Silver Gulch Copper Creek Amber Ale

Brewed by Silver Gulch Brewing & Bottling Co.
Style: Amber Ale
Fairbanks, Alaska USA

Nice appearance, almost brown. Enough hops to make this a really nice brew. This brewery may be better than the Alaskan Brewing Company. Oh, and its from Fox, Alaska, not Fairbanks.

The Silver Gulch Brewing Company is located in Fairbanks, Alaska and produces some very good beers that rival those of the Midnight Sun Brewing Company and the Alaskan Brewing Company. This one is no exception.

Good deep copper with a large, fluffy, white head. Caramel and toast aromas dominate. The flavor is chunky, sweet malt flavor. A very satisfying amber for a malt head.

Bottle at Eielson AFB AK 7/9/05: Dark copper, almost brown, thin head. Almost a vanilla nose. Mellowly flavored, almost hazelnut primarily, but little to no bitterness.

I love a good amber ale and this one was ok, but not memorable. Had a good deep color with a caramel aroma. Would like to taste it again, only had one pint of it, but down here it’s not available..

bottle thanks to americanbrew. amber with a cream head. caramel and light hops on the nose. decent palate with a caramel flavor and not much else.

A brown-copper with little head retention. The aroma has some huskiness but only holds onto the malt, which is complemented by just enough hops to keep it in the amber style.

(12 oz bottle: Some tiny roadside liquor store on the Richardson Highway, near Wrangell-Saint Elias NP, Alaska) Moderately malty, lightly sweet, lightly roasted flavor, balanced by a moderate bitterness. Medium bodied with a substantial mouthfeel. Fairly malty nose. Orange amber in color. Off-white head has solid retention. Another nice one from Silver Gulch, too bad this brewery isn’t distributed more widely.

I bought a six-pack of this beer while driving to Wrangell-Saint Elias NP for a week of back country hiking, and managed to save one bottle to bring home with me. Several months later, here I am, doing a real rating, not one in the back seat of Jim’s SUV, half wasted, doing a rating while drinking out of the bottle. I still think this is a decent beer, but I’m lowering the marks just a bit. It has a decent malt backbone with a moderate, balancing hops and a lightly toasty finish. While it’s mildly sweet with a touch of caramel, it’s not sugary. There is a slight sourness hanging over the beer, but it’s not unpleasant. Medium in body, with enough hops to clean out the palate. The nose is toasty and lightly hoppy. The color is a deep ruddy amber color with a slight haze. Light tan head retains a thin layer fairly well and leaves some patchy lacing on the glass. About average as far as amber ales go.