Mother Tree
Spring House Brewing Company

The pour that emptied the entire contents of a pint can into a clear glass liter mug produced a generous biege head. The brew is caramel-brown amber in color, bright and save for the richness of the hue, relatively clear. It is richly malt forward in aroma; sweet and complex, like the taste of a caramel covered apple. Certainly, the hops contribute to the smell, but it is mostly malt. It tastes much like it smells, but the hops pleasantly make more of an impact there than on the aroma. That aspect makes this amazingly full-flavored for a lager, or maybe any beer. Much like a Marzen with a little less sweetness and a better hop bite, this almost straddles the ale/lager taste divide. Mouthfeel and glass lacing are such that the Lager category seems appropriate. Overall, this is as boldly flavorful as any Lager can be. Whether that's good, or not, depends on why one likes that style. Ale lovers should love it. For clarification, the label describes this as an Amber Lager, not an Ale.