Dominion Ale

Brewed by Coastal Brewing Company
Style: Amber Ale
Annapolis, Maryland USA

This appeared a light amber hue with excellent clarity. The head was about an inch high and off white. It dropped down to a cap of bubbles fairly quickly leaving some lacing around the glass. The smell is a little weak with a sweet maltiness coming through and a hint of earthy tone hops. The taste starts of with a pleasant fruity sweetness with notes of caramel before becoming slightly bitter from a decent amount of citric hops. Very balanced and pleasant flavor that is not too sweet or over hopped. Mouthfeel is light to medium with sufficient carbonation, though I wish it had a little fuller feel to it. Drinkability couldn’t get any better, a pleasant decently complex taste that goes down smoothly. Very sessionable as I have done it on many occasions.

(12 oz bottle, obtained in trade with jasonp, thanks Jason!) This intriguing beer has a very strong buttery flavor, like eating a slice of Buttertop bread. It’s also malty, bready and toasty, but wow, it’s extremely buttery in the flavor, nose and mouthfeel. Mild hops bitterness lends some balance, but this is very much a malt dominated beer. Light amber color and slightly hazy in appearance. Off-white head exhibits average size during the pour and gradually recedes to a rim of tiny bubbles around the edge of the glass. Lacing is sporadic and fairly insignificant. Very unusual beer in a category filled with many ho-hum beers. As with most Dominion offerings, I’m enjoying this one a lot.

From a 12 oz. bottle. Pours a light orange-amber with good head retention. Leaves great lacing. Aroma is almost all hops. Flavor is malty with overiding hop flavors, is nice with spicy foods. Palate is on par with the style. Pretty good, but the hops take a little getting used to.

Amber colour. Rather dumb in the aroma department - some citric hop, but not very distinct. Orangey hops and pale malt in the flavour. Soft finish. The balance is reasonable, but there’s nothing very forceful and it ends up being rather middle of the road - solid but uninspiring. On tap at the Dominion brewery.

First off, what’s with the self-contradictory description? English ale made with American malts, PNW hops, California yeast, with a Kolsch-style ferment?? Anyway, the beer pours fairly cloudy attractive orange with a scant halo of foam. No visible carbonation. The nose is 90% butter... not butterscotch, just butter... plus some elusive maple and vanilla. Do I smell a stray hop molecule, or is it just wishful thinking? The flavor is chiefly lime zest, brown sugar, and minerals; secondary suggestions of floral hop, sunflower seeds, and juniper berries. Light palate. Crisp and mild bitterness follows through to a woody and citric aftertaste. Overll okay, no flaws, pretty unremarkable.

Shared bottle courtesy of Eyedrinkale (thanks!). Poured a medium orange color with a white head. Sweet and fruity/almost citric aromas and tastes. Caramel comes out in the tastes as well.

Bottle. Clear almost amber color with medium sized head that settles too quick. Aroma is oranges and light malt. Taste is light caramel, vanilla and orange zest followed with a too light malty backbone. Just a bit too light for my liking but not bad.

In the bottle. Orange amber in color with a white medium head. Hoppy and flowery in aroma. Pretty mild flavor. Needs a little more body to be memorable. UPDATE 7/6/6: On tap at National Airport. This is a much better beer fresh on tap. The Beer-o-the-month club bottles must be old or something. Great hop mid-palate. Tartness and a tingle finish to the tongue. Served too cold to pick up an aroma. UPDATE 4/2007: On tap at Hamburger Hamlet and being called "Hamlet’s Pilsner." As the Immortal Bard would say, a beer by any other name, drinks as sweet.