Highland Amber Ale
Appalachian Brewing Company

On tap @ the Appalachian Brewing Company (Harrisburg, PA) on 12/23/10. Served in an oversized mug.

Pours a clear copper, with a ¼ finger of creamy bright-white colored head. This retains at about the same height, staying rich, and leaving back a foamy cascade of lacing which quickly slides down the sides of the mug. The aroma smells of honeyed sweetness, along with notes of caramel and bready character. Floral, citric, and earthy hops have a place here as well, helping add another dimension of flavor to this. The honey and biscuits really work together nicely here in tandem, giving the nose a sweet roasty softness that I'm digging.

That sweetness carries over to the taste as well, with honey, caramel, and toasted bread all being prominent. There is also a good bit of a Noble hop presence here as well, with earth and citrus (I'm especially picking up some lemon character) being present and trailing spice and pithy bitterness into what ends up being a pretty gritty back end to the profile. Sweetness lingers way back in the finish and leaves some light smoky notes hanging on the breath. The mouthfeel is medium bodied, with a sharper carbonation up front that then turns into more of a prickly creaminess as it hits the back of the throat. Quality feel here that is mostly easy and smooth despite the roughness of the hops in spots.

This beer was the winner of a recent homebrew contest that the brewery held and I must way, that this was probably one of the more flavorful and enjoyable brews that I've enjoyed here recently. Like I said, those Noble hops were a bit aggressive at times but the sweetness of the malts and honey were more than up to the task of keeping this balanced. Plus I liked the use of the smoked malts, as they were very subtle yet still rounded things out nicely. They should look into making this one a seasonal.