Independence Harbor
Custom Tap Brews

Independence HarborIndependence Harbor
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From:
Custom Tap Brews
 
New York, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
Ranked #388
ABV:
5.5%
Score:
78
Ranked #26,993
Avg:
3.28 | pDev: 15.85%
Reviews:
19
Ratings:
39
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 21, 2024
Added:
Aug 14, 2018
Wants:
  2
Gots:
  9
No description / notes.
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Ratings by BlueTomorrow:
Photo of BlueTomorrow
Rated by BlueTomorrow from Michigan

2.03/5  rDev -38.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Nov 28, 2020
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.34 by shreead from Michigan

Mar 21, 2024
Photo of RonaldTheriot
Reviewed by RonaldTheriot from Louisiana

4.62/5  rDev +40.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5
Independence Harbor has a thin, white head and a clear, copper appearance. The aroma is of brown bread crust and molasses. The flavor is of that, plus sweet honey. Independence Harbor has low bitterness, a medium body and a semi-sweet finish.

RJT
Mar 17, 2024
Photo of jadpsu
Reviewed by jadpsu from Georgia

3.57/5  rDev +8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Purchased at Aldi's for $7.99 for a 6 pack.
LOOK: Pours a very clear Amber with a slightly off white loose head that surprisingly lingered for a while and maintained some sudsy side glass lace.
AROMA: Definitely pick up the honey. Sweet and malty with some caramel.
TASTE: Consistent with the nose. Honey amber ale.
FEEL: Very thin but crisp and clean.
Better than I expected, but no WOW's either.
Feb 15, 2024
 
Rated: 3.02 by etan420 from Illinois

Jan 20, 2024
Photo of Nathan89
Rated by Nathan89

4.06/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is my go to beer. Its an excellent low cost ale that I never get tired of. Give it a try.
Jan 19, 2024
 
Rated: 3.43 by Chipwells from Georgia

Jan 19, 2024
 
Rated: 3.29 by KT3418 from Colorado

Aug 11, 2023
Photo of gvickery
Reviewed by gvickery from Texas

1.91/5  rDev -41.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.75
Very light amber, minimal white head.
Smells estery, slightly sweet, a little off.
Tastes like it smells “off”. There’s a little caramel from the darker malts, some bitterness, I’d guess 30 ibu, a lot of yeast. Tastes like someone’s homebrew.
For God’s sake DO NOT LET IT WARM A LITTLE. This must be kept as cold as possible, the off flavors and rancidity comes shining through when it gets above 40 degrees. Wow, sure regret this one.
Not for me.
May 28, 2023
 
Rated: 3.05 by blissfulNemo from Michigan

Apr 10, 2023
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Reviewed by travis1108 from Missouri

2.96/5  rDev -9.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Good for a cheap beer?? Infinitely better than Budweiser or anything like that, but then again what isn't?
Paid $8 for a six pack and I would pay $10 for this before I'd pay $2 for the commercial brews. I can't even give any specifics. It's just "not bad"
If craft beer was cheap beer.
Mar 01, 2023
Photo of Brutaltruth
Reviewed by Brutaltruth from Ohio

3.38/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
From the 12 oz bottle in a snifter. This decent little quencher pours a
light red tinged amber with a modest head of white foam that settles
to a thin ring and faint dusty film. Nose of toasted malts, light cereal grains,
caramel, and honey. Flavors expand on the nose with a fine presentation
of honey, caramel, light grassy hops, light toast, and faint tea hints. Mouthfeel
is medium light, medium light carbonation, smooth, and a crisp finish
honey touched finish.

Overall, a good one after mowing the lawn which is most likely coming
sooner than I would think!

Cheers
Feb 15, 2023
Photo of UN_RECONSTRUCTED
Rated by UN_RECONSTRUCTED from Maryland

3.35/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25
Purchase from Aldi in Charlestown West Virginia. Nothing fancy but very drinkable with a touch of honey. Poor man's Devils Backbone Vienna Lager! LOL
Jan 09, 2023
Photo of RowdyMike
Rated by RowdyMike from Massachusetts

4.55/5  rDev +38.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Best of the Red Ales that I have tasted
Jan 07, 2023
Photo of mfnmbvp
Reviewed by mfnmbvp from Illinois

3.28/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
12 oz. bottle, perhaps some coded bottling information on the side? Another new one to me from the beer section at Aldi; this one brewed by Rock Wall Brewing Company, out of Rochester, New York.. these are the same guys that produced what is marketed as Wild Range Brewing Company IPA, which I thought was a pretty fine beer, so let's see what we've got here. "Ale with honey added" "Forget the tea, drink the ale!"

