22 oz bottle, Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA, USA. Very typical for the style, a cloudy and turbid brown soup like affair with some big, rocky, pitted, off-white head and lace. Retention is not great. It's a bit of an ugly looking beer for me. Nose and tastes deliver typical big, hoppy alcohol notes, and there is the requisite dry finish. Strangely, the alcohol is fairly well hidden during the drink, but in the aftertaste and at the end the beer packs its' full punch. The combination...
Notes on beers in the style
American Amber / Red Ale
North Peak Siren Amber
12 oz stubbie bottle as depicted in the BA db, thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this one. Pour produces some nice sticky, white lace on top of a slightly murky, brown body. Not really very interesting to look at but at the same time the head is decent, produces some nice lace and is somewhat well retained. Nose offers little other than some sweet malts. The tastes are fairly ordinary with a few hoppy hints amongst the fairly dry, average malt base. Drinks easily and has good...
Berghoff Rock River Red Ale
12 oz single thanks to Kevin for the chance to try this. What is this?? Expecting an Amber/Red of *some* description I get a honey-colored, slightly hazy beer that, apart from the big, fluffy head, appears to be a macro color. The nose and tastes are SUPER sweet and grainy. I mean SWEET, even by my standards that can usually tolerate a lot of sweetness. There's a corny maltiness about the beer too. Metallic features amongst the vegetal notes. Some alcohol. Strange, and if this is an Amber/Red...
Jamaica Red Ale
12 oz bottle as a single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Different label than the one in the BA db. A slightly hazed, mid-brown pour sits underneath an off-white medium sized head and produces some better than average lace. Nose dives up some dry hop notes. Tastes are in line for the style and combine a decent hop and malt balance with the requisite dry finish. Aftertaste lingers to give some more residual hoppiness which is appropriate. Some mild alcohol burn in the back end and finish. The...
Double Dread Imperial Red Ale
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Gusher from the bottle that leads to an ugly pour. Murky reddish brown with large specks of yeast floaties in huge quantities. This beer is obviously struggling through either an excess of bottle-conditioning, the lack of filtration or some other final stage issues. Given the amount of foam that gushes from the bottle, the head and lace a woefully disappointing. Nose and tastes give an overly aggressive bitter, hop note that tastes like an American...
Minhas Swiss Style Amber
12 oz single, mnay thanks go out to Kevin for the chance to try this beer. Not sure what a "Swiss Amber" really is, but I'll try anything once! Pour is a light, orange, maber body with below average head and lace. Nothing much to report. The beer is essentially a Vienna Lager in terms of the way it drinks. Sweet, malty, pretty much no hop character and a watery mouthfeel. The dry element is just about the only way that it resembles the style, and if you are looking for any type of significant...
Atlantic Amber
Retired? OK. Very recent purchase from Grassroots, Jacksonville, FL, USA. 12 oz can. Pour is a somewhat drab drown with lots of chill haze. head is quite dense and rich and leaves a lot of sticky lace. the aroma is pretty neutral even after warming, but there are a few malt whiffs from the glass. Caramel and light toffee notes make up the majority of the flavor profile and the beer is rather sweet. A little damp cardboard too. Not very impressive beer and the retired factor in the BA db has me...
Fixed Gear
22 oz bottle, a recent arrival to the GA market. Pleasing presentation, too. Pour is a very nice garnet color with the standard, requite white head that sits atop the beer. Good clarity and appropriate carbonation. To me, one of the most important things about the style is that it has some nice clarity, and this beer works well in that regard. Nose is fairly neutral but the tastes are better. I'm always looking for a dry finish with the Reds and this beer delivers that. There is some sweeter...
Fall Summit
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Beautiful, dark amber pour with superb clarity, a nice head, decent retention and some good, persistent carbonation. Very good looking. Nose and tastes give a very distinct Summit profile, which of course is a good thing! Classic combination of the style and the hop to give a really clean, dry and sharp finish that works very well together. Lovely, restrained malts pull the whole thing together really well. Yeasty back end that holds the beer...
