El Toro Poppy Jasper Amber Ale

Brewed by El Toro Brewing Co.
Style: Amber Ale
Morgan Hill, California USA

Slightly darker amber color. Aroma is earth, grain, grass, toast, bread. Medium to light bodied, quite drinkable and clean. Nicely put together, but nothing makes it stand out... but then again it’s an amber so whatever.

12-Mar-08 (12 oz bottle: Purchased 10-Feb-08 for $1.99 at City Beer in San Francisco, CA) This is a nicely balanced amber ale for fans of West Coast brews. The malt is caramely, toasty and lightly grainy, but only mildly sweet. Solid balance is provided by somewhat floral, moderately bitter hops. Even more impressive is the hoppy aroma, so fresh and aromatic, the beer smells dry-hopped, although the malty component is lacking the presence and character it has in the flavor. Medium-bodied from start to finish with a crisp, clean finish. Hazy, deep copper in color with half an inch of off-white head settling to a wide, bubbly ring. Some patchy lacing on the glass. A solid amber ale all around.

Draft at City Pub. Dark amber pour. Aroma is sweet fruity malt. The flavor is the same; pretty decent with some light roast as well. Good amber.

Bottle. Pours a ruby body with little head. A good amount of sharp floral hoppiness, some spicy citrus. Sweet malt is shadowed by the floral hops. Little etoh to be detected.

A- A nice golden brown hue which is crystal clear. Pours with a small 1 finger head that dissipates quickly and doesn’t leave much lacing. S- The smell is sweet, roasted malts, raspberry, and various light and sweet fruits. T- Very sweet with a slight hop bitterness. Roasted malts are prevalent, very characteristic of an english brown. M- Crisp and highly carbonated in addition to being somewhat viscous. D- This is a highly drinkable brew. I could drink pint after pint.

(Bottle via trade with <A HREF=http://www.ratebeer.com/ViewUser.asp?UserID=3 target=blank>IrishBoy, thanks Richard!) Pours slightly hazy reddish-amber. Five fingers of lightly amberish off-white head recede to a foamy rocky cap. Aroma of caramel, vanilla and pine. Mouthfeel is smooth and shows a nice bit of heft for the style. Very lightly prickly. Flavor is a good dose of both malt and hops - light-medium bitterness overlays some caramel and vanilla maltiness. Lightly piney with a good pinch of bitterness through the finish. Good.

Appearance: Pours a deep amber body with a large, pillowy, whiteish head. Smell: Very vague aroma, yielding only small hints of pale malts and maybe citrus. Taste: Incredibly faint flavor, I suppose the politest way to describe it is to use the word "subtle". Weak hop flavor, low bitterness. Watery finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-thin body. Medium carbonation. Drinkability: Disappointing. Nothing really grabs you, nothing intices you to drink beyond those first couple sips.

Picked up a single 12-oz bottle at Brennan’s Country Farm Market in Brookfield, Wisconsin. Pours a hazy reddish brown amber brew with an average off-white head that slowly dissipates to a fine film and off-white ring top. Aroma of light caramel malt, a touch of toffee, flowery hops, and a tart berry character. Taste is medium bodied, light carbonation with some tart caramel malt and toffee. Finish is semi-sweet, a touch of fruity aftertaste with a dry citrus hop finish that slowly disappears after the finish.