Big Rock Traditional Ale

Brewed by Big Rock Brewery
Style: Amber Ale
Calgary, Canada

This one pours a reddish-brown with a slight head of tan. This is an extremely clear beer--there’s your filtering, I suppose. The head doesn’t stick around, and it doesn’t really lace either. The aroma is immediately raspberry to me, with some definite English hops (maybe Kent, maybe not), and... well, then the musty malt n’ grain charges forth. This is the smell I will remember Big Rock by. The mouthfeel is crisp and light, which I didn’t expect for something being marketed as traditional ale. Doesn’t exactly seem like English Brown Ale, which is what the box promotes. At first, the taste gives me bitter hops, lime peel, and burnt malt. As it warms, the taste is conquered solely by the more astringent and aspirin-like qualities of Big Rock’s malt. The aftertaste is bitterness and citrus tang. At first, I wasn’t unhappy, but over the course of a glass I became disappointed with what should be, well, just ’more.’ As a whole, this beer doesn’t have any characteristics to recommend it to others, but I wouldn’t turn it down if I was offered one. Last note--I find this beer to be a bit too watery.

Bottled. Pours with a dark brownish copper hue and a small quickly disappearing head. Aroma is brown sugar and toffee. Sweet toffee flavour with hints of bitterness and a lot of sweetness in the finish. A great ale.

Nice medium brown. Clean and clear. Sweet..no bitterness. This is one of my regular beers at the local pub. It’s always on tap pretty much anywhere in Calgary, good price, and easy drinking.

Draught @ West 50, Mississauga: Pours deep copper brown, good sized white head. Aroma is all malts, but quite pleasant. Taste is reminiscent of hard rock candy with caramel malts, and there are plenty of malts to be found here. The hops, while present, are well hidden in what is a very sweet amber ale. I enjoyed this much more than I expected to.

Excellent flavor with a nice aroma. Great with meats and great to use in sauces...a little fake in the in the true sense of dark ales but its nice because you can drink more than a couple

On tap at The Railway Club, Vancouver. Amber, thin beige head. Quite nice fruit on aroma. Closest thing to an English beer so far on this trip. Slight yeast, good malt, like a British best bitter on the aroma. Some caramel. Malty fruit in mouth is very pleasant.Hopevidenced on end balances the malt well. I like it. Uncomplicated bitter.

I really liked this amber offering from Big Rock. Lot’s of malty flavourings with a hint of sweetness. A perfect autumn beer. Nice dark amber colour with white head. Very tasty. I actually pounded this one back almost too fast to rate it properly. I may have to re-rate soon to give it real justice.