Cascazilla
Had this a few times, including last month at the Brewery, but this review is from a 12 oz bottle that I bought at the Brewery about a month ago. Pour is fantastic; a rocky head that produces great lace with plenty of retention. The color of the body is perhaps one of the best! Reminds me of a classic ESB from England, even though the beer is a LONG way away from such a brew! A classic example of the American Red style with potent hops, but bitterness that is tempered by a dry, rich malty...
Terrapin Big Sloppy Monster
On tap at Leon's, Decatur, Atlanta, GA, USA on 08/12/10 as part of the "Terrapin Takeover". Attended the event particularly for this beer and Substance Abuse. 10 oz pour. The beer poured an alarmingly cloudy mid-brown with some serious yeastiness. The keg must have been terribly unsettled, and it wasn't until the second glass that I had (about an hour after the first), that I felt I had a handle on this. (It settled down in that time). The beer had lost it's hoppy edge in the barrel and it had...
Christmas Ale 2009
12 oz stubbie, the usual Abita and Christmas presentation. Single from Mac's, Atlanta, GA, USA. Best Before 05/01/2010 on the neck. Pour is an attractive copper body with some nice white head that shows decent retention and some sticky lace. Good clarity. Looks nice. Nice malty nose with a hint of hops. Quite dry in the finish despite the obvious malts up front. There is something distinct about Abita beers and I'm not sure if it's a particular yeast strain or hop profile but it seems to cut...
Laughing Skull Amber Ale
12 oz bottle, completely new and different beer from the old, Czech/Bohemian Pils affair. As is sometimes the case, an interesting turn of events lead me to pick this beer up for the first time; I grab one in a mixed sixer at Mac's and then head downtown to meet Wes at Cypress for a quick lunchtime pint. Low and behold, ABC's Chris is at the bar and he pulls a couple for me - thanks Chris, you're very kind. The story behind the new beer is that it was born out of a combo/blend that some guys...
Sweetwater Dank Tank Wet Dream
22oz bottle, $5.99 from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Same Dank Tank presentation, this time with a green and white color scheme (DP Red/White, BOBBB Blue/White). This beer has been described to me in many ways, the most frequent being an "Imperial Wet Hopped Amber/Red". Whilst the beer does have the hue of an Amber, AND it does have a nice, wet-hopped presence, when it comes down to it there is little malt/amber presence and the beer falls into a freshly hopped mid-range brew. I say...
Retro Red
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is interesting simply because it produces exactly the kind of beer in the glass that I am looking for. It's a very noisy, rich pour with a creamy carbonation that leads to a reddish, mocha like foam on top of the body. The color of the body is a touch muddy, and lacks the absolute, crystal clear, garnet colored body that I would like, but it's not bad. Head is better looking than the body. Outside of that the beer performs quite well within...
Calico Copper Amber Ale
12 oz single, $1.99 from CBX, Charleston, SC, USA. Pour is a deep red with slightly off-white head that leaves some nice, sticky lace. The lace is an important feature of this style for me. Good clarity on the pour. Nose and tastes show plenty of malty sweetness, but being faithful to the American version of this style there is also plenty of hop character to balance it out. It finishes dry (which is what I want the style to do), and it leaves me with some nice, hoppy burps. Caramel and toffee...
Terrapin Oak Aged Big Hoppy Monster
How odd. VERY surprised to see this nonchalantly hanging out at the Duluth Taco Mac early on a Friday afternoon. Poured into an 11 oz wine glass, the beer sits exactly like the original BHM with a clouded, dubbel like brown color, a small head which ultimately reduces to a white collar and not much life. To me this doesn't really differ very much at all from the original. I would say there is a subtle touch of vanilla which smooths the beer out a little, but any adjustments that the oak has...
Drop Top Amber
Never really been impressed with Widmer and this isn't the beer that is going to change that feeling. 16oz pour, Taco Mac, Marietta, GA, USA. Appalling bad pour by the barman bringing me a flat beer with zero head. Not ideal, but I am forced to induce the head myself with a straw! The beer looks incredibly carbonated for the style, and there is a multitude of bubbles rising around the light brown/amber body. Collar of foam is all that's left of the head after a couple of minutes. No lace....