Poured to a clear stemless wine snifter.
Pours a honeyed sienna orange body, decent clarity, no sediment visible, kind of still & thick looking, with hardly any head at all, merely a minor tan bubbles that turn to a skimming and dies out quick. Carbonation is moderate, bubbles show when given a swirl.
Creamy, fruity, & sweet smelling. Kind of musty, sticky, and artificial smelling as well. Not off-putting or anything, but definitely overly sweet in character.
Taste is the same: sticky, fruity, sweet. Notes of green apples, and authentic honeyed sweetness is apparent. Gives me a sort of "gluten-free / sorghum" malt type of vibe in a way. Brown bready malts & bread crust are there on the finish.
Feel is super smooth, creamy, easy-drinking, but it feels a bit thick & heavy for the low 5.50% abv. The smoothness of the body makes up for the slight heft on display.
Overall, no where near as good as the Wild Range Brewing IPA, but not a bad beer at all for the bargain price. I could see these happily pleasing the non-discerning craft beer drinker; despite this beer's low ratings here on BeerAdvocate.

Independence Harbor Amber Ale -----3.25/5
Dec 18, 2022
Photo of ohbigun
Reviewed by ohbigun from West Virginia

3.8/5  rDev +15.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4
Chilled bottle poured into a chilled mug. No date visible on bottle. Purchased a 6 pack from Aldi in October 2021.

L: Light amber color. Very little foam after pour. Rather transparent liquid. Moderate amount of bubbles present. 3.75

S: Not much here, good or bad. 3.0

T: A bit sweet, but I am unable to detect the honey the brewer claims is added. A tad bit of bitterness on the aftertaste, but it isn't unsavory. 4.0

F: Very drinkable, no overpowering flavors or harshness. Tastes rather light. Could drink several without issue. 4.5

O: Will buy again. 4.0
Oct 25, 2021
Photo of Jugs_McGhee
Rated by Jugs_McGhee from Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
BOTTLE:

C+ / ABOVE AVERAGE
Sep 22, 2021
 
Rated: 3.45 by Part-D from Florida

Jul 18, 2021
Photo of nicholas2121
Reviewed by nicholas2121 from Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Independence Harbor, Amber Ale brewed by Custom Tap Brews. This Red/Amber American Ale pours out of a 12 oz glass bottle into a pint beer glass. The color is a a nice deep golden amber color, slight copper color. Small white head on top, that sticks around but it is not thick. There is some lacing to this brew, it sticks to the side of the glass well. The smell is rich with mirror roasted grains an malts an a slight sweetness. There is a slight hop bitterness at the end as well. So far Independence Harbor is a nice inviting brew. Now for the taste, it is Bold with flavors. The mild roasted grains an malts come out at first them a nice easy going sweetness an milt hop bitterness ties it all together. The body of this brew is a light medium. There is nothing overpowering about this brew, it has a super nice balance to it. This brew would go nice on a hit summer day or with a lunch or light dinner. It goes down super nice and it is light an crisp. For the money is a good drinking brew. Was kinda hoping for for more from this brew. Just seems like something is missing, maybe it just me. The mouth feel is Bold, Rich, Clean, Smooth, Crisp, and Refreshing. Overall I'm am going to give Independence Harbor a solid 3.75 out of 5. I would definitely look this brew up again givin the opportunity too. Custom Tap Brews did a nice job with this style of brew.
Jul 08, 2021
Photo of chinchill
Reviewed by chinchill from South Carolina

3.21/5  rDev -2.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
12 oz bottle brewed by Rock Wall Brewing (NY) and sold by Aldi for$7 a6 pack.

Pours with a nice, clear amber colored body and a good head, but the head proved to be a bit weak.
Aroma. Hop forward aroma with dank, earthy Euro hops. A touch metallic.
Flavor. Much better, less bitter and more malty than the aroma suggests.
Feel. Smooth, medium body with medium carbonation.
Apr 20, 2021
Independence Harbor from Custom Tap Brews
Beer rating: 78 out of 100 with 39 ratings