Crown Ambassador 2008 Reserve Lager

Pours hazy orange with a nice head that settles quickly. Nose has citrusy, tropical galaxy hops straight up. I’m pretty surprised that they are still as evident at this point in time. Palate has certainly filled out (i would assume) with a sticky, thickness coming from the malt. Caramel, bready maybe a touch nutty. Finishes with some interesting spice notes & slight tingle from the high abv. Price aside, wanky packaging/backstory aside, no doubt this is a great beer. To be honest, i certainly won’t be rushing out to buy future releases though.

Bottle sampled at Slowber tasting. Poured a hazy light brown colour with a white head that shrinks to a ring around the top. Nutty, malty aroma with a little hoppiness which is quite restrained. Flavour is pretty similar but with a bit more sweetness and the addition of some spice especially cinnamon. Smooth and surprisingly light mouthfeel, the alcohol is very well hidden. Definitely worth trying if the chance arises.

Bottle no 3663. Very well packaged and marketed. Galaxy hops are noticeable to me straightup in the aroma, notes of passionfruit, with some coming out into the taste along with the POR bittering hops. The taste is a good blend of the hops and malt, soft caramel, with the alcohol only just noticeable. Probably one of my highest ratings for this style of beer. Off to a good start for the coming year.

As much, and I repeat, as much as I wanted to hate this beer, I can not. The over the top packaging, the wanky numbering of bottles (mine was 1609), the price - I was ready to hate this more than any beer ever. BUT - I hate to say this it delivers. Once you get through the sealing wa(nk)x and open this up, it pours a deep cloudy orange-amber with white head. The aroma is a heady yeast, spice and slight citrus orange aroma. The flavour is very good, upfront it is slight citrus, stewed stonefruit and breadiness, mid palate some spice comes through in to a pleasent bittering finish which is very long and as it diminishes some of the malt comes back. There is a hint of warming as you drink this, but with the 9.2% ABV, you would expect a bit of a kick. The beer is a top effort and would equal the best out of Belgium or Unibroue. If anything, it is cleaner than the europeans and conceals the alcohol heat extermely well. The question is, after this bottle and the other one I have, would I buy it again? Probably not, it is double the Unibroue and Murrays anniversary ales and way more than the euro beers. But I would recommend this to anyone at least once and it does give a very good insight in to what a no expense spared beer looks and tastes like.