Green Flash Hop Head Red Ale
12 oz stubbie bottle. Mid-brown color with some yeast floaties and a well formed, tight, white head. Lace is not as good as the head would suggest, but still OK. Big hop, resin based nose. Huge. Aggressive. Not much to report here - not bad, but it's just a big, very hoppy, dry red. Exactly what it says on the label. Some dry grapefruit and other citrus. Big and dry. A straightforward beer that is going to hit the spot if you are looking for a hoppy red. In that respect, a good beer.
Roxy Rolles
Part of the Magic Hat winter mixed 12 pack that made it to GA for the first time at the end of 2008. This particular bottle came from Hilton Head, SC, USA. Murky amber pour with a surprisingly good head and creamy lace. Nose has plenty of soapy hops. The taste is surprisingly hoppy. I was expecting a beer that was a touch more malty, but this came through quite resinous and piney. As it warms it gets a little more sweetness, but to be honest it still seems quite bitter. Pretty interesting in...
Honey Amber Ale
12 oz bottle from Wine Times 4, Hilton Head Island, SC, USA. $3.50. Having had a whole bunch of really quite impressive brews from these guys recently, I was looking forward to trying this one. Had relatively high hopes, unfortunately I was rather badly let down with this one. That'll teach 'em to raise expectations. Poured a rather murky, drab and disappointing light brown color with a dreadful lack of liveliness. Carbonation seemed low, and the beer was too sweet and lacked any kind of...
Full Sail Amber
Full Sail is a relatively new entrant (last few months) to the Atlanta market and I got to pick this one up as a single at Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. 12 oz bottle, nice, clean presentation across the range. Lovely chestnut brown/mahogany clarity on the pour with a small but well retained head and some lovely lace - exactly what I am looking for in an Amber. Nose, tastes and mouthfeel link very nicely to deliver a pretty good example of the style. Simple balance with some caramel malts...
Big Red (Imperial Red)
22oz bomber. Thanks go out to todprokp7 for the chance to try this one. Very surprised by this. I was expecting much more of a hoppy (and importantly for the stlye) drier affair here, perhaps even something that resembled a DIPA. However what I got was much more reminiscemnt of an American Barleywine. Alcohol is quite well hidden which is not necessarily a good thing. It means the alcohol creeps up on you a bit and leaves a warmth! Decent lace above a cloudy copper body. Sweetness cuts across...
Autumn Fest
Strange one, this. Served as an 11oz pour at the Taco Mac on the East West Connector, Austell, Atlanta, GA, USA. Not sure why this is in the smaller pour since it is only a 6.1% beer, probably just Taco Mac screwing it up again - at least the glass isn't frozen in the smaller pour! $6.00 for the pour, so I think they've got it wrong again. Someone needs to educate this chain PROPERLY. Great clarity on the pour with some fine carbonation. A real orangey/red/amber body. IF ONLY the pour were one...
Budweiser American Ale
Purchased this 12oz single as part of Mac's Midtown $8.99 mixed sixer, Atlanta, GA, USA. Glad to be able to stay non-committed to a brewer that hasn't earned my respect. I like the presentation. There does seem to be a slightly different shape to the bottle (compared to the "normal" American 12oz bottle), and the old school classic red color is nice. Rightly or wrongly, I went ahead and included an element of my appearance score to reflect the good packaging. Apparently AB has just defined a...
Key West Sunset Ale
12 oz single from Total Wine in Kennesaw, GA, USA. Very pale, light orange pour with a light, bubbly smallish head and some lace. Looks light and though it won't have much body. Some malts up front, but this is quickly followed by a dry, citrus hop finish. To be honest it tastes a little on the artificial side, almost as if hop essence has been added - rather odd. Light body. Although this really isn't much of a beer, at least it has some bitterness that takes it beyond a nasty BMC macro lager...
New Holland Red Tulip Ale
Purchased as a single at Sam's Blue Light in Durham, NC on a recent jaunt up the East Coast. 12oz bottle, poured into the Duvel tulip. Initial nice head that fades to give a little head on the surface, but not much lace. Standard, solid copper color in the body with little else to report. Carbonation seems appropriate. Nose and tastes have some really solid malts. Not much hop presesnce, so this sits at the "English" end of the "Red/Amber/Bitter" spectrum. Very easy drinking and some biscuit...
