Amber Ale
Echigo Beer Company Limited

 

Appearance: Very dark for the style, a rich, ruddy brown that's almost the exact same color as the bottle it came in. Head is parchment-beihe, somewhat small, and fleeting, leaving a wispy ring along the edge of the glass after only a minute or so.

Smell: Wonderfully roasty, almost chocolatey amber malts, with a vinous, red grape juice-like fruitiness with notes of cassis or rasperry. Hops meld seamlessly with the malts' sweetness and the yeast's esters, with a resinous evergreen aroma and an egde of juicy, zesty citrus.

Taste: Balanced like a good amber should be, with a sweet, berry-studded toasted malt base and fresh-picked, oily hop flavor. An unusual yeasty tang appears mid-sip and lingers on after the dry, hoppy finish. Very good, though it does taste a bit watered-down.

Mouthfeel: Lighter than it should be, but satiny smooth and perfectly carbonated.

Drinkability: This is an excellent session beer and it's a BRILLIANT pair for dark chocolate, which draws out the beers citric and berrry notes beautifully!