 olympian (107), USA
Apr 19, 2002
I always think of Amber as Larry’s ’flagship’ brew.
It’s a very good amber ale; with just a dab less malt prominence it would be one of my favorites.
Also one of Bell’s most consistent brews - it always tastes the same (some of his seasonal beers vary wildly from one year to the next, as might be expected).
20 years ago it would have been a pipe dream to find an amber ale this good that was brewed this side of the Atlantic, and that is saying a great deal.
RE-RATE BEGINS HER: Lately, I have had this more frequently on draft than in bottles, and I have to up it a bit. My original rating (3.3) I stick to for bottle, but on draft, this is *truly* good!
Yet another beer that you haven’t really had until you’ve had it off the tap.
tarheels86 (176), Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
Dec 4, 2008 Pours a hazy copper/light amber with a good head the fades quickly. Looks actually more like a hefeweisen dunkel. Very little lacing. Aroma is of slight grass, caramel malts, straw, vanilla extract. Creamy almost buttery taste with good balancing hops. Taste is fairly light but with a solid malt backbone with lots of caramel. A solid amber.
gilvanblight (360), Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Nov 28, 2008 Hazy amber pour. Sticky head. Lots of suspended particles. Nice warm scent of hops flowers and coreander. Watery start but a nice rising warmth. Caramel malts in the thick finish. Slightly bitter aftertaste. I’m impressed. For something I picked up a 6 of at Liquor Fiesta in KY, this is damn good.
fidelis83 (111), Clinton, Iowa, USA
Nov 27, 2008 Pours perfect amber with a 2 finger off white head, poor retention but small chunks of lacing along the way. Aroma has plenty of grainy malt,, caramel, maybe a little vanilla, and some mild citrus hops. Flavor has a more grainy and plany hops quality than the aroma. Finish is bitter and plany hops with some lingering grainy malts. All around good beer but nothing terribly interesting.
obxdude10 (1403), Reading, Pennsylvania, USA
Nov 20, 2008 This is definitely one of the better amber ales out there. Most are bland, watery and undrinkable. This was very enjoyable. It started with a soft, fluffy cream-colored head. The aroma was very rich and full of caramel malt with a slight note of vanilla and hops. The head left some very nice lacing all the way down around the glass. The body was very smooth and drinkable. The flavors containted hints of caramel, grass, earth and barley with a nice touch of flowery hops. The finish was one of the best parts of this beer, as it contained quite a bit of bitterness and was a bit on the dry and spicy side. But it also had a nice malty backbone for that extra punch of enjoyment. This beer is definitely one of the best amber’s, as it’s full-bodied and full-flavored.
beerater (4), Dayton, Ohio, USA
does not count  Nov 20, 2008 Great Brewery, but obviously not their top of the line beer. This is a great beer to introduce to a Bud drinker as a real beer. It would have more mass appeal for the novice, and that is why I think they used this as the house beer for the Grand Hotel. (Big Porch Ale). This is a very safe choice to serve to the inexperienced.
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