Michigan Honey Amber
Latitude 42 Brewing Company

I got a couple four packs of tall boy cans of this beer from the brewery whilst in Kalamazoo visiting family. It poured a very sightly hazy amber with thin white ring head that is not leaving any lace. The scent had malt and subtle honey notes. The taste was nicely balanced and easy to drink with semi sweet malt base with mild honey presence. The mouthfeel is lighter in body with good carbonation. Overall it is a great beer.

 

 

A decent ale that a malt-head should appreciate. Came in 16 ounce can, although it currently is on tap at least one shop.
But, Looks are below average (a light amber and only a thin film of foam.)
But, it gets better. Smell is average for a malty brew. Tastes are better since the hops come into play to balance the sweet malt and the fresh honey. It sits fine enough in the mouth, cleansing carbonation and no after-taste.

My first from Latitude 42; so I went on their site and discovered nothing exceptional. But, give them points all the same for spreading the joy.

Can, no visible date. 16 oz Michigan Pilsner glass.

A: pours an initially clear copper orange, then with a little swirl of the can turns hazy in the glass. Kind of light for an amber ale; looks more like a hazy pale. Two fingers of thick, foamy off-white head. Carbonation is small bubbles, but active. Fair lacing.

S: smell is great; malty, sweet, with a light touch of both juicy orange marmalade and floral hops. A little yeast sourness almost like a wheat beer; I shouldn’t have poured the yeast in, I fear. But that is slight; all told a very sweet and malty orange affair.

T: initial arrival is not as sweet as the nose lets on. Malty arrival with a weird yeasty, fruity taste. It tastes a little like grape kool aid. Like, hey - this tastes like a very mild wild sour! I’ll bet there was wild yeast in that honey! There is definitely something off here, but I don’t dislike it.

M: definitely on the lighter side for an amber ale, but pretty clean as ambers go. Relatively low carbonation.

O: this is a weird beer. Not as dark, or as sweet as I expect amber ales to be, with a weird funky sourness. It’s not bad, but certainly not the best amber I’ve had. Could be it was an old can; can’t tell without a date. I’d be fine having passed this one up.

 

 

Pours a hazy reddish-orange color with a foamy off-white head that lasts quite a while. Sweet aroma of orange. Tastes of malt, light lemon and citrus. Sweet comes from a hint of honey. Finishes slightly bitter.

Pours light cloudy, golden orange. Thick, tall, off white head that fades quickly to a ring.

Smells floral, grassy, citrus, bready malt, light toast and hints of Honey.

Tastes bready malt, light lemon, grassy, citrus peel. Some hints of Honey. More bitter than expected. Dry finish with light lingering bitter. Medium body and higher carbonation.

16 ounce can into pint glass, canned on 1/27/2017. Pours slightly hazy golden amber/light orange color with a 1-2 finger fairly dense and fluffy off white head with good retention, that reduces to a small cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings down the glass, with a moderate amount of streaming carbonation retaining the cap. Aromas of lemon, orange, floral honey, toasted bread, caramel, light nuttiness, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of honey, dark/bready malt, and light-moderate citrus/earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of lemon, orange, floral honey, toasted bread, caramel, light nuttiness, herbal, and floral/grassy earthiness. Light-moderate herbal/grassy/spicy bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of lemon, orange, floral honey, toasted bread, caramel, light nuttiness, and herbal/floral/grassy earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Very nice complexity, robustness, and balance of honey, dark/bready malt, and light-moderate citrus/earthy hop flavors; with a great malt/bitterness balance, and zero cloying flavors after the finish. Light dryness from lingering bitterness, increasing through the glass. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth and moderately bready/grainy/sticky balanced mouthfeel that is nice. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.5%. Overall this is a very nice amber ale. All around nice complexity. robustness, and balance of honey, dark/bready malt, and light-moderate citrus/earthy hop flavors; very smooth and pretty refreshing to drink. Pretty much textbook style example, with added honey. Very clean, balanced, well made, and enjoyable for the style.