Ammirati's Castle Crags Ale
Butte Creek Brewing Company

Honey gold colored beer with a 1/2" off-white head that disappears quickly but leaves some lacing behind. Aroma of honey-sweet malt, grain and faint caramel. Sweet, grainy malt dominates the flavor. Honey. Grassy hops. Good bit of bittering hops in here. Medium bodied with low carbonation. Good drinkability...wasn't sure what to expect...good surprise. Thanks to flexabull for this beer.

Reviewed from notes on 6-16-07.

Received in the Great BIF Race '07, thanks flexabull.

Served at about 38F from 12 oz amber bottle into "Boston Lager" glass.

Pour was thick with plenty of body, made more aggressive when head seemed weak. Finally wound up with a sparse light tan head with some coarse bubbles, leaving negligible lacing.

First aroma hint was a bit earthy, pungent. As it warmed up, a honey aroma started to dominate.

Flavor was sweet and malty, with a notable honey-like finish. Adequate bitterness, but hops were indistinct. Mouthfeel had a full body, and alcohol warmth.

Overall, this was a unique beer worth trying.

A 12 oz. bottle poured to pint glass.

A: Glowing copper-amber - a little hazy from very fine suspended particulates. Crowned with about 1/2" of creamy white head, slowly receding to a thin film and ring. Excellent sticky lace and minimal carbonation.

S: Slightly sweet malt. A little grassy in the hopping, with an underlying musty tartness. Unusual smell, somewhat appealing.

T: Dry, tart bitterness upfront. Clinging medicinal and earthy hops on the back of the tongue, then a brief wave of caramel sweetness. Flavors are pretty aggressive with bitterness dominating.

M: Tongue-grabbing bittering makes for a fuller mouthfeel. Despite a low level of carbonation, this beer is still crisp in the mouth, with a sharper tangy finish. Bittering lingers for 10-15 minutes after the last sip.

D: Likable and easy to drink. Though ABV is unknown, I would estimate it's low enough to have two or three without a doubt. An assertive beer, good taste, nice looking, memorable mouthfeel - thanks to flexabull for sharing this one.

VERY limited beer. To my knowledge, this is made only for a great litlle market in Castella, California called "Ammirati's".

Pours a very bright and clear amber color. Nice head that fades, but leaves nice lacing.

Beer smells malty, but not at all sweet. It's a bit dusty, tart, and apple like.

Beer is quite dry and tart. There is a sweet malty quality, but it finishes with a decent bitter hop bite. There is also a hint of creaminess on the finish.

Mouthfeel is quite good on this one. Really well rounded and full. Well done.

This is a beer I always seek out when I head North and drive by Castella. This used to be a Sierra Nevada product, but when Roland Allen left for Butte Creek, the Castle Crags Ale moved too. It is a pleasant and drinkable ale. Probably Butte Creek's best IMHO.