Albergottie Amber
Josh described this to me as a lighter version of an amber that drinks much more like a lager - he was spot on, with the drinkability being a BIG plus. Very easy, light drinking and much less "red" than you would imagine for the style. In his words, "Dark copper in color with a subtle roasted flavor. This beer is a low hopped, very drinkable beer with a wonderful flavor profile". Simple copper colored body with a nice head and lace. Good clarity, nice looking and in line with the style. Very...
Fred Red Ale
On draught at Bailey's Grille & Pub in Fredericksburg, VA. Simple Red Ale - no more no less. Not memorable, but at the same time not offensive. Lacked much character, was a little too malty and lacked the dry finish. It was served too cold, but that's a bar problem rather than a beer problem. Somewhat non-descript first offering from this brewery for me, but not horrible so I will gladly try again.
Sleeman Red Ale – Rousse
On tap, Taco Mac, Marietta, GA, USA. $4.75 a pint. Taco Mac is advertising this as "La Russe", which for now, I am assuming is this beer - seems reasonable, but maybe I'll have to change it later. As usual, TM has a tenous connection with beer knowledge. Served way too cold. Pint has a nice garnet color, but a small head and not much lace. Has a typical, British, kegged-bitter appearance, which to be brutally frank, is not necessary wonderful. In reality, I quite liked this beer - it seemed to...
Rising Moon Spring Ale
BA Review #1400 - not a classic! Looks like this got to ATL in the last few days. I've seen a few six packs around in the last couple of days, and I tasted this as a 16oz pour at Taco Mac, East-West Connector, Austell, Atlanta, GA, USA. Charged me $3.98 for the pint. Served with an orange slice...mmmm!!! I like the packaging - fresh, green look to the label, immediately distinguishable as a Blue Moon/Coors product. Label gives it an extra 0.5 points on the "appearance" score. Typical macro...
Winter Cheer Ale
A 12oz single as part of the $7.99 mixed pack at Mac's Midtown, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is an encouraging, crystal clear, deep brown color. Nice head and lace. Very malty nose and initial tastes, but these give way to a bitter hop finish. The initial character was a little spice, with some sweet malts, but as the beer warms and toward the finish the beer took on much more of the advertised, Amber/Red character. I had fairly low expectations here but in the end I was very happy with the beer....
Black Dog Ale
$4.00 for a 16oz pour at Taco Mac on the East-West Connector, Austell, GA, USA. Advertised there as an English Amber - whatever the hell that is! Do these people have a CLUE? Anyway - sent one in a frozen glass back, and it's still served too cold. When it warms, this was much better than I was expecting. A simple pour with good clarity, a bronze body and some half decent lace. Biscuit malts dominate with a nicely balanced finish. Some hops in the ending. This reminded me a lot of a simple...
Bell’s Amber Ale
I first drank ths on a trip to Lexington, KY a couple of years ago, and this bottle came from a recent haul from a trip to Greensboro, NC, USA. 12 oz single from Total Wine. 8136 Dot-Matrixed on the rear - Batch # maybe?? Hazy orange pour with good carbonation and a perfectly formed dense, bone-white head. Some lace. Sweet and creamy aroma makes its way out of the glass. Sweet and rich malts dominate, with a slender, dry finish. Very mild English Toffee, perhaps a hint of caramel too, but not...
RedLegg Ale
$3.99 for the 22oz bomber from Cheers in Carrollton, GA, USA. First time I've seen this in GA, fairly new to the state. Cheers also had the Dortmunder, the 'Dark' Double IPA (whatever that is) and the Hefe all at $3.99. I toyed with the idea of buying all four, but decided that it would be wise to try one first to see if it was up to scratch. Glad I resisted! Dark orange, cloudy pour, perhaps due to some chill haze but it looks a bit iffy. Carbonation can be described as 'fizzy'. Some head but...
Grail Ale
Purchased as a 12oz single from Michael's, Marietta, GA, USA. I have a sneaking suspicion that this is quite an old bottle (I've seen a few sixers on the shelves for a LONG time, and now Michael's suddenly selling singles!) Dark amber pour in the Sam Adams new style glass, with a small ivory/yellowish head and some small, but impressive lace. Initial tastes are rich, malty but also have a strong hint of liquor. A creamy, sherry, maderia like taste - VERY nice. Lots of tasty layers of malt run...
