Amber Ale
City Brewing Company

 

 

 

A - Pours one finger worth of white head that has a good retention and leaves some decent lacing. It is clear and copper in color.

S - A maltier aroma with not too much else going on, not that great.

M - Light-medium bodied beer with moderate carbonation.

T - Very malty with a slight caramel flavor. Almost tastes like a cola.

Not bad, but nothing too special. Just average. I couldn't drink more than one in a session, the taste just doesn't do it for me.

I'm usually a little suspect of a beer that is picked up by large grocery store chains, but not serious beer retailers. Although I liked the All-malt Lager quite well, this beer doesn't fare so well. The pour brings a clear, amber / brown / golden color with lacking carbonation, head formation or retention -- looks a lot like a cola when the ice melts. The smell is a majority-grainy, minority-malty aroma with low esters, hops, or malty sweetness. Flavors confirm with a raw, cereal grain backbone, lacking malt flavors or sweetness. Texture is flat with an astringent grain husk feel in the finish. Again, cola-like in the flavors and textures. The beer doesn't go anywhere with me.

My dad picked up some of this for me to try when he went to the Oktoberfest in LaCrosse, WI. Apparently it is available in cans only that commerate Oktoberfest USA.

Pours a dark coppery brown with a very light head that did not lace.

The smell is somewhat subpar. In truth there is very little aroma at all, which is always a disappointment to me. There should be something there to encourage you to take that first sip, and this beer had none of that.

Taste is pretty good. Good amount of maltiness, but a subtle caramel is in there as well. There is a slight "malt liquor" quality about the flavor, which is really hard to describe.

Medium body with very light carbonation. It is very drinkable and would be a good beer to call a session brew. I am pretty happy to try it, and I would buy it if it was available locally and the price was right.