 Drnk_McDermott (1543), Downers Grove, Illinois, USA
Apr 11, 2007
Draft sampler, at Walter Payton’s Roundhouse. Standard amber color, with a little denser haze than usual. Like all the beers here, it has a nice looking thin, lacy heads. Nice citrus hop taste for a beer with only 28 IBUs. Fruity caramel malts add to the package. They call it an APA here, but I’d agree it’s more of a well-made Amber.
drewbeerme (1788), Chicago, Illinois, USA
Aug 17, 2008 12oz bottle. pours hazed amber with white head. sweet doughy malt aroma. citrus and earthy notes. doughy witha slight roast and chocolate in the finish. decent brew but reminds me a lot of Bells Amber.
hopdog (4552), Lansdale, Pennsylvania, USA
Aug 5, 2008 12oz bottle. Poured a medium golden color with a larger sized frothy white head. Lots of small suspended floaters. Aromas of toasted grains, light caramel, bready and a trace of citrus. Tastes of bread, lighter caramel, and citrus. Lacing left on the glass.
Headbanger (965), Aurora, Illinois, USA
Jul 7, 2008 Draft at Brewery(4/25/08)-A slightly hazy golden body with an aroma of grain and cheap beer. Flavor of light malt and hops on this light to medium bodied brew. A nice tasting beer but mild for an amber.
jpm30 (1585), 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.
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