North Star Amber Ale
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery

Beer Geek Stats
From:
Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
 
United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
ABV:
5%
Score:
Needs more ratings
Avg:
3.21 | pDev: 14.33%
Reviews:
8
Ratings:
8
Status:
Active
Rated:
Nov 20, 2008
Added:
Jan 20, 2004
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  0
No description / notes.
View: More Beers
Recent ratings and reviews.
Ratings by JackTheRipper:
Photo of JackTheRipper
Reviewed by JackTheRipper from Pennsylvania

2.69/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2
A: Clear amber in color, smallish head which lasted quite a long time.

S: Anemic malt smells, overshadowed by a dirty dish smell from the glass itself. I had a few samples and all their glasses smell like a wet dog, WTF is that all about?

T: Caramel malt sweetness, bit of a hop flavor underneath it to balance. Finish is a bit on the dry side.

M: Crisp and clean, moderate levels of carbonation and warmth. Medium body.

D&N: I think this one might have been better with a few more aromatic hops, the smells just weren't there (at least, I hope "wet dog" isn't some new hop varietal I haven't heard about). Not a bad beer, just bland compared to something like a HopBack. I'll pass on this.
Jun 10, 2005
More User Ratings:
Photo of zach8270
Reviewed by zach8270 from New York

2.98/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
(draft @ Rock Bottom Pittsburgh - Homestead, PA) Very nice copper color with a smooth flavor of coffee mixed with caramel. Aroma is a smooth blend of hops and malt with a little touch of caramel. Not overly sweet and not overly hoppy. Finishes smooth.
Nov 20, 2008
Photo of ski271
Reviewed by ski271 from Pennsylvania

3.29/5  rDev +2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Appearance: Dark amber with a small, slightly off-white, slowly diminishing, thin-feeling head. Good lacing.

Smell: Moderate to heavily malty with scents of molasses and caramel up front. Hops are a bit lighter, adding a citrus spiciness to the aroma. But it’s the very good malts that take center stage here and are most noteworthy.

Taste: A little more grainy that I expected, but still quite good. Caramel, citrus rind, and hints of charcoal (that wasn’t expected!). Different.

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body, watery texture, soft carbonation.

Drinkability: This was a pleasant beer… but it was also a little bit lacking. Too thin and weak in flavor. But highly sessionable. Not one of my favorites, but I appreciate how it is different from your average cookie-cutter amber.
Jul 04, 2005
Photo of GeoffFromSJ
Reviewed by GeoffFromSJ from New Jersey

4.17/5  rDev +29.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
I must have gotten a really good batch of this. My friends got a good head on this one, while I got little to none. It had a nice malt profile which was backed by an excellent Cascade hops flavor on the back end. It had an excellent taste. Given my previous Rock Bottom experiences (which I thought their beer was ok but not great) I was pleasantly surprised by this one. To be honest, the hops really made this a very good beer.
May 21, 2004
Photo of oberon
Reviewed by oberon from North Carolina

3.3/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Pours a deep amber with a decent sticky head,aroma is sweet and caramelly with a slight burnt note but you have to try hard to get that.Taste has some nice qualities,roasted malt,caramel sweetness,and some light fruitiness but it is realy subdued on cask it comes out a little more but on tap it seems to fall flat.Not a repulsing beer but I think it could be better.
Apr 01, 2004
Photo of WesWes
Reviewed by WesWes from New York

3.38/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The beer pours an amber color with a thin white lace head. The aroma is average. It has a light crystal malt scent with some light hops. The taste is decent. It is light and slightly malty with a grainy flavor that's not too bad. The mouthfeel is decent. It is a medium bodied beer with good carbonation . This is a pretty lame brew. It's slightly above average, but it drinks well. There is little character here.
Apr 01, 2004
Photo of beergeek279
Reviewed by beergeek279 from Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
Served as a sample at Rock Bottom in Homestead. The color was copper/amber, with a wispy white head. The smell was a slight caramel malt. The taste was a slight caramel malt, with some decent hops balancing. Mouthfeel was average. As for drinkability, could have a few.

One of the better regular offerings at Rock Bottom. Though not a great amber ale, it's servicable, and something I'd have again here.
Feb 15, 2004
Photo of stirgy
Reviewed by stirgy from Pennsylvania

2.56/5  rDev -20.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Served as part of a sampler tray at their brewpub. This beer looks like a fine whiskey. Small thin head, slightly amber-gold in color. The aroma lets off a slight hint of sweet grains and caramel with some orange fruit coming through. Light in body and flavor, easy to drink, a tad watery and sour. Overall, an average amber beer.
Jan 20, 2004
North Star Amber Ale from Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery
Beer rating: 3.21 out of 5 with 8 ratings