South Ridge Amber Ale
Crystal Springs Brewing Company

Strong but really good beer

 

 

not a style that moves me very often, but this is a tasty beer (and beautifully packaged as well). radiant clear color to it, a shade darker than most of its peers, and holding a full inch of puffy white head that doesnt settle at all. the nose is nice and nutty, still sweet, but not over the top like so many are for me. it goes way beyond the crystal malt caramels you always see, to a much richer and heartier place, toasted nuts and baked bread are there, and a mineral quality i really like. not sure what they do to make that happen, maybe some rye malt or something in this, but it doesnt matter, it tastes real good. nice feel too, it doesnt finish as sweet as it starts thankfully, and while carbonation may be just a bit on the light side, it doesnt hurt it for me. i like that richer feel it takes on as a result. longer finish with the nutty element really coming out. nicely done, i think less interesting and certainly less memorable than their 13 ipa, but there is no doubt this is a well made beer. some really nice folks too!

This was a decent amber ale, nothing particularly noteworthy but still very drinkable. Got it as part of a flight with several other styles of beers, so it was a nice mix of contrasts. This is a bit high-alcohol for an amber, and I'm glad I just got a smaller glass of it. I'd try other beers from them.

 

 

 

Ha! My local, in-person trader, tone77, is apologizing to me for having added this beer, but we need to coordinate our efforts. I don't mind if he adds a beer before me as it then gives me the opportunity to ensure that a picture is approved before cracking mine open. The CANQuest (TM) is a multifaceted, nuanced venture with its own set of rules and operating standards. Join today!

No verbiage on the shrink-wrapped CAN, but the picture does not capture the green pine trees on the brown background which are meant to evoke the south ridge slopes, I assume.

This was a masterpiece of a Crack & inverted Glug on my part, if I may say so immodestly! I created a finger of dense, tawny head with great retention, Color was a coppery-amber (SRM = > 17, < 22) with NE-quality clarity. Nose was appropriately redolent with pine hops underlain with caramel malt. I remember John Frantz of LNCBC telling me in the early part of the century that as a style, American Amber was dead, since that was the style originally brewed by most early craft brewers and done to death in his estimation. He was wrong - it was dormant, awaiting reincarnation in a slightly hoppier form. Mouthfeel was medium, but hovering just above thinness. Taste, however, was very minty initially, then cut with a caramel sweetness. I liked the way the two tastes seemed to seamlessly intermingle on my tongue. Great, sticky lacing began to form with every draught out of the glass. The finish was semi-dry with the mintiness of the hops counterbalanced by the malt. Early iterations of the style were more malt-forward and therefore not to my liking as a hophead. This beer was more to my preference.

A thanks to the creator of the canquest, woodychandler, for this beer. I surprised he didn't add it, and if I would have checked first I would not have drank it yet. Poured from a 16 oz. can. Has an amberish/golden color with a 1/2 inch head. Smell is pretty malty, some notes of caramel. Taste is well balanced malts and hops, a bit of caramel is present, smooth and easy drinking. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall is a solid beer.