Speakeasy Prohibition Ale

Brewed by Speakeasy Ales and Lagers
Style: Amber Ale
San Francisco, California USA

Most beer made during prohibition was disgusting by the standards of modern beer gourmands. Quality ingredients were hard to come by in that dark age of brewing. So it is that I am puzzled by the 'prohibition' moniker on this outstanding brew. I've never thought of 'amber' as a legitimate style. More of a default name for a beer that isn't anything else in particular and has a medium color. I like this amber. The malt presence is alarmingly refreshing and punctuated by strong, well-balanced aromas of cascades hops (and perhaps Amarillo or something spicy like that hiding in the background). Incredible mouthfeel and lingering round maltiness. My wife picked a bottle of this up at a beer shop for only $1.30 At those prices, this is one heck of a great beer for the money. I dare say that it holds it's own against any number of beers priced at $9 per 6 pack and up.

Pours amber with good head and lacing. Aromas of hops, malt, caramel, brown sugar, and citrus. Tastes very hoppy, but with a good malt presence. FInishes smooth, malty, hoppy and crisp. A very nice amber ale.

Nice brew! Significantly more hoppy than your normal amber ale; kind of a mix of an amber and IPA. Pours a deep clear beautiful amber with an off-white head. Taste is great; there's significant floral hops, grapefruit, pine and citrus flavors. Mouthfeel is full, round and glorious. Highly recommended if you like ballsy hoppy amber ales.

Clear amber body with a quickly dissipating medium tan head. Aroma is sweet, strong grapefruit, floral, caramel. Taste is medium sweet grapefruit, supplemented by light caramel and floral notes. Medium body. More aggressive than "amber ale" suggests, which in this case is a good thing.

Deep reddish amber. Aroma is caramel and citrus. Flavour is well malted with strong grapefruit of cascade hops. One of the best ambers.

on tap. pure copper color, thin white head and lacing. moderate hop flavor. not much else. yes on the pine nose. light alcohol taste. not how I like an amber, but a good hoppy one.

I immediately noticed the pungent pine aroma of this beer- much like that of Bells Two-Hearted Ale- with a bit of biscuit in the background. The body is rather clear copper with a thin light tan head. Flavor begins with the pine assault but biscuity, cerealy, caramely malts lend character to the brew. Leaves a bitter aftertaste.

Nice bottles on these beers. The Prohibition is a nice amber/red with floaties. Nose--grapefruit definitely. Quite hoppy for an Amber, like Bells. Almost tastes like an IPA. Nice mellow flavor, bitter aftertaste, leaving the mouth tasting of grapefruit rind. (My friends compare this mostly to Bells Two Hearted Ale.)