Amber Ale
SLO Brew

Amber AleAmber Ale
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From:
SLO Brew
 
California, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
82
Avg:
3.53 | pDev: 13.03%
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
27
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 03, 2014
Added:
Jun 11, 2002
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
 
Rated: 3.5 by Bp123 from California

Nov 03, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by Josh_951 from California

Oct 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by abcramer from Pennsylvania

May 24, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by Rochefort10nh from New Hampshire

Nov 18, 2011
 
Rated: 4 by MikeDre from California

Nov 18, 2011
Photo of far333
Reviewed by far333 from Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Slightly hazed honey apricot colored with an oatmeal colored head of thin foam that rises up slowly and settles out to a flat cap.

Aroma of biscuit malt, some honey and fruit.

Flavor of doughey, bready malt upfront, met with mild offsetting bitterness. No hop flavors emerging, but the malt is pleasing. Tasty and round with nuances of toffee and semi-roasted graininess, hints of ripe fruit and mild spice.

Full and creamy mouthfeel, even and moderately carbed.

Good representation of the style, nice to see a solid malt experience with subtle flavors that don't try to knock you down. Very drinkable. Thanks to barleywinefiend for sending it my way.
Aug 20, 2009
Photo of barleywinefiend
Reviewed by barleywinefiend from Washington

4.45/5  rDev +26.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5
Poured a medium amber color with a small dirty white head, lighter with smoother more mellow body. Nose is butterscotch with a biscuity hint. Taste is nice mix of hops, malts, balanced and good. Butterscotch and bready tastes linger throughout the mouthfeel. Had a sherry like wine taste to it as well, very smooth and damn tasty.This brew I could drink all night long. Maybe this beer needed time to mature but after 6 months from my ast review of this beer it has done a 180.
Feb 24, 2009
Photo of ThreeWiseMen
Reviewed by ThreeWiseMen from California

3.12/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Appearance: Body is a dark, brown-amber with slight visibility. Head is thin, off-white, and doesn't retain well.

Smell: A good deal of roasted malt in the nose, along with caramel, and some faint hops.

Taste: Again, roasted and caramel malt, but now I'm getting some coffee as well. Doesn't taste like your typical amber, but all-in-all it's not bad. Finishes with a touch of citrus and some bitter hops.

Mouthfeel: Kinda chewy, with a heavy dosage of carbonation. A smidgen above medium in terms of body. Not all that creamy or cohesive.

Drinkability: This one is a bit weird and a bit heavy. We got a couple pitchers of it last night at DTB, and it was going down okay. Not sure what else to say about this one.
Feb 11, 2009
Photo of JDV
Reviewed by JDV from Texas

2.91/5  rDev -17.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Rich amber color with a nice offwhite head. Smell was musky malt mostly, and nothing special. Taste was similar with a dirty malt taste. Not refreshing or crisp. Sort of boring, bland, sweaty thick malt flavor predominantly. Not very impressed, and although it wasn't offensive, it wasn't particularly good.
Feb 22, 2008
Photo of Gavage
Reviewed by Gavage from Nevada

3.48/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Appearance: clear orange in color with some yellow highlights on the pint glass edge. One finger head falls apart relatively quickly.

Smell: caramel and fruit sweetness are tough to pull out of the glass.

Taste: caramel is the main flavor component. Some red apple and green grape sweetness are definitely secondary here, and the bitterness level is very mild.

Mouthfeel: lighter side of a medium bodied ale. Crisp throughout. Very brief caramel filled aftertaste.

Drinkability: a decent amber ale. A simple session ale that is easy to drink.
Feb 20, 2008
Photo of Bookseeb
Reviewed by Bookseeb from Washington

3.65/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Appearance is reddish amber with a thin head that dissapates quickly. Smell has a caramel/honey sweetness with dark fruits. Taste of sweet malt, fruity with a slight metallic to it. Mouthfeel is medium - light that is smooth with good body. It has a good amount of carbonation making it a crisp drinker, nothing spectacular, but for the price, not bad.
Sep 08, 2007
Photo of woemad
Reviewed by woemad from Washington

2.49/5  rDev -29.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
12oz bottle from a 6-pk purchased at Grocery Outlet for $3.99. No freshness date. Like the other SLO beer I've had, this was brewed in Wilkes-Barre, PA.

Poured dark copper color with a thick, sudsy white head that dropped quickly. Streaky lace.

Massive butterscotch aroma that totally dominates the nose. Not promising.

The butterscotchiness noted in the aroma is a little more toned down in the taste, but only just. A small amount of biscuity maltiness is able to get through, but this tastes like a beer with problems. Perhaps it wasn't so bad at one time, but I strongly suspect that time was a while ago.

Mouthfeel was average, but there's no reason to even give a crap about it, as this beer's other problems make it irrelevant.

