 Brigadier (829), Chagrin Falls, Ohio, USA
Apr 29, 2008
12 oz bottle
The second of four releases in the fridge I decided to tacke this one before the porter. It too surpassed my expectations as it revealed itself to be one of the better amber ales that I’ve tried. This would not be a bad beer to have on hand as long as you could finish it all before it began to mellow too much.
Aroma / Appearance - A fast growing but short lived head protected the amber body underneath as well as the minimal amount of carbonation. The warm inviting smell of caramel, molasses and sweet tea formed a bright woody combination above the glass.
Flavor / Palate - The woodiness is the main component of this beer. Overall the malts and hops balance out nicely with the nod going ever so slightly to the malty side. A wheatiness takes over towards the end giving it a nice depth for the style. The chewy wet finish caps off an excellent sessionable time. This may not be a flashy beer that will knock your socks off (like the imperial stout or baltic porter) but it definitely deserves some attention.
zappafan99 (245), Rock Hill, South Carolina, USA
Jul 21, 2008 Taste 7/8 bottle best by 7/8. Looks: Tea body with nice clinging cream head. Aroma: Caramel and grain/straw. Smells fresh(whatever that is.) a little orange zest. Taste: Nice straw and caramel with good hops tongue tingle. quite drinkable. Nice sour balance.
GAManiac (210), Atlanta, Georgia, USA
Jul 12, 2008 Bottle. Pours a deep, clear amber with a huge fluffy white head that hangs around for a long time leaving sporadic clumps of lacing. The smell is very sweet, almost like caramel apples, with a big malt backbone and some dark fruits and brown sugar as well. The taste is just as sweet with a huge caramelized malt backbone and fruits mixed in. There is also just a hint of sour in there which seem a little out of place. There is a noticeable spiciness to the taste as well with a faint hop presence at the very end. The mouthfeel is a tad thin with huge carbonation and a slightly sticky finish. This a decent amber though though the taste is a little bit too unbalanced to be top notch.
dkachur (631), Charlottesville, Virginia, USA
Jun 21, 2008 Bottle. Red pour with a big head and moderate retention. Grainy aroma with hints of citrus and pear. Taste is almost identical with the hop bitterness slightly stronger.
lithy (86), Knoxville, Tennessee, USA
Jun 19, 2008 Nice copper color with a two finger lasting mountain of tan head that pulls down the sides of the glass but remains tall in the middle. Nice malty nose that isn’t overly sweet. A slight metallic smell with sweet caramel coming through. It is light in the mouth with a forward taste of lightly carbonated sweet amber malts. As the sip travels over the tongue a nice caramel apple funk displays itself and follows through with an unexpectedly light but lasting bitterness in the finish. Nice beer.
Derek881 (295), Frederick, Maryland, USA
Jun 16, 2008 Poured from the bottle into a pint glass. The beer is a clear amber-red color with a very big, foamy, light tan head that had long retention. Aroma heavily featured sweet caramel malt, but also some herbal and earthy hop tones. The beer has an interesting taste, it is rather sweet with a sort of nutty flavor. The body is pretty wet, although somewhat thin, and it has ample carbonation.
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