Late Harvest Autumn Ale
$4.00 on tap at Taco Mac, Douglasville, GA, USA. I think that there is a problem with the cleanliness of the lines at this Taco Mac. Many of the beers have this strange, plastic like taste imparted to them and this was another of those. Maybe this review is not fair in that regard, but for now these are my thoughts. Looked good in the glass with an amber clarity, small head and some retention. That's where the good experience ended. Lacked taste and had a very, very bitter angle. A lack of...
Redpoint Ale
12oz single from Total Wine, Kennesaw, GA, USA. Interesting. Being catagorized as an APA I think is rather misleading. This beer drinks MUCH richer tan your typical APA, and even up to the point that I might even call this an ESB! Really nice, rich copper color, some head and a little lace. Nose and tastes are rich - good, solid malty backbone with a really significant hop dose. Big, sweet, biscuity malts up front and a solid taste. Hops come in at the end with a dry, tanin, tea like finish....
Avalanche Ale
12oz single bottle from Total Wine, Kennesaw, GA, USA. Breckenridge has just come to GA, part of my first purchase at the newly opened store. I've had a few Breckenridge beers that I have been really impressed with, so my hopes were high. Unfortunately this didn't quite come up to par. All the attributes of an amber/red, but the whole package lacks depth. Almost like a watered down version of the style. Not quite red enough in the Sam Adams new style glass, without much lacing. More...
Red Rocket Ale
22 oz bomber, thanks to Solomon420 for the trade. True balance is rare, this beer has it. The pour is exceptional; tawny brown body, AMAZING light tan colored head and great, lingering, complex lace. Put it all together and you have a great looking pint. Nutty brown ale feel with a dose of centennial hops on top. Bitterness is there but it is beautifully inter-woven into the malts and the beer boasts 65 IBU's of sheer balance. A mild, tea like after taste including a tannin dry finish. Nose is...
Jumping Cow Amber Ale
Yet another pretty decent beer bought as a single from Trader Joe's for $1.09. 12 oz bottle. Very light color for an amber, this has a real orange color that is reminscent of a classic English IPA. A thin film on the surface and some minimal lace. Extremely malty and sweet in the nose and this is reflected in the taste. English type biscuit malts are very obvious. Nice. Lots and lots of sweet, toffee and caramel malts. Kind of mild hop bitterness in the extreme finish. Another, good value,...
Red Ale
On tap at Crabapple location of Taco Mac, Roswell, GA, USA. $3.75 for a 16 oz pour. Served way too cold, this couldn't be appreciated until it warmed up quite a lot. Thin, wispy lace, small head on top of the reddish brown body. Mild bitterness lingers all the way through with the malts becoming more apparent as time passes. A small, bitter, grapefruit finish. Pretty average Red, but OK. I'm not generally fond of Abita products, in fact I think they are a pretty mediocre brewer, but this...
Stone Levitation Ale
12 oz single, thanks go out to ArrogantB for the trade. Nice mid-orange pour with very little carbonation but a nice formation of creamy head and some sticky, creamy lace. Looks classically good. Very hoppy nose - seems quite dry. Clearly a simple beer, but why such huge hop presence even in this simple brew? I understand the Stone/West Coast philosophy, but this strikes me as a perfect beer to have more malt balance, and at 4.4% *could* be presented and marketed as a perfect session, easy...
Lagunitas Lucky 13 Mondo Large Red Ale
22 oz bomber from Smyrna World Of Beverage, Atlanta, GA, USA. SWoB nips in ahead of Green's on this one. This is indeed a BIG red, no doubt. Good clarity with the orangey/amber pour with some good head and some very nice, sticky lacing. Looks inviting. Plenty of citrus hops in the nose and this is replicated in a BIG way in the initial taste. On first taste this seems like a big, West Coast hopped, resious, citrus and floral DIPA, but the finish cuts in quickly to remind you of the malt...
Red Tail Ale
Picked up as a single at Jax, Sandy Springs, Atlanta, GA, USA. Not sure of price. Fairly lifeless pour without significant carbonation, head or retention. Light amber pour, muted aroma and similar attributes in the tastes. Slightly dry, flavor is low but non-offensive with very mild malt and hop character. Body is average and reflects the beer as a whole. A simple offering (good), but in a style that is difficult to get enthusiastic about. The kind of beer you could drink with pizza and not...
