Firehouse Amber Ale
McNeill's Brewery

Firehouse Amber AleFirehouse Amber Ale
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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:
106
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:
Photo of 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
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, 2009
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by JLK7299 from North Carolina

Jun 23, 2017
 
Rated: 3.52 by JMScowcroft from Vermont

Aug 21, 2016
 
Rated: 2.92 by swierczt from Connecticut

Jul 08, 2016
Photo of papposilenus
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
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, 2016
Photo of CTHomer
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
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, 2016
 
Rated: 3.5 by sgregory from Connecticut

Dec 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by NotAlcoholicJustAHobby from Vermont

Dec 10, 2015
 
Rated: 3.75 by Geobus from Massachusetts

Aug 11, 2015
Photo of pat61
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
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, 2015
 
Rated: 3.65 by ItsBeer4Me from Pennsylvania

Mar 29, 2015
Photo of SparkieDog
Reviewed by SparkieDog from Massachusetts

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, 2015
Photo of founddrama
Reviewed by founddrama from Vermont

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, 2015
 
Rated: 3.47 by Reillybrews from Vermont

Jan 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.88 by AdamTebbs from Oklahoma

Dec 31, 2014
 
Rated: 4.25 by hopley from Massachusetts

Dec 29, 2014
 
Rated: 3.97 by Duffman79 from Connecticut

Dec 28, 2014
 
Rated: 4.16 by stevehagy from New York

Nov 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by Sellen from Connecticut

Sep 04, 2014
 
Rated: 3.75 by bobv from Vermont

Jul 10, 2014
Firehouse Amber Ale from McNeill's Brewery
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 106 ratings