Bar Harbor Special Amber Ale

Brewed by Bar Harbor Brewing Company (Atlantic Brewing Company)
Style: Amber Ale
Bar Harbor, Maine USA

Date: October 23, 2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting
Vintage: 2006
Appearance: opaque dark amber, fine beige head, speckles of lace
Aroma: nice fresh hop aroma with rich carmel malt
Body: creamy body
Flavor: nice carmel malt flavor with plenty of hop flavor to balance, light citrus character in the aroma and flavor

Date: November 01, 2008
Mode: bottle
Source: cellar tasting
Vintage: 2008
picking up more caramel sweetness in the flavor with less of the earthyness,

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 7/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.2/5.0
Drinkability: 8/10
Score: *4

2007 Bottling of the Special Amber. Bottle #250. Pours a gorgeous amber golden color with a thin to moderate white head. Aroma is delightful clean blend of sweet malt and some delicate spicing. Flavor is fantastic, a punch of sweetness up front with very clean crisp bite. I’m a hophead, and there’s no hop profile in this beer at all...but I dont care, it’s delicious! I should have bought a case of this, and in fact i’ll have to go back to do so. The 2007 edition i’ve been told by the brewer was made to have a dryer finish than last year. It seems to finish very clean and dry (for an amber). This is the best amber i’ve tried yet, and it’s really too bad this beer isn’t more widely distributed (only available at the brewery). They’ve got this nailed down as well as all their beers.

Pours a cloudy amber color with a thin offwhite head. Very good aroma and flavor of spices, candied fruits and hops. The body is light to medium with a creamy texture and lively carbonation. Solid, I wish that more amber ales would be like this one.

Bottle #120 sampled on 11/1/06: Pours a clear copper orange with a large, frothy off-white head. Sweet toasty caramel malty aroma has some bready notes and mild piny hops. Body starts lightly sweeter and fairly full with good malt/hop balance toward a bittersweet crisp finish. An enjoyable amber.

Sample at Barley Island tasting Jan 20, 2007 - Aroma is sweet malty caramel with nice nutty undertones. Pours amber with a small head and little lacing. Flavor matches aroma. Palate is sticky and sweet. A little syrupy, but not bad. I have my own bottle and will re-rate accordingly.

Bottle # 120. Poured a clear orange-amber color with a medium sized creamy beige head. The aroma was of dry malt and some caramel. Hints of chocolate, fruits and citrus. Fruity and light citrus flavor. Malty middle with a bitter finish and semi-dry.

Who says amber beers can’t be any good? This pours a gorgeous, clear blood-red body underneath a large, pockmarked yellowish-tan head. The aroma is richly malty, cake-like, a bit of spicy hops in the background. The flavor is obviously that of a larger beer, rich, but not cloying malt with faint, but balancing hop bitterness. Excellent beer.

2006 edition - Bottle 632. Pours deep amber/red into a shaker. Tan ultra micro head leaves sheets as it slowly recedes and retains a 1/4 inch throughout. Bread, fruit and slight soap aromas. Creamy with upfront roasted caramel and a lasting bitter finish. Drink fresh -- does not age well...consistently deteriorates over time.