Mac and Jacks African Amber Ale

Brewed by Mac and Jacks Brewing Company
Style: Amber Ale
Redmond, Washington USA

Draft at McGrath’s in their signature corny frosted pint-and-a-half mugs. Whaddayagonnado? The movie was playing right across the parking lot and this is where we were gonna eat and this is what was pouring. Thankfully, it was very fresh.
This beer has become something of an institution of this modern third wave craft brewing epoch in the Pacific Northwest. You can get it just about anywhere, and it’s kind of like the way both the public and musicians alike enjoyed Kind of Blue when it came out--newbs and veteran beer lovers alike can both enjoy this beer. Which means you can get it anywhere. Which means it isn’t always fresh or well cared for. Which means its ubiquity and the difficulty of getting a *good* pint of it has created something of a backlash of apathy about it. And that’s too bad. Because this beer really is a good one.
Pours seriously murky and grainy dark caramelly amber with a nice dense, slightly moussy off-white head. Gorgeous woody, herbal hoppy nose.
One of the great things about this beer for sure is the mouthfeel. Rich and creamy right from the attack, though not at all heavy, certainly not sticky. Maybe a bit grainy. Nicely balanced carb. It’s got that instant subcortical rush of pleasure that comes with a perfectly manifested, impeccably modulated mid-thick body--the kind that makes you think to yourself "whatever I was doing all day, whether I am celebrating it or trying to forget about it, it’s over now, because now I am drinking beer." This beer just instantly relaxes you, long before any hint of the booze hits your system (and there really isn’t that much of that, relatively speaking).
The flavors are notoriously sweet, even for an amber. Not compared to, say, an eisbock or a fruit beer, for sure. But within the nuttiness, toastiness, and woodiness on the mid-palate, there’s a caramelly malt sweetness that’s not quite what you’d call pronounced, but it’s very pleasing and it leavens the huskiness and the hops. Anyone, just about, can drink this beer.
The hops get particularly woody at the finish.
It’s hard to call any amber a tour de force, and I’ve had batches of this that were too sweet, and certainly too many pints of it in lousy shape when I was in places that had nothing else palatable. But fresh from the brewery, or well-loved in a nice place, this beer is the king of the hill looking over its kill within the world of amber ales. It’s well worth the drive down to the end of 520 to check out the lads at work and get a growler of this one fresh from the teat. They really know what they’re doing.

On tap--Poured a nice copper-amber body with a medium white head. Nose of nutty, apply malts and mild bitter hops. Creamy caramel flavor and rich full bodied mouth feel. Finished semi-sweet with a nice hoppy bite.

Draft at Jak’s Grill in Issaquah, this is just about the best amber draft I’ve ever had. I can’t put it any better than the commercial description, "creamy, hoppy, delicious, and ’magnificent’.

Draft, SEATAC airport. Amber-copper and small head. Aroma is faint apple and herbs. Fruity, slight malt, and bitter herb hop tastes are well balanced. Palate is light-medium and dryish on the finish.

got a growler in the mail from Bitbucket! Thanks! I wasnt going to rate it, however it held up extremly well, so here goes. Pours orange with big white fluffy head. Wonderful lacing. Floral nose with hints of yeast. Very hoppy more simliar to a pale ale. bitter and refreshing finish

On tap at Trackside Pizza. Mac & Jack’s African Amber was delivered to the table. It was a brilliant pumpkin-orange, with a gold aura. The head was thick ivory in color, and hung around. The lacing was good, as was the lively carbonation. The nose was primarily fruity and floral. The ale felt good in the mouth—present, solid. The flavor is primarily biscuity and nutty, with some raisin. There is a faint grapefruit flavor that makes itself known. Also, light floral and grassy notes. It reminds me less of other ambers I have had and more of a hybrid of a brown ale and an India pale ale. It definitely is an ale of its own and I wouldn’t want it any other way. Mac & Jack’s African Amber is only available by the keg, which is a good excuse to make more trips to Trackside. The pizza I had to accompany the Mac & Jack’s was the B&O, minus the mushrooms. That meant a medium crust with a slightly sweet, slightly tangy tomato sauce, with generous portions of mozzarella cheese, black olives, pepperoni, and sausage. The Mac & Jack’s, itself being well-balanced, was also a nice balance to the flavors of the B&O—in other words, a great pairing.

ive had this a hundred times but only now that ive had other ambers ive come to really appreciate it. sweet brown suger aroma, solid but not heavy hazy bronze. fluffy white head left thin lacing. full mouthfeel yet not heavy. fantastically sweet and the balanced bitterness keeps the finish from becoming syrupy. long on flavor

Wow. I’d never heard of this until my recent trip to the northwest. I wasn’t expecting too much, and I was stunned when I tried it. Excellent example of a good amber beer. Smooth and drinkable, but has some very nice spice to it. Rich and creamy malts make for a superb mouthfeel. Very well balanced. A definite must try.