Namber Ale
Nano Brew Cleveland

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This ale was served on tap at Nano Brew in Cleveland, Ohio. It was enjoyed from a house nonic, and shown a clear amber honey coloring. A half finger head of white foam presented, and this retained decently before leaving tight craters of lacing around the glass. No haze or sediment was noted, and carbonation appeared to be slow. The aroma came in the form of honey sugars, plain pale and caramel malts, toasty amber grain, white sugar, peppery alcohol, piney and grassy hops, lemony zest, juicy tangerine flesh and seed, Sweetarts candies, apple cider vinegar, soft bubblegum esters, tinny yeastiness, vitamin c, and ruddy mineral muddiness. The flavoring showed pine sappiness, bitter grassy hoppiness, citric fruit juiciness, freshly snapped green twigs, sweet browned apple mash, pale and amber malt dustiness, brown sugar, lemon zest, basement mustiness, celery salt, bitter celery root, vegetal greenness, honey comb, aluminum, and powdered cement. The body was medium, and the carbonation was light to medium. Each sip afforded lesser cream or froth, but nicely satisfying slurp and smack hot off the top. The mouth was left more coated and syrupy than cooled and dried, despite the standardly lighter mouthfeel. The abv was appropriate, and the beer drank back with enough ease.

Overall, we are always excited to try a new brewery. We’ve been to Cleveland a good number of times, but decided to try something other than Great Lakes. This visit was particularly exciting because it is possible that the residency match may bring us to this city, so we felt the need to explore just a little bit more thoroughly. Although this wasn’t a knockout offering, we definitely liked drinking at this establishment (place review to follow at some point). They did, however, do a nice job of putting the hops forward here. Amber ales can really go either way along the malt-to-hop line, but we’ve always felt that freshly hopped offerings tend to seem more approachable. This was the case here, and the malts were definitely pushed far to the back, making for, as we said, a pleasant house offering. It could have stood to be shored and cleaned up around the edges, but we were not terribly disappointed by any means.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pours a deep amber color with a white soapy head and expressive lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, toast and floral hop. In the taste, caramel malt and an earthy, slightly piney hop. Caramel toast and a drying hop bite. Medium bodied and good level of carbonation. Overall, this is a very solid amber ale, with good flavor and balance.

tap

Pours a deep amber with a sugar white head, dissipates pretty slowly.

Smells of floral and piney hops with a notable biscuity maltiness.

Biscuit malt flavors, some caramel sweetness and mildly hoppy with a dry finish.

Medium body with a light carbonation on the roof of the mouth.

Pretty good enjoyable amber, great aroma and good taste, easy to drink, and pretty to look at. Nothing absolutely spectacular but definitely worth a try if you are passing through.