Copperhook Spring Ale
A pint of this was more expensive than a pint of Lagunitas Censored at Taco Mac, Douglasville, GA, USA. Golden pour. Looks OK. small head, disperses instantly. Average beyond average in all respects. Strikes me as low quality and cheap. Mild malts finishing with mild bitterness. The kind of beer that is unoffensive and must fit the AB mold perfectly. Bland as bland can be. Generic APA in a style that already struggles for identity this should be called BLAH beer by Redhook. NOTHING to report...
Christmas Ale 2006
On-tap, Taco Mac, Decatur, GA, USA. Reddish, copper colored pour with small ivory colored head and minimal lacing. No spice, very little malt and fading hoping bitterness. Very little here. A weak, very bland amber that at least resembles the style but lacks any depth or character. Extremely average in all respects, and the fact that is supposed to be a "special", "seasonal" or one-off brew this is horribly disappointing. Pretty much in line wth the disappointing Abita range, which at best is...
Otter Creek Oktoberfest
Thanks to SilentSabre for sharing his recent trade with me. Bottled on 09/20/06. Pour was much lighter than expected but still produced a decent head and some nice lacing. Quite metallic and bitter, with a lack of the sweetness that I was expecting. I suppose because of the Oktoberfest name I was expecting some more malts and a little more sweetness. I see that this is listed as an Amber/Red and that would explain a lot. Mild hops and some light warmth. Nice, session potential and a good,...
Tröegs Hopback Amber Ale
Thanks to Travis (BigLove) as part of Blue Max BIF 48. 12 oz bottle. Nice dark orange color with some impressive sticky lacing. Very unusual nose - a real floral, fruity mix with a combination of watermelon and marmalade. Unique and very attractive. Tastes are balanced with some hop bitterness and sweet malts in equal measure. I get some orange based, grapefruit tartness that is very attractive too. Quite light and floral and zesty. Hoppy to the extent that this doesn't really drink much like...
Tröegs Nugget Nectar
=== Updated Review 02/08 === This vintage seems MUCH hoppier than my original review would suggest. VERY aggressive and less balanced than my tasting in 2006. Frankly I liked it much less than in 2006. === Original Review 08/06 === Thanks go out to Silentsabre and Beerbeing for the opportunity to try this one. Light orange marmalade colored body with good clarity and a very light head. Some retention but both the head and lacing are very fine and delicate rather than substantial. Sweet hops in...
Duck-Rabbit Amber Ale
Picked up as a single from Riverside in Chattanooga, TN, USA. Great metallic copper colored body with a small but attractive light brown head the lingers to leave minimal lace. Some pretty good carbonation rises in the glass. Characterful drink with an obvious malt/sweet backbone, but with some hops layered on top. Roasted caramel present too. Very drinkable with a nice clean dry finish typical of the style. A few nutty flavors in there too that remind me of a brown ale hybrid. Nice job. Very...
Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster
Reviewing this particular bottle of the 2005 vintage in July 2006, with the best part of year of aging behind it. OK, there's not doubt that we've lost a lot of the hops in that time, but my, what a great beer we've gained! The malts have obviously come to the fore as one would expect, but the sweetness and the sharpness have been maintained and raised. Pours with a HUGE frothy, red head that is so dense and sweet it reminds me of a beer milkshake. Underneath that, the beer has maintained its...
Scarlet Ale
Marketed to me as a Red Ale, this had session written all over it. Dry malt tastes with a short bitter finish that did not linger. Tasty and surprisingly refreshing I thought. Aroma was subdued malt with not much else present. Nice head, but his faded to nothing pretty quickly. No head and lace after a few minutes. I didn't get the ABV but found it easy to sink a few with not much effect or effort, so I suspect it was not especially high. Enjoyable if simple beer, nothing to write home about,...
