Beer Valley Owyhee Amber Ale

Clear amber pour with a thin fizzy head. Aroma of sweet malt, light fruit, and citrus hops. Flavor follows the same pattern. Sweet and malty up front with a decent hop bite on the finish. A bit tingly on the palate. Not bad, but I wouldn’t search it out.

22oz Bomber - Corvallis Brewers Supply - Corvallis, OR
Aroma – A sweet malty nose with a huge hops background.
Appearance – Amber in Color, Thin head and clear.
Flavor – This beer had a huge hop presence. Too much for a Amber ale. The beer also had a sweet malt flavor which was very odd for this style.
Palate – OK Mouthfeel, Slick like texture with a dry Hoppy finish.
Overall – A nice beer but it was too hoppy and the slick malty sweetness was too much for this beer. Maybe a bad batch.

07-Jul-08 (22-oz bottle: Purchased 12-May-08 for $3.79 at Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, CA) Most amber ales are balanced toward the malty end of the spectrum, but this beer takes things in the opposite direction. While the entry is nicely balanced between mildly sweet, caramely malts and citrusy hops, the flavor and bitterness of the dusty hops grab a hold of the palate and finish with dominance. The beer would be fine, but in the finish, the unmistakable flavor of apple skins and astringent mouthfeel are technical flaws that distract considerably from the enjoyment of what would otherwise likely be a decent beer. Body is medium, carbonation is on the light side, and the mouthfeel is dry and dusty, and were it not for the astringency in the finish, this would be pleasant to drink. The nose is caramely and mildly sweet, but the hops don’t offer much in the way of aroma. The beer presents itself nicely in the glass, the inch-tall, foamy head forming an off-white layer on top of the slightly hazy, amber body. Intricate lacing covers much of the glass. Probably worth retrying down the road.

A vigorous pour into my 25cl tulip glass produces an almost three-finger thick, light tan colored head. The beer is a dark red stained, amber color that shows a clear, reddish copper color when held up to the light. Fruity hop notes mix with a toasty, biscuit malt like note in the nose. A pronounced aromas of berries, almost a strawberry note, some touches of sweet citrus, some red grape aromas, and lighter malt notes of pale-toasted grain and whole-grain crackers are noticeable in the aroma.

Lightly sweet tasting with a light berry flavor (at least compared to the note in the aroma), something a bit like citrus spiked cider, and some lightly herbal, steeped pine needle flavors all seem to mostly come from hop components. The malt steps up towards the finish with chewy, whole grain bread flavors, and a distinct, lightly toasted biscuit note that lingers nicely on the tongue in the finish. A light hop bitterness contributes throughout and contributes a clean bite towards the finish. Nicea and quaffable with a lightness that doesn’t get thin and a persistent touch of carbonation.

A nice Amber ale that has a nicely noticeable hop character and some distinct malt notes, neither of which dominate or are overwhelming. Nice and easy drinking and a good example of the style; so it is not all that exciting.

Purchased: Plaza Liquors, Tucson AZ

Bomber from BevMo, La Mesa. Medium brownish in color. Very bready carmelized aroma. Sweet malty flavor. Tastes kind of like a hopped up brown. Not too bad.