Bighead Amber
GoodLot Farmstead Brewing Co.

 

473 mL can from the LCBO; dated May 20 2025 and served slightly chilled.

Pours a lightly fogged orange-amber colour, graced with nearly two fingers of lumpy, foamy, off white-coloured head that lasts for the better part of ten minutes. A patchy cap of soapy suds is left behind, encircled by a thick, creamy collar and a full coat of lace - this is a beautiful glass of beer. Toasted grains, bready malts and caramelized sugars on the nose, as well as a strong contingent of earthy, woodsy hops; hints of orange, spice and berries can also be discerned.

It's a solid red ale, well balanced and highly quaffable. Grainy, wheaty malts, toasted bread and some light caramel sweetness underlie notes of grapefruit & orange that give way to pine resin and earthy, grassy, herbal hop bitterness on the back end. Pithy, resiny aftertaste that fades within a moment or two. Medium in body, with restrained carbonation that softly tickles the tongue, resulting in a smooth, satisfying mouthfeel. Good drinkability, but I don't think this is a brew that I could toss back one after another.

Final Grade: 3.83, a B+. GoodLot's Bighead Amber is no world beater, but I still think that BAs with an appreciation for hoppy red ales should consider this worth a try. The C-hops could stand to be amped up, I'd say, but that's just me - it's well-constructed as-is, it just seems to be lacking that extra 'oomph' needed to push it past 'pretty good' and into 'must try' territory.

Pours a nice cloudy copper-amber. If the Bighead on the label is meant to be taken literally, they did a good job. Three finger, foamy off-white head appears and sticks around, condensing slightly into a one finger, rocky foamy head. In my classic Smithwick’s pint glass, it’s gorgeous. Unbelievable, sinewy lace everywhere.

Caramel malt on the nose, piney and grassy. Impressions of a fresh field in the morning with dew. Very subtle aromas.

Taste is, at first, fairly mild and pale. It is very subtle, but there are quite a bit of flavours here. The most noticeable is a mild graininess, backed by a bitter piney hop note in the finish. That said, tasty lightly roasted malt is present throughout, more noticeable on some sips. Grassy, bitter, and mildly earthy on the palate rather than sweet.

Light-medium bodied beer with good carbonation, very crisp and slightly biting sip. Mildly bitter finish that recalls echoes of the caramel malt, but mostly those fresh earthy grassy hops.

An amber I wanted to be blown away by, and while it’s not bad whatsoever, it was very different than I expected. It is more hop forward than most ambers, but not terribly so. I’d still say this is an amber ale, but definitely feels like a fusion between an amber and an APA. It’s unique, fresh, crisp, and very easy drinking with a body that’s just a bit heavier than most ales, feels like a very good beer for when you’re ready to kick your heels up and refresh yourself with a nice crisp, filling beer that isn’t too heavy. Can’t remember the price point on this, but if you see it around for $3-3.50, it’s definitely worth a try. Or even a retry.

Rusty orange with just a touch of fogginess. Moderate head settles to a partial cap and a ring. Slightly grainy nose, a little bit sharp and metallic. Same to taste, but with a bit of finishing malt instead of grain. Thin bodied, somehow almost acrid to me. Too sharp, too much metal.

473ml can served cold into a pint glass. LCBO purchase for around $3.25 CDN.

Appearance - Mildly hazy, deep copper ale with two plus fingers of long lasting off white head. Huge amounts of lacing.

Smell - Leafy and piney with healthy dose of leafy hops. Hints of grain and even more subtly, caramel once you get past the hops upfront.

Taste - Leafy and weedy hops some pine, not much citrus and subtle caramel malt backbone. Not super balanced, this is for hop lovers and has an element of being bitter for the sake of being bitter. Even still, flavorful and tasty as the bitterness while pervasive isn't overblown.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, well carbonated and finishes a touch sharp with leafy hops everywhere.

Overall - Tasty red ale that is leaning more APA with the generous use of hops, but as it is a beer worth trying and possibly repeating.

Pours an orange-amber colour with a beautiful fluffy head atop. Smells a bit bitter and roasty. Taste is fairly bitter, the hops flavour comes out, but also hints of caramel and Wet grass. Mouthfeel is nice with a proper amount of carbonation. To me this is more of an APA than an amber ale but to each their own.
June 9 2023