This is drinkable, but barely so. I had luck with the extra pale ale purchased at the same place, but this is no good. Perhaps it can be stomached from the bottle, but put this beer in a glass and you'll be flirting with a drainpour.
Jul 29, 2007
Photo of oberon
Reviewed by oberon from North Carolina

3.57/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Poured into a pint glass a orangy brown...well I dont know color it is really but its not amber a thin quick to fade slight off white head atop.Caramel malt dominates the nose with some fruity notes as well I dont pick up much in the hop department really.Starts out with a little caramel sweetness with a touch of butteriness hops come thru in more of a herbalness with just a hint of citrus in the back end.Hmm its pretty good but seems a little rough around the edges the flavors dont seem to meld together real well though.
Nov 05, 2006
Photo of scottoale
Reviewed by scottoale from California

3.23/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Haven't seen this for some time, pour out of the 650ml bomber a darkish copper liquid with a frothy, almond colored head. Head sticks around leaving a healthy tell-tale lacing behind. Nice color and ample carbonation that keeps the head alive...looks like an American amber/red ale to me.

Smell is of semi-sweet roasted and caramel malts with a tart orange, citrus tone to a light hop finish. On the taste, exactly same as the smell with a medium, somewhat chewy, smooth and creamy finish. Pretty well balanced, seems a bit light on the hops, alcohol is not really detectable. After notes of lightly sweet orange peel remain until the next quaff.

Easy to drink, fairly mellow brew...nuthin spectacular for sure.
Feb 28, 2006
Photo of Muddybuddy
Reviewed by Muddybuddy from Oregon

2.6/5  rDev -26.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
Appearance: Honey colored with off-white head. Apparent good carbonation. Free-flowing slightly thicker than water contains "islands" if left to sit for 5 minutes.

Aroma: Sweet biscuit with clean hops aroma. Faint traces of diacetyl and acetaldehyde.

Flavor: Clean fermented with little sweetness, definite biscuit flavor, hops are of a low alpha variety with little bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Body is weak and overcarbonated (in my opinion) as it actually burns my lips and numbs my tongue. There is no alcoholic warmth.

Overall this is a decent beer but perhaps there are better ambers out there for my buck. It is important to note that my sample may have been mishandled as I bought it at a discount store and it may have been past its prime.
Dec 07, 2005
Photo of Billolick
Reviewed by Billolick from New York

3.85/5  rDev +9.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12 ouncer sampled, no freshness dating to be found. Pours a solid shade of orangy amber, slight cloudiness. Minimal white head, leaves scattered lacing. Nose is malty, caramel. This is a better then average amber, not the worlds most exciting style, but this one has some flavor notes and a solid mouthfeel and respectable body to rise above the same ole same ole. Malt/hops = balance and drinkability. Would go well with a burger, worth a try, IMHO
Mar 20, 2005
Photo of Southernbrew
Reviewed by Southernbrew from Georgia

3.6/5  rDev +2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
Pours a classic brownish-amber with a respectable head. Leaves some nice lacing down the glass.

Potent aroma, plenty of malt along with some fruits, caramel and a bit of hops.

Medium body, rich carbonation. Plenty of malt but not too sweet. Caramel flavors jump out immediately and are backed up by what I would guess are Cascade hops. A light earthiness develops toward the end and leaves a light woody aftertaste.

Not a bad amber at all. I have certainly had better, but I could drink a few of these pretty easily.
Feb 11, 2005
Photo of Reidrover
Reviewed by Reidrover from Oregon

3.95/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Ok purchased a single 12 oz long neck.
Not a bad looking Amber at all, clear amber coloured with a large creamy/frothy white head, nice carbonation,lashings of lace.
quite a pleasant malty and buttery aroma..very pleasant.

Very nice tasting amber..its smooth and almost like butterscotch to begin, then a a roughrer coffeeish malt taste ending up with a pleasant slow burning hoppiness.
Very nice and almost creamy on the palate.
Very drinkable ale..I will purchase a 12 pack right away.( it was on sale for $3.99 a six).
Jan 04, 2005
Photo of Zorro
Reviewed by Zorro from California

4/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Pours a dark brown almost ruby color.

Smell is a malty and hoppy brew with some fruitiness to it.

Taste is a big malty and hoppy beer with fruitiness and grain flavor. A big taste without going bitter.

Mouthfeel is heavier than you would expect.

Super drinkable, this is a local beer and one of my favorites.

It is even better on tap at their store/restaurant in Downtown San Luis Obispo! If you ever make it to SLO check it out!

It's here: 1119 Garden Street, San Luis Obispo, California.
Feb 14, 2004
Photo of Rumrunner
Reviewed by Rumrunner from California

3.86/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
12oz. bottle.

Pours a deep amber. Almost red. Splendid colored ale. Not much head and very little lacing. Plenty of carbonation, visibly and on the nose. The scents are average. Nothing stands out. A malty caramel. Some minor hop scents and a slight burnt wood chip smell.

The flavors are better than the scent. This is a mellow ale. Malts are very present with molassas but in some way this ale is not too sweet. It has very minor scotch ale qualities. A toasty quality seems to even this ale out.

There is a crispness in the back of the throat. It drinks very easy and is a very nice ale to have when one is in a quiet mood or reading a book.
Aug 19, 2003
Amber Ale from SLO Brew
Beer rating: 82 out of 100 with 27 ratings