Montpelier's Best Ambition Ale
Devils Backbone Brewing Company
- From:
- Devils Backbone Brewing Company
- Virginia, United States
- Style:
- American Amber / Red Ale
- ABV:
- 5.4%
- Score:
- 83
- Avg:
- 3.56 | pDev: 10.96%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 5
- Status:
- Inactive
- Rated:
- Oct 25, 2015
- Added:
- May 25, 2015
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 3
SCORE
83
Good
83
Good
Ambition Ale is a full flavored medium bodied red ale that upholds the philosophy of “checks and balances.” Caramel and toasted malt notes are balanced by subtle citrus and spicy hop characters from cluster hops, America’s oldest variety.
IBU: 26
IBU: 26
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Treyliff from West Virginia
3.7/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.7/5 rDev +3.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle poured into a pint glass
A- pour a clear deep amber color with a one finger thick and creamy white head that retains long after the pour, leaving some lacing behind as it finally settles
S- nutty and yeasty up front with some caramel malt, dried fruit & a hint of breadiness
T- woodsy & nutty malt up front leads to a light carmamel malt sweetness, providing hints of dark fruit. The finish brings faint earthy hops and finishes quite clean
M- medium bodied with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that turns creamy into a dry finish
O- a highly drinkable, straight up amber ale that goes down very easy
Sep 25, 2015A- pour a clear deep amber color with a one finger thick and creamy white head that retains long after the pour, leaving some lacing behind as it finally settles
S- nutty and yeasty up front with some caramel malt, dried fruit & a hint of breadiness
T- woodsy & nutty malt up front leads to a light carmamel malt sweetness, providing hints of dark fruit. The finish brings faint earthy hops and finishes quite clean
M- medium bodied with moderate carbonation leads to a foamy mouthfeel that turns creamy into a dry finish
O- a highly drinkable, straight up amber ale that goes down very easy
Reviewed by KYGunner from Kentucky
3.15/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
3.15/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
For a red ale this pours with a pale ale like color and no head at all. Very light grainy nose. Light nutty pecan, barley and kilned grain on the palate it feels thin and tinny.
Aug 14, 2015
Reviewed by MUTINY from Virginia
3.78/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.78/5 rDev +6.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12oz bottle into my Dogfish glass.
A: Pours a clear medium copper with 1/2" white head that sits down immediately. Retention is quite good. Lacing is basically nonexistent.
S: Not terribly aromatic. I get notes of cedar & underripe cherry. Hints of hops. Just a skootch of bready maltiness.
T: Pretty solid. Mild hoppiness is balanced against an interesting woody malt character. Comes on mildly bitter leading into a mid palate of juicy apple notes (how fitting). Finishes with a semi-dry hop punctuation. It almost cleans your palate for you, which I think is pretty cool.
M: The carb here is perfect. Body is dry, almost grainy-dry. It has what I'd call a refreshing crispness that's arguably uncommon for the style.
O: I liked this better than I thought I might. It's an exercise in subtlety & everything kind of works. One of the more impressive VA reds to have passed my lips.
Jul 20, 2015A: Pours a clear medium copper with 1/2" white head that sits down immediately. Retention is quite good. Lacing is basically nonexistent.
S: Not terribly aromatic. I get notes of cedar & underripe cherry. Hints of hops. Just a skootch of bready maltiness.
T: Pretty solid. Mild hoppiness is balanced against an interesting woody malt character. Comes on mildly bitter leading into a mid palate of juicy apple notes (how fitting). Finishes with a semi-dry hop punctuation. It almost cleans your palate for you, which I think is pretty cool.
M: The carb here is perfect. Body is dry, almost grainy-dry. It has what I'd call a refreshing crispness that's arguably uncommon for the style.
O: I liked this better than I thought I might. It's an exercise in subtlety & everything kind of works. One of the more impressive VA reds to have passed my lips.
Rated by beerrat from Virginia
4.5/5 rDev +26.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.5/5 rDev +26.4%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
OK not the best red ale by far.
Jul 17, 2015
Reviewed by Beejay from Virginia
3.45/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.45/5 rDev -3.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
A: Medium amber brown in color, with a very small amount of white head.
S: Sweet with caramel and a touch of a roasted aroma.
T: Slightly roasty with some nice caramel notes, and a bit nutty.
M: Medium in body, with fairly high carbonation.
O: Well, it's beer.
Jul 11, 2015S: Sweet with caramel and a touch of a roasted aroma.
T: Slightly roasty with some nice caramel notes, and a bit nutty.
M: Medium in body, with fairly high carbonation.
O: Well, it's beer.
Rated by PGVG from Virginia
2.5/5 rDev -29.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
2.5/5 rDev -29.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5
Beeradvocate requires a review so I typed this
Jul 07, 2015
Rated by bubseymour from Maryland
4.03/5 rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4.03/5 rDev +13.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Bready and sweet with a little hop crispness in finish. Somewhat pedestrian but easily drinkable.
Jul 05, 2015
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