Redemption Red Ale
A nasty experience which certainly poses the question, "Did I get a bad bottle?" Well, there's no way of knowing, but since I bought this from a reputable shop and there is no Best Before date on the bottle, I feel completely justified (with the aforementioned note) in writing this review. Colossal carbonation leads to massive and annoying head, but ultimately no lacing. Reddish body, clear. Very thin, very acidic, no body and a nasty bitter-sweet finish that is reminiscent of some kind of...
Highland Gaelic Ale
One of the better examples of a style that I usually find rather uninteresting. The key here is a malt sweetness and a hop edge in balance. It's a pretty simple beer, but the gentle combination makes it a drinkable, if somewhat unspectacular brew. Good, dark copper color with some head and lacing. Mild carbonation. An above average mouthfeel. The simple combination gives a pleasing beer that is simple and easy to drink. Nothing really outstanding here, but a decent beer.
He’Brew Genesis Ale
Decent APA, but the style is so very unexciting in general, it is somewhat difficult to get excited about this beer or any other in the category. Light amber color, with no significant head or lacing. Good balance, quite dry and a nice bitter twang in the finish and the aftertaste. The label mentions something about a "light brown ale", but this is definitely not that in either color or style. Good brewery, but only a slightly above average beer.
Santa’s Private Reserve Ale
Absolutely, 100% typically Rogue. This is an unbalanced beer with cutting, citrus hops overwhelming everything else, to the detriment of everything else. Good looking beer, with a really nice color, lovely big fluffy head and some excellent layered lacing. The appearance is by far its best quality. Mild hops in the nose, but this mild mannered start to the experience is quickly dispelled a thin mouthfeel, big, big hop profile and a brutally dry finish that saps the enjoyment from the beer. (As...
Hedonism Ale
Can you say grapefruit juice? Red/Amber Ale? More like a heavily hopped IPA. Having tasted this and reviewed it I was very surprised to see so many high reviews, I thought this was decidedly average. Decent clear copper look, nice head and some lacing. Then we get a nice hop nose, but a very bitter taste. Slightly unbalanced, but a little sweetness present. It's OK, but much more IPA like than Amber.
Twentieth Anniversary Ale
Batch 7040. Nice looking pale orange pour with some chill haze. Small, but perfectly formed head, not much lacing, what there is, is fairly watery. Malt acidic sweetness in the nose. Not a strong smell at all. Tastes are sweet malts. It's much sweeter than I was anticipating, and it drinks fairly sweet too. Small bitter finish with a tinge of hops, but not much to speak of. Smooth, nice mouthfeel. Yes, this is an above average brew, and it IS a drinkable beer, but at the same time it seems...
Ruedrich’s Red Seal Ale
Peach body with some chill haze, a nice half-inch head and some decent lacing. The lacing is sticky, thick and persistent. Nose is sweet hops, not large, but noticeable. Much hoppier and more bitter than I was expecting. The initial tastes are really quite bitter and metallic. There is a lot of malt to balance the initial hoopiness out, and as the beer is drunk, the bitterness fades to give a pretty balanced brew. Dry finish. Nice interpretation of the style, with added hops to make it more...
Terrapin Big Hoppy Monster
Beautiful garnet color (including the red highlights), delicious frothy head and superb lacing complete the great look. Pure hops in the nose, but not overwhelming. Rich, dark and hoppy - that just about sums it up. It's reminiscent of a classic, (very strong) English Cask Ale that has been overhopped. Induces some lovely hop burps, this is truly a lovely, smooth drink, but at the same time punches above its weight. A truly nice package.
Offshore Amber Ale
The massive froth head that, at first is incredibly annoying but after walking away for about three minutes, leaves a huge amount of fantastic lacing and a spectacular rocky head. The lacing alone makes this a "5" on the appearance scale. After a ridiculous pour, it turned out to be one of the best looking beers I have seen in a long tome. Very hazy light, golden color in the pour too. All in all pretty interesting appearance. Kind of sweet and light, reminded me a little of fruit juice. Aroma...
Fat Tire Amber Ale
Golden, light amber pour that has exceptional clarity and looks like a tripel in the glass. Not much sustained head, but some decent lacing. There are some real earthy tones in the nose and in the taste. A real organic feel to the beer. The malts are bready with a little hop bitterness to add bite, freshness and crispness. I like the balance that this beer produces, and it is refeshing and a bit different. At this ABV I'd suggest this has a lot of potential as a session beer. Nice, with much...
