Rock Art American Red Ale

Brewed by Rock Art Brewery
Style: Amber Ale
Morrisville, Vermont USA

Pours a clear reddish-brown with thin off-white head. Mild aroma with sweet caramel malt. Flavor is sweet with a hint of smokiness. Mouthfeel is thin and fizzy. Goes down well with bar food, but not something I’d want as a standalone for a beer tasting.

Red with an orange tinge. Clear but tons of carbonation. Light layer of foam. The smell is well-balanced. Nice, grassy hop at first, then a roasted bitter malt. The foundation of a smooth red but with a surprising hop addition. Excellent smell. The taste is a heavy burnt malt dominating. The hops are but a spicy accent, although they get more woody with warmth. It finishes on the roasted bitter side. The feel is smooth but also bubbly. It’s a very solid red ale with a little something extra.

Bottle. Pours an amber body with an off white head. Sweet malty with hints of oats and yes sadly paper. A bit of toasted malt and a light note of floral hops. Eh.

This looked great, has a nice name, but thats it. It falls short in every else. For a beer brewed with so many different kinds of hops, I could hardly taste them. Another poor showing from Rock Art.

Bottle. A smoky amber ale that pours dark cherry red with a medium head. Body is a little thin, but overall there is a nice blend of roasted, malty, grassy flavors to make this a decent drink.

Pale amber beer with a thin white head. Aroma is lighlty sweet and a little bit nutty. Sweet caramel malt and a touch of light woody/earthy hops. There is a light roasty almost sour aroma and flavour on the back. Meh... this is a really poor brew. Metallic bitterness and thin sour malts.

This isn’t a bad amber ale, but it isn’t a great one, either. This beer pours a dark ruby red color with a small, tan head. Even though there isn’t much of a head on this beer, it does leave a generous lacing around the glass. The aroma is mostly of malt, with notes of caramel, brown sugar and a hint of flowery hops. The body is medium in strength and allows for easy drinking. The flavors are fairly balanced, with a nice mix of rich maltiness and bitter hops. The hops are especially noted toward the finish. There also seemed to be subtle hints of roasted coffee or chocolate in the body as well. The finish was a little bitter with some grassy notes. Like I mentioned at the start, this is a good amber ale, but not a great one. It’s drinkable and enjoyable, but I’m not sure I’d order another at a bar or pub.

Bottle. Sweet malty aroma. Hazy brown amber body, off-white head. Mild floral and caramel flavor. Malty finish. Not great.