 hopscotch (4355), Vero Beach, Florida, USA
May 10, 2008
Draft... DLD’08... Slightly hazed golden ale with a small, creamy, white head. Decent retention. With my nose, I can pull almost nothing from the glass... with exceptions of gentle cereal grains and mild caramel. Light to medium-bodied and fizzy. Anemic caramel malt, but well-bittered. Crisp finish with a snappy hop bite.
jpm30 (1575), East Central, Georgia, USA
Jun 1, 2008 12 oz. bottle, no freshness date, sampled in a pint glass. The America’s Brewing website lists the ABV as ranging from 4.8% to 5.5%, depending on the batch.
L: A nice looking bright amber with golden hues, fluffy beige head that slowly settled in a sudsy skim with a fair amount of splotchy ringed lacing.
S: Toasted caramel and grains along with some buttery touches, and a mild fruitiness from the hops, nectarines and lemons. A simple amber ale nose, but still has a taste inducing aroma, quite effective.
F&T: Softly firm feeling and moderate bodied, the only thing wrong with the mouthfeel is the caustic astringent ending. Starts off with a tasty toasted buttery caramel and grains, followed by a mild, somewhat watery lemon citrus in the middle. Where this amber ale fails for me is in the ending. While there is a pleasing, tingling hop spiciness in the finish, it is also coupled with an off putting dry grainy astringency, bringing an unwelcomed arid harshness to the finale.
Your prerequisite amber ale that most of the brewpubs and microbreweries in North American seem to have as part of their beer lineup. Not bad, but definitely an average amber overall, doesn’t raise to the level of some of the better amber ales out there, like the ones from Bell’s, Rogue or Bear Republic.
pumpkinheart (63), Aurora, Illinois, USA
May 18, 2008 Bottle into English pint glass. Pours a translucent copper-brown with light head, although it pulls off some pleasant lacing. Aroma is bready, caramel maltiness with hints of citrus. Flavor is a nice caramel malt with a bitter foundation. A fairly nice balance at the beginning, with the bitterness taking charge in the end. This is more oily than I like, but it’s a perfectly drinkable brew that entertains. I’m sure I’d drink again at the brewpub given the chance.
doubelknv3 (439), Illinois, USA
May 17, 2008 Clear amber with thin head. Mild caramel and wood aroma notes. Malt caramel, bittering citrus / grapefruit notes. Bitter hop finish.
CaptainCougar (4596), Rockville, Maryland, USA
Nov 18, 2007 On tap at the brewpub on 6/20/07: Pours a transparent light copper bronze with a thin, wispy-lacing white head. Toasty caramel sweet aroma has a touch of graininess. Body starts with fizzy carbonation, light caramel malty sweetness and some bitter, soapy hop balance.
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