Duckabush Amber
North by Northwest Restaurant & Brewery

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From:
North by Northwest Restaurant & Brewery
 
Texas, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
ABV:
Not listed
Score:
80
Avg:
3.38 | pDev: 8.88%
Reviews:
10
Ratings:
29
Status:
Retired
Rated:
Apr 13, 2020
Added:
Jun 04, 2003
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  1
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by t0rin0:
Photo of t0rin0
Rated by t0rin0 from California

3.5/5  rDev +3.6%

Dec 01, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.5 by RiceOwls27 from Texas

Apr 13, 2020
 
Rated: 4 by Karibourgeois from Texas

Feb 17, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by greenspointexas from Texas

Oct 16, 2016
 
Rated: 3.54 by Treycotton from Oklahoma

Oct 01, 2016
 
Rated: 3.43 by Junichi from Texas

Jul 03, 2016
 
Rated: 3.25 by NeverSettle from Texas

Apr 25, 2015
 
Rated: 3 by zbooks from Texas

Apr 25, 2015
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Reviewed by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

2.75/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 2.75 | smell: 2.75 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.75
"Duckabush Amber."

22 fl oz brown glass bottle with a generic label design and an unbranded grey pry-off cap purchased at NXNW and served cold into a pilsner glass at low altitude in Austin, TX. Reviewed live.

Bottled 02/4/15. Batch 1645, 46. Bottle #14.

Expectations are average on account of the brewery.

APPEARANCE: No bubble show as it's poured.

Head fills ~40% of the glass; it's 3-4 inches wide and white in colour with nice creaminess and frothiness. Full and thick. Leaves no lacing as the head recedes.

Body colour is a clear copper, NOT an amber. Clean, with no visible yeast sediment.

Overall, it's a subpar appearance for an amber. Mainly because it isn't even amber.

AROMA: The pale caravienne malts weren't a great choice here, and it lacks an amber malt aroma. Not toasty at all. Cream, grains, some graham cracker, floral hop notes...it's generally appealing, just poor for the style.

Aromatic intensity is below average. A fairly reticent aroma overall.

TASTE & TEXTURE: It's a pleasant overall flavour profile comprised of caramunich malts, caravienne malts, pale malts, floral hop notes, cream, and faint graham cracker, but it's quite poorly executed in terms of an amber ale; there's no amber malts in the backbone and it doesn't come off toasty at all, nor does it have the hop profile that would suit an amber.

Simple but balanced, with a shallow reticent flavour profile and only loose cohesion. Not a gestalt beer. Lacks complexity, subtlety, and artful layering of flavours. One might call it plain.

Texture is smooth and wet, with slight overcarbonation lending it a fairly crisp presence on the palate. Medium-bodied, with mild heft and weight on the palate as well as moderate thickness. This texture suits the taste fine, but there's no harmony between the two. Middling execution at best.

Not oily, gushed, hot, boozy, astringent, harsh, or scratchy. It's slightly rough and dry on the palate in the late second act, which lends it a bit of a dragging feel.

OVERALL: A failure of an amber, but outside style conventions it's a drinkable albeit unremarkable beer. I'm not sure what they were after with this, but I wouldn't buy it again or recommend it to friends. Mediocre fare from NXNW.

High C- (2.75)
Apr 08, 2015
 
Rated: 3.5 by erushing from Texas

Dec 08, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by DerekSmigelski from Texas

Sep 25, 2014
 
Rated: 2.5 by Dogleg from Pennsylvania

Aug 27, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Big_Dave from Texas

Aug 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by wisegreensoul from Idaho

Jun 28, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by gfg0020 from Texas

May 26, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by cgrunin from Texas

Mar 25, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by Texasfan549 from Texas

Feb 24, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by LXIXME from New Mexico

Dec 04, 2013
 
Rated: 3.25 by JohnBender from Texas

Sep 29, 2013
 
Rated: 3 by dumptruck81 from Texas

Jan 20, 2012
Duckabush Amber from North by Northwest Restaurant & Brewery
Beer rating: 80 out of 100 with 29 ratings