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Firehouse Amber Ale
McNeill's Brewery
- From:
- McNeill's Brewery
- Vermont, United States
- Style:
- American Amber / Red Ale
- ABV:
- 5.6%
- Score:
- 83
- Avg:
- 3.63 | pDev: 15.98%
- Reviews:
- 70
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jun 23, 2017
- Added:
- Feb 14, 1998
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 5
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by puboflyons:
Reviewed by puboflyons from New Hampshire
3.59/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.59/5 rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
FRom the 1 pt. 6 fl. oz. bottle and sampled on May 30, 2009. There is a spot on the label to show the expiration date but nothing was checked off.
A - It pours a very cloudy amber-red with very little head but some decent lacing.
S - The aroma is more floral and hoppy than anything else.
M/T Medium mouthfeel. The taste is a mix of sweet malts and a solid dose of hops. Not too bad overall.
May 31, 2009A - It pours a very cloudy amber-red with very little head but some decent lacing.
S - The aroma is more floral and hoppy than anything else.
M/T Medium mouthfeel. The taste is a mix of sweet malts and a solid dose of hops. Not too bad overall.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by papposilenus from New Hampshire
3.71/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.71/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
From a 12oz. can, best by 04/10/16, served in a... well, I don't actually know the name of this glass. It's like a tulip, but taller. Ah, never mind. Anyway, next time I'll drink it from the can because it's the kind of beer that wants to be drunk from a can. After you've had it, you'll feel pretentious for having poured it into a glass.
Pours a deep golden brown, the colour of apple cider, with vigorous carbonation and a big fluffy cap of suds. Retention is so-so but a few gobs of fat lacing remain on the glass.
Smells sharp and yeasty with big fruity esters - apples, oranges and bananas, allspice and clean earthiness.
Well-balanced with biscuity malt and assertive bitterness both right upfront and straight through to the finish. Nothing complicated going on here, just good, plain, clean-drinkin' beer.
Medium-light bodied, crisp and heavily carbonated.
I have no idea whether this is really an amber ale. I doubt it. Anyway, it's a good, old-school beer, perfect for fishing in the sun or hanging out with the old folks on the porch at night. Not a good beer for thinking brooding thoughts or obsessing over beer style classifications.
Feb 03, 2016Pours a deep golden brown, the colour of apple cider, with vigorous carbonation and a big fluffy cap of suds. Retention is so-so but a few gobs of fat lacing remain on the glass.
Smells sharp and yeasty with big fruity esters - apples, oranges and bananas, allspice and clean earthiness.
Well-balanced with biscuity malt and assertive bitterness both right upfront and straight through to the finish. Nothing complicated going on here, just good, plain, clean-drinkin' beer.
Medium-light bodied, crisp and heavily carbonated.
I have no idea whether this is really an amber ale. I doubt it. Anyway, it's a good, old-school beer, perfect for fishing in the sun or hanging out with the old folks on the porch at night. Not a good beer for thinking brooding thoughts or obsessing over beer style classifications.
Reviewed by CTHomer from Connecticut
3.56/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
3.56/5 rDev -1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
A: slight haze; burnt orange in color; 1 finger off white head that receded slowly to a wispy cap; very little lacing; steady stream of bubbles rising;
S: sweet malt; a little floral;
T: follows the nose from start to finish; very mild bitterness at the end;
M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; lightly dry finish;
O: easy drinking; no complexity;
Jan 19, 2016S: sweet malt; a little floral;
T: follows the nose from start to finish; very mild bitterness at the end;
M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; lightly dry finish;
O: easy drinking; no complexity;
Reviewed by pat61 from Minnesota
4.25/5 rDev +17.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.25/5 rDev +17.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
L: Pours hazy amber under a persistent 2.5” rocky cream colored foam collar that grips the sides of the glass.
S: Big bread aromas with traces of hops.
T: Big fresh bread to biscuit flavors backed by an assertive bitter hop emphasis.
F: Medium to medium full bodied and slightly below medium carbonation.
O: this is an amber ale for people who find amber ales boring.
Jun 09, 2015S: Big bread aromas with traces of hops.
T: Big fresh bread to biscuit flavors backed by an assertive bitter hop emphasis.
F: Medium to medium full bodied and slightly below medium carbonation.
O: this is an amber ale for people who find amber ales boring.
Reviewed by SparkieDog from Massachusetts
3.41/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.41/5 rDev -6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Identity crisis:
This beer is somewhere in between and an amber or a red. It looks like an amber when poured into a glass, but the "thinner" feel and low maltiness are more like a red ale. I got a 6 pack before reading the BA reviews. So, my initial expectations for straight out amber ale faded after the first sip. (Maybe I should have caught the hint with "Firehouse" in the name.) However, Firehouse is not quite a red ale either. It's not a bad brew. Just, if you grab some this expecting an amber (or a red), be prepared. I suspect the wide range of BA ratings on this beer reflect identity issues rather than quality. So, if curious about the children from a marriage between Amber and Red, this might be a fun adventure for you.
Mar 28, 2015This beer is somewhere in between and an amber or a red. It looks like an amber when poured into a glass, but the "thinner" feel and low maltiness are more like a red ale. I got a 6 pack before reading the BA reviews. So, my initial expectations for straight out amber ale faded after the first sip. (Maybe I should have caught the hint with "Firehouse" in the name.) However, Firehouse is not quite a red ale either. It's not a bad brew. Just, if you grab some this expecting an amber (or a red), be prepared. I suspect the wide range of BA ratings on this beer reflect identity issues rather than quality. So, if curious about the children from a marriage between Amber and Red, this might be a fun adventure for you.
Reviewed by founddrama from Vermont
3.08/5 rDev -15.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
3.08/5 rDev -15.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
This is going to sound weird but… this is like a very clarified homebrew. Aroma is really similar to the red I brewed. Speaking of that yeast, I'd guess something in the same family as Safale US-05. A bittersweet maltiness front to back. Hops are pretty mild. Stand-out flavor comes is coming from the yeast I think. And/but/so yeah, significantly more clear than the red I made; but right there in that color range &c.
ALSO: having had a few times... it's pretty inconsistent from serving to serving.
Mar 22, 2015ALSO: having had a few times... it's pretty inconsistent from serving to serving.
Firehouse Amber Ale from McNeill's Brewery
Beer rating:
83 out of
100 with
106 ratings
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