Cricket Hill American Ale

Brewed by Cricket Hill Brewing Co.
Style: Amber Ale
Fairfield, New Jersey USA

Poured a hazy amber color with a small off-white head. Toffee malt aroma and flavor. Light hops in the aroma. The flavor lacked hops other than some bitterness for the finish.

Sampled at GWBF 2007. On tap. Pours a hazy amber with a moderate off-white head. Pleasant caramel malt aroma with some very light floral hops. Flavor is again caramel malt with some light hops bitterness at the finish. Medium bodied.

07-Mar-07 (12 oz bottle: Obtained 06-May-06 in trade with Otter, thanks Jeremy!) Nothing too exciting here, just a pleasant, easy-drinking and competently made American amber ale. Many American ambers are too sweet and/or caramely without any hop bitterness or flavor for balance. But I’m pleased that the malts here are only mildly sweet with a toasty, grainy flavor and just a touch of mild caramel. Hops are of low to medium bitterness but project enough flavor to balance the malt nicely. Medium in body and somewhat dry, especially compared to the typical amber, but also fairly oily on the palate as well. Medium carbonation is typical. Grainy, mildly hoppy nose. Golden amber in color, slightly hazy, capped by a smallish, off-white head that settles to a wide ring. Decent, but not interesting enough to get excited over.

Bottle. Pours a red-copper body with a small white creamy head. Generic cereal-grainy aroma with some mild floral hops and caramel. A pretty good mild ale, I could see it being reasonably sessionable. Malty caramel sweetness and some grapefruity hops are present in the flavour. Not bad!

Date: 11/05/2006
Mode: Bottle
Source: Tasting

hazy amber, whispy beige head, nice lace, dry caramel malt aroma with earthy hops, rich dry carmel malt flavor, well balanced with earthy hops, nice touch of sweetness

Aroma: 6/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 6/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 12/20
Rating: 3.1/5.0
Drinkability: 7/10
Score: *4

this is a pretty old-looking bottle, so my hopes are low. pours a cloudy amber (I wasn’t expecting sediment so i accidentally poured it all in). aroma is pretty subdued, maybe a little caramel, some hops. flavor is some surprisingly decent up-front malt complexity, but the finish is too sweet and there is no hop character remaining. probably not great due to the age, but probably not that awesome to begin with.

Pours semi cloudy amber with small creamy head. Aroma is hoppy; piney, sappy, and flowery with a nice malt background. Flavor is crisp, earthy, woody, piney, citrusy and substantially malty but not overly sweet. a tad light but enjoyable still-a well balanced amber ale.

Thanks to dmac621 for sending this bonus bottle my way. Pours light bronze with a small soapy tan head. The aroma is musty and seems a bit oxidized with caramel malt and light fruitiness. Medium body that is fairly slick with some light tingly carbonation. The flavor starts with overly-sweet caramel, cane sugar and some woodiness. The finish is all wet cardboard. This one is a possible re-rate if I can get this on my next trip out east.