Howdy, folks. As promised, I'm back with a fresh beer and a fresh review. After being stuck drinking Newcastle and Beach Bum (that review is coming soon) for the last week or so, when I went to the store this afternoon I just had to pick up something good. Therefore, today I bring you a beer that was actually supposed to be my 4th of July beer until plans changed - Rogue's American Amber Ale.
I hold Rogue Brewery in very high esteem. They make one of my favorite beers, Dead Guy Ale. My review of the Dead Guy is here and you can read more about Rogue and their beers over at rogue.com. The short of it is that they are an American brewerey based in Oregon that makes high quality craft beers.
This is their take on an American Amber, a loosely defined style that focuses on a heavy, but not overpowering malt presence, hence the color. Of course, with most American brewers you can expect a bunch of hops to be thrown in there as well for good measure, as is the case here.
This award winning brew pours a reddish dark-copper color and will easily give you 2 fingers of head if you're not careful. The head is nice and fluffy and the retention is great. This will leave some serious lacing.
The smell is a nice mix of malt and hop, although the hops come out strong on top with the malt being underneath the piney-citrus hop bouquet. If you enjoy hops than this beer might be right up your alley.
Yep, this thing is hoppy. The floral hop comes through upfront. The malt is present from the beginning but it is subtle and subdued. Consider it a mild, yet solid backbone of toasted malt. The finish is clean and a bit malty on the way down with a good dose of hop oil resin on the tongue. Again, this is not for the hop haters, but what do you expect from a west-coast brewer?
It is not the most evenly balanced beer. It is hop heavy, which is surprising because of the color, but it sure is well crafted. It is thin and either carbonated just right or carbonated too much depending on your taste. I say just right. This brew goes down smooth and it's easy to knock down a few with the low 5.6% abv.
This is a winner for sure and a 5 star American beer. It is not an amazing beer and there are no subtle complexities or explosive flavors here but it is a solid beer that is extremely well crafted and a pleasure to drink. Much like Dead Guy Ale, this is a beer that can easily grow on you. Therefore, I dub this beer a solid GLASS FULL. Sometimes, overall quality really does speak for itself. Buy it, drink it, enjoy it and let me know how great it was. Cheers!
The Beer of the Day
No comments:
Post a Comment