Drakes Expedition Ale

Brewed by Drakes Brewing Company
Style: American Strong Ale
San Leandro, California USA

Cask at Rose & Crown in Palo Alto. Coppery amber with an off-white head. Great enticing aroma of caramel malt and crisp floral/piney hops. Flavor is sweet caramel malt, light fruits, and a piney hop finish. Medium-full palate for an amber ale. Not too complex or intense but very well-balanced and great for the style.

Bottle. Marked at 6.5% alcohol by volume. Normal Drakes plastic label...I need to buy more of this cause it makes the bottles extremely easy to reuse when removing the labels. Pours with a nice light khaki, creamy head with light laced bubbles. Body is a murky amber nearly wooden hue. Good lace and more than acceptable retention. Aroma is citrus hops, caramel, toasted grains and some sort of slight off flavor I can’t put my finger on (sort of a plastic or rubber smell). Taste is okay, but a bit bland. I don’t know how old my bottle is, but the hops are gone. Slight hint of pine but that is it. Some caramel, toast and ever so light diacetyl. Still a very good amber despite its main attraction being to faded to really notice. Nice and full body for a amber, medium carbonation. Not bad, but not as good as I was expecting.

12oz bottle. Dark brown with a beige head. Sweet caramelized malts and fruity hops in the aroma. The flavor has a nice caramel malt sweetness and a generous floral, fruity and lightly piney hop finish. Lightly roasted flavors play well off of the hops to balance the sweetness. Medium, almost full body with creamy carbonation. Rich in the malt department with plenty of juicy hops. Almost drinks bigger than it is, so you have to give it some attention

12oz Bottle. Nice mingling aroma of cascade fresh hop, yeast, and some chewy malt texture, even in the nose. Pours a nice coppery red-brown, with a finger of off-white. Flavor is rich. This is like a half-barleywine. Lots of really rich malt flavor paired with a nice piney and citrusy hop bouquet. This has a lot of flavor going on for an Amber ale. Rich chewy malts paired with great hops makes this very nice.

Poured from 12 oz, hazy dark brown with light tan head and sweet malty aroma, Fruity yet hoppy flavor, nice blend.

Attractive bright and deep red pour with a tan head. Sweet caramel and malt nose with a touvh of deried fruits. The flavor is similar but not too sweet.

Thanks to Paul for this one! Quite possibly the best amber out there! Dark amber pour with off white head and drippy lace. Resinous hoppy aroma. Piney hops, caramel, and toast. Crisp fruity finish

12oz bottle. Pours deep amber with a half inch head. Citrusy and piney hop aroma with some bread. Hoppy flavor, but dull vs. crisp, like an English style pale or ESB. Pretty good overall.