Amber Ale
Amicas

 

i think they are calling this one rex's amber now, on tap at monarch mountain, its a pretty nice and incredibly drinkable example of the style, albeit quite basic as they go. nice clarity for a small brewery like this, usually the little guys have some trouble with this, but not here. the head is short and carbonation ends up lacking too, my only real issue with this otherwise highly pleasing brew. nice nutty amber malt base, far less sweet than a lot of its peers, with a fresh baked biscuity element as well. very little hops in nose or taste, barely even balancing with bittering hops, but i dont miss them. the beer is really light and appreciably simple, it doesnt need another layer, not this time. the grain is fresh and surprisingly clean for the style, and the finish is snappy. very refreshing after a long day on the slopes even without the carbonation i was looking for because the body is so light and they serve it up ice cold. i was more fond of their headwaters ipa, but this is a nice introduction to what these guys can do.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Presentation: This is the first time I've seen any six packs from Amicas. They also appear to have redone some of their branding, with a standardized logo now. Label is simple with a reddish brown color to it, no date but the ABV is clearly marked.

Appearance: Typical amber - clear reddish brown, average head fades at a medium rate, just a slight lacing.

Smell: Grassy hops, a malt aroma that leans towards biscuits.

Taste: Highly drinkable - a nice medium level of hops, just enough malt flavors to keep it balanced.

Overall impression: This is a fairly simple beer, but its highly drinkable and certainly went well sitting around the campfire after a visit to the brewery.

Took a growler back to the camp site

Poured caramel with 2 gingers of sand colored head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Caramel with piney & citirc hops

T: Caramel & moderate piney hops up front. A little nuttyness sneaks in as this warms. Finshes with malt sweetness & great citric & piney hops, plus some dryness

MF: Medium bodied & moderate carbonation. Great balance

Drank very easy for the ABV. Wanted the chille beer, but they just ran out, this was a pretty good plan B

I've had this twice now--once just under a year ago and then again three days ago--and I've been duly unimpressed both times. What looks to be a decently built amber lacks both a bouquet and a flavor. The malt presence on the mouth is slight, and, taken with the lack of a bitter backing, makes for a watery and light bodied mouthfeel. In the future, I think I'll only stick to re-tasting this if someone else has taken the task of ordering a pint.

What I can say about this beer is that it probably is a good match for some of Amicas lighter, delicious pizzas. Nonetheless, I'll stick to Amicas other, better brews.

The beer pours an amber color with a creamy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a light pale and crystal malt scent along a slight hop aroma. The taste is good. It has a smooth pale and crystal malt flavor with a dry, bitter hop finish. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a medium bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a good amber ale. I wish it had a little more malt aroma, but it still drinks well.