an American pale ale with more body, more caramel richness, and a balance more towards malt than hops (although hop rates can be significant).