Beer Club September 2010
Amber and Red Ales
Amber ale is a variant of pale ale that uses crystal malts to achieve a slightly darker color. The ambers can range from copper to dark reddish brown. The malts tend to give the ambers a caramel flavor. Some beers referred to as amber are actually lagers with colored malts.
Fat Tire
One of my favorites, Fat Tire is the most popular beer from New Belgium brewery in Fort Collins. Fat Tire has a biscuity flavor, a bready taste with a bitter finish. 5.2% ABV. 2 beers.
Alaskan Amber
Not actually an amber, this is an Altbier [Type 61], from the German for old beer. A German brown ale, Alaskan Amber has a sweet bready taste with a mellow finish. 5.3% ABV 2 beers.
O'Hara's Irish Red
The Irish Red Ale tends to be sweeter than the American Amber, with dominant malts. The taste was smoky, it reminded me of a porter. 4.3% ABV. 2 beers.
Drop Top Amber
Drop Top's Amber tasted of melons, with a light finish. 5.0% ABV. 2 beers.
Full Sail Amber
The hops were strong enough to make me think of an IPA. 5.5% ABV. 5 beers.
Boont Amber
Also quite hoppy, but this was better balanced than the Full Sail with stronger malts. 5.8% ABV. 3 beers.
Old Scratch
An example of an amber lager. The term we settled on was 'fair-middlin'. This beer has little flavor, but it wasn't terrible. 5.5% ABV. 4 beers.
Bell's Amber
This beer was middlin. A bit more flavor than Old Scratch, 5.5% ABV. 3 beers.
American Amber Ale
From Rogue Brewery, I expected a lot of hops. Turns out, this one is moderately hopped, just enough to give the beer some character. The pine flavor of the hops obscured the amber malts, but I liked this beer quite a bit. 5.6% ABV. 2 beers.
Alleycat
Sweet and hefe like due to the German yeasts. 5.5% ABV. 2 beers.
Jumping Cow
A undistinguished beer. 5.5% ABV. 5 beers.
Sunset Amber
My favorite of the evening, this is a local beer from Grand Canyon Brewery. Lots of malt, caramel, and body. 5.4% ABV. 2 beers.
Red Bridge
An amber with a twist, this is a beer brewed with sorghum so that it is gluten-free. Not bad for a gluten-free beer, a bit thin and fizzy, but a nice light lemony flavor. 4.8% ABV. 3 beers.
Dundee Irish Red
Sweet and malty, but no smoky flavor in this Irish Red. 5.5% ABV. 3 beers.
Wapiti
Another local beer, this one from Mogollon Brewery. My favorite of the Mogollon beers so far. Sweet and malty. 5.0% ABV. 3 beers.
Comments ()