Garlic Ale
Amber's Brewing Co.

Garlic ale pours a copper color, with a nice lacing head, and a clove of garlic at the bottom. There is a rather strong garlic aroma; much like pasta. There is a strong garlic taste, and finishes with a nice dry hoppyness. A bit hard to drink with the strong garlic flavors. Overall a very interesting beer. Worth a shot.

341ml bottle - one bloated garlic clove claiming the low tide. Amber's contribution to the local Italian restaurant scene, i.e. Sorrentinos's Spring Garlic Festival.

This beer pours a crystal clear medium golden amber hue, with one finger of tight foamy white head, which leaves a noticeable dearth of lace around the glass as it hastily settles.

It smells of oily, vegetal, freshly minced garlic, so in your face, that you swear that you just flattened that clove your very self- not beery, sure, but oh so very evocative of the guest ingredient, languishing in full form at the bottom of the bottle. There may be some beer aromas under there, but heh, hell if I can tell. The taste is the same veritable garlic essence, but this time on the down low, as it thankfully lets the underlying beer strut its stuff - a moderated crystal maltiness, a bit bready, with a surprisingly perceptible earthy hoppiness, if you are prone to see through the heady garlic veil.

The carbonation is present, but not really all that relevant, the body an agreeable low-ebb medium weight, and decidedly smooth. It finishes with a reminder of the effect that rendered this a surprisingly drinkable beer beyond the initial whiff of foody goodness.

This is definitely beer, god dammit, even though I really can't see it as anything beyond a normal accompaniment to a kick-ass spicy pasta or stellar local northern Indian curries. Good thing that's what's coming shortly as my takeout order, natch.