.jpg)
I think I have opined in the past about how I used to drink amber and red beers quite a bit. I thought of myself as refined in my beer tastes, so I would look down upon those drinking Budweiser while imbibing a Killian's Irish Red it was produced by Coors. In my more recent years, I have recognized that flavor is in the eye of the drinker, and people who like Budweiser like Budweiser. Why would I have a problem with that? You can enjoy whatever beer you want. Likewise, I used to like reds and ambers, but I have since found them to be a little lacking in flavor punch. That's not necessarily bad, that's just the way they are.
Well, it pours a suitably amber color that is only shades off from the color on the outside of the can. I assume that was intentional, and it was actually pretty impressive. I wonder if they got one of those special little devices that let them read the exact color of the beer and they just happen to have it in a larger container then my little glass. The not particularly substantial head boils away pretty quickly to leave nothing but a ring on the outside and the requisite points of nucleation at the bottom. The aroma is malty and soothing.
First sip is relatively nondescript. The malt is heavy and bread with honey, but it's not particularly strong. What hops might be in there are overshadowed by the malt, so I can't really tell what they are, either. It's not an especially bad sip, but it's also not a particularly good one. It's kind of mediocre in the most middle of the road way that it can be. As such, you might expect that it would get the 2.5 out of five rating, which is required for an absolutely average beer. The problem is, this is average for an amber, and I don't think Ambers make it all the way to the top of the rating scale. We shall have to see after a full swig.
Tip-in is brown sugar and honey with mild carbonation. The middle adds a little bit of spice as the carbonation rockets up a notch and the malt enjoys the spotlight. The finish is an abrupt cut off from the spices, but the burn from the carbonation stays as the brown sugar starts to sear into the honey for the trail off.
Bottom Line: About as mediocre is a beer can get
2.5/5
