Dark Horse Amber Ale

Brewed by Dark Horse Brewing Company
Style: Amber Ale
Marshall, Michigan USA

Twelve oz. bottle, Sams Wines, Downers Grove. Simple clean toasty malt smell from the bottle. Pours a deep mahogany... as other raters note, closer to a brown ale in color, but looks delicious. Tastes like a weizen ferment, some clove and a bit of banana ester. Spices too. Slight sour cherry finish. Interesting and different variation on this style.

(10/14/08) Bottle (thanks a lot archmik for this one!) sampled at my hostel room in Chicago. Hazy amber color with an off-white head. Aroma of slightly toasted malt, some caramel and some fruits. Sweetish malty flavor with some toasted bread, caramel, light nutty hints and a drier finish. Medium-bodied. Nothing special.

12 oz bottle. Pours a deep, dark amber color....it’s kinda approaching a brown tone. There was a nice creamy white head that could use a bit more retention but it’s not overall lacking. Aroma is kinda fruity and and sweet. It smells almost like a Belgian but not quite. Flavor is full of banana and spice notes like you might find in a Belgian. Very complex...especially for an amber. It’s not really like anything I have drank. It’s very interesting. It feels a bit thinner that I would like it though. It’s a bit complicated to be a "sit down and chug"-er but you could polish off a couple in one sitting fo’ sho’.

Beer Tasting at Heritage Liquor(Maplewood, MN) - Pours amber with thin beige head. The light nose is all sweetness with caramel, toffee, and malt. Smooth palate with low carbonation. The flavor mimics the aroma. Caramel, malt, and some biscuit. Very smooth all of the way through, no bitterness at all.

12oz bottle from Party Pak Liquors (Indianapolis, IN). Pours a hazy dark caramel brown with one finger off white head that settles quickly but still provides some lacing of the glass. Aroma is slightly sweet, slightly malty, some notes of spice, some caramel. Flavor is more malty than the nose, with some notes of wet hay, honey, fresh spices. Generally medium body with a slightly sour finish.

Orange pour with a small particalia present in the body. Malt focused, with a belgian like twist. Aromas of apricot, mango. Enjoyable amber, maybe a little sweet for my taste however.

As far as ambers go, this was forshevidently one of the better ones. Ambers far from my favorite style, so I’ll try not to hold that against it. Amber pour, clean sweet malt smell with a touch of hops. Taste was a bit hoppier than expected. I really enjoyed this one. If you are set on seeking out standout brew from an unexciting style, give this ber a whirl.

Nice amber body with a very thin beige head. The light aroma is all sweetness with caramel, toffee, and malt. Smooth albeit thin palate with low carbonation. The flavor pretty much mimics the aroma. Caramel, malt, and some biscuit. Very smooth all of the way through, no bitterness at all. A tasty beer that really has no personality.