Center Stage Amber
Kickstand Brewing Company

 

16 ounce can into pint glass, canned on 8/18/2019. Pours slightly hazy deep orange/copper/amber color with a 1-2 finger dense and rocky cream colored head with fantastic retention, that reduces to a large cap that lasts. Thick foamy lascing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Fantastic appearance. Aromas of big caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of toffee, roast, raisin, plum, fig, pear, red apple, herbal, wood, grass, peppercorn, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. A bit too fruity/yeasty aromas, but not overwhelming. Nice aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/roast/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast notes; with big strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, and nuttiness; with lighter notes of toffee, roast, raisin, plum, fig, pear, red apple, herbal, wood, grass, peppercorn, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness. Light-moderate pine, herbal, woody, grassy, peppery, roasted bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, toffee, roast, raisin, plum, fig, pear, red apple, herbal, wood, grass, peppercorn, pine, and yeast/roast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a good bit. Awesome complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; with an awesome roast/hop bitter/sweet balance; and no cloying/astringent flavors after the finish. Fairly crisp finishing. Light-moderate increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, creamy/bready/grainy/sticky, and fairly chalky/resinous balanced mouthfeel that is great. Zero warming alcohol as expected of 5.2%. Overall this is an excellent American amber ale. All around great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/roast/bready malts and light-moderate earthy hop/fruity yeast flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with the moderately bitter/resinous/drying finish; not overly aggressive. Awesomely clean/rich dark/Munich/roasted malt showcase; with balancing earthy hops, and restrained fruity yeast. Mild residual sweetness with crisp resin dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and spot on style example.

 

Ambers are on of my go to's, and this one is pretty solid. I could knock back a handful during any season. Typically start with one of these when I am at KBC, then bounce around, and then usually finish off with one.