Island Park Amber
Citizen 33 Brewery

Taster at brewery. Amber colored pour with a small frothy head. Light caramel, toffee notes in the aroma and taste, along with tannic elements and tea.

its rare i get too excited about an amber ale, they just arent normally very exciting beers, but these guys have done a lot with this one, really elevated it beyond the mundane, which as a newer operation firing up in a small town, i sort of wasnt ready for, this is hoppy and different, and its quite well executed, as was most of the beer we had in here. its fairly clear and shiny bronze in color with a tan head airy and high from the tap, and a nose of fresh idaho gem hops, these guys are apparently sourcing local ingredients wherever possible. the hops have notes of kiwi, lime, and pine to them, some oiliness beyond what we usually see in this style, and the bitterness remains low when i drink it, so it sort of ends up as not quite india red ale, but a very full flavored amber as they go. the malts are not as sweet as is common in the style, fermented drier, and without the long boiled richness, instead its a harvesty autumnal bready profile that supports the hops well and also tastes very fresh. well rounded, balanced, and flavorful beer that shows a lot of promise for these guys overall. i thought they were way ahead of the curve for how new they are, this is a nice take on a style that almost always bores me!