Arch Amber Ale
The Hartford Better Beer Co.
- From:
- The Hartford Better Beer Co.
- Connecticut, United States
- Style:
- American Amber / Red Ale
- ABV:
- 4.9%
- Score:
- 77
- Avg:
- 3.23 | pDev: 13.31%
- Ratings:
- | reviews: 19
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Jul 01, 2015
- Added:
- Jul 25, 2006
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 1
SCORE
77
Okay
77
Okay
Hard water. Appropriate for a pale ale style, this gives something for the hop oils to stick to, and the right water chemistry and pH levels for a proper British style bitter or pale ale. Our water chemistry provides mineral flavor and body to complement the complex malt and hop ingredients that are drawn from the best of English, German and Pacific Northwestern U.S. traditions and sources. The mineral factor enhances the processing steps in mashing, sparging, boiling, fermenting and conditioning. The malt bill includes English 2-row Pale Ale Barley Malt and Malted Whole Wheat. Hops include Chinook, Hallertau, Cascade, Willamette and Tettnang. Shipyard's lively Ringwood culture (a top-fermenting "ale" yeast) is used to ferment the beer, as was the case when we brewed in Hartford.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by ThreeDimesDown from Connecticut
2.92/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
2.92/5 rDev -9.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Pours a nice copper color with an off white head that dissipates quickly, leaving nothing behind and giving no lacing.
The smell is mainly caramel hops with honey sweetness and very minimal hops.
The taste is just as advertised by the aroma.
Very light mouthfeel, watery and thin with light carbonation.
Not an exciting brew, the lack of carbonation and head really doesn't help the average taste and aroma. Wouldn't go back to this brew.
Jun 01, 2010The smell is mainly caramel hops with honey sweetness and very minimal hops.
The taste is just as advertised by the aroma.
Very light mouthfeel, watery and thin with light carbonation.
Not an exciting brew, the lack of carbonation and head really doesn't help the average taste and aroma. Wouldn't go back to this brew.
Reviewed by KTCamm from New Jersey
3.4/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
3.4/5 rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
Poured from a bottle in a pint glass.
Pours copper amber with minimal foam. Little lacing.
Smell is biscuity malty, light and sweet.
Caramel taste, some sweetness. Honey notes. A tad watery.
Lightly carbonated.
Very straightforward beer. I wouldn't say it was bad, just unremarkable. But I could drink another.
Feb 13, 2010Pours copper amber with minimal foam. Little lacing.
Smell is biscuity malty, light and sweet.
Caramel taste, some sweetness. Honey notes. A tad watery.
Lightly carbonated.
Very straightforward beer. I wouldn't say it was bad, just unremarkable. But I could drink another.
Reviewed by Matthoc116 from Connecticut
2.08/5 rDev -35.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
2.08/5 rDev -35.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2
Like most of the reviewers, I was enticed by the Hartford Arch on the label expecting a local brewery. But I'll review this as a beer, not as a brewery.
Poured a very thin, nice amber color. No head or lacing present. Immediately smells of dicetyl, with a whiff of malt on the backend; not pleasant. Little hop aroma, and any that would be present is overpowered by a strong vegetable odor.
Tastes much like it smells. Think Bass Ale with strong cauliflower notes. Maybe I got a bad batch, but looking at the other reviews I'm not willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Sad that the city and the Arch had to be associated with this bottle.
Oct 06, 2009Poured a very thin, nice amber color. No head or lacing present. Immediately smells of dicetyl, with a whiff of malt on the backend; not pleasant. Little hop aroma, and any that would be present is overpowered by a strong vegetable odor.
Tastes much like it smells. Think Bass Ale with strong cauliflower notes. Maybe I got a bad batch, but looking at the other reviews I'm not willing to give the benefit of the doubt. Sad that the city and the Arch had to be associated with this bottle.
Reviewed by LilBeerDoctor from New York
2.86/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
2.86/5 rDev -11.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Reviewed on 05/20/2009. I had this on tap at Willimantic Brewing. Pours a clear brown/amber with a small white head. Aroma of sweet malt with lots of diacetyl. Flavor is more of the same with diacetyl and lots of sweetness. Definitely a flawed beer. Meh.
Jul 09, 2009
Reviewed by erosier from Connecticut
3.3/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.3/5 rDev +2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
L: Pours a light amber orange color with a medium sized and light bodied white colored head that fades pretty fast and has a little lacing down the glass.
S: Smells of sweet malts and some caramel aromas as well with a very slight hop finish.
T: Tastes of sweet malts, caramel, some honey, and a slight hop taste at the end.
M: Pretty crisp, clean, and refreshing with a good amount of carbonation.
D: Pretty drinkable. Not really an outstanding beer, but a well balanced one all around.
Sep 30, 2008S: Smells of sweet malts and some caramel aromas as well with a very slight hop finish.
T: Tastes of sweet malts, caramel, some honey, and a slight hop taste at the end.
M: Pretty crisp, clean, and refreshing with a good amount of carbonation.
D: Pretty drinkable. Not really an outstanding beer, but a well balanced one all around.
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