ESB Amber Ale
Decent. ESB this isn't, but it's a nice drink. Dark orange pour with good head and good lacing provides a nice appearance in the glass. Aroma and tastes are not huge, but the main characteristic is the very mild grapefruit hop finish. Despite the lack of large flavors and distinct tastes, there is a balance and a satisfying mouthfeel that belies the simple nature of this beer. Very drinkable, definitely a session candidate.
Censored (aka The Kronik)
Bottle first, then subsequently on draught at Taco Mac, Marietta, GA, USA - $5.00. Beautiful pour, clear as a bell with a deep orange/copper hue that is typical of a big-hopped IPA, except this isn't! Some lovely malt sweetness in the nose and perfect balance in the initial tastes complement what your palate is anticipating from the aroma. Lots of hops present, but they are nicely tempered by a rich brown sugar, molasses syrup. Mouthfeel is full, aftertaste is mild grapefruit hops but they...
Calibogue Amber
Slightly cloudy, amber appearance with a decent head and some lacing. Fairly serviceable amber with a mainly malt character and some hop bitterness in the finish. This is a potenatial session beer just from the point of view that it is easy drinking and straightforward. Not impressed, but at the same time not disappointed. 100% better than, but reminded me a lot of Killians. This beer benefits from a slight temperature raise rather than the ultra-chilled servings that you normally get at the...
Palmetto Amber
Malt appearance in terms of color, and that comes through in the aroma and the initial taste. This soon changes to a dry sensation, but without much hop bitterness. This beer has a very light feel about it, that could be taken either way - either as a positve or a negative depending on my mood. If you're looking for a stand out beer, forget it, if you are looking for a fairly light, easy drinking, local alternative when you are in the South Carolina area then by all means give it a try. If you...
Tomahawk Amber Ale
Brew available "exclusively" at Turner Field for Atlanta Braves home games although I suspect it is the same beer (certainly similar, if not identical) to this one; http://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/rate_results/29/17649/ Thanks to BA, AKSmokedPorter for the info. As AKSmokedPorter says; "They've proven they can brew a beer like this, why not do it regularly for the general public????" With reference to the Tomahawk Amber Ale; It pours a decent dark brown color with a nice, compact head...
Dixie Crimson Voodoo Ale
$1.49 per bottle as part of mixed Six-pack, World Market, Marietta, GA. Not bad. Pretty average, wouldn't get too excited about it considering the cost. Reminded me a lot of Sam Adams. Poured a dark copper color with some head that faded fast. A little lacing. I think I was drinking this brew too cold. The coldness gave it a sharp bubbly feel that I did not enjoy. Once it had warmed up a little it got better. Nice balance of malt and hops. OK.
Anvil Head
Nice amber pour, but mine was with very little head and virtually no lacing. A very hoppy initial taste and aroma cut back some as the beer was drunk. Hops still prevail with some sweet malt. I enjoyed this purely from the point of view of having taste! So many brews in the US lack that basic requirement it's nice to come across tasty beers. I like the stout bottle, label and the name - all point to a decent, full flavored brew. The beer itself is unfiltered so invevitibly has cloudy...
American Amber Ale
Updated Review 05/08: Second review under the "Sea Otter Amber". Light, reddish amber with some chill haze. Head fades quickly with not much lace. STILL the astringent, over the top, West Coast American hops which unbalance the beer. My views on Rogue have changed over the years, and I now find many (if not most) of their beers, unbalanced in terms of hops. This is a classic example of that. Original Review 02/04: Nice hoppy aroma and initial flavor that mellows out as the bottle is emptied....
St. Rogue Red
$2.99 Arbor Place Beverage, Douglasville, GA. Later $3.99 Atlantic Wine, Atlanta, GA. The picture (label) on the large brown (1 Pint 6 fl oz) bottle looks like a drunk, Communist Jesus - highly amusing! Poured a red/copper color with a decent head with some (but not much) lacing. A little chill haze. Malts upfront with a very light bitterness and not nearly as dry as I was expecting. Highly drinkable and somewhat refreshing. Definitely a watery mouthfeel, and lack of body. Finishes with a...