Marin Brewing Co: Albion Amber Ale

My first review on this blog was Marin Brewing Co's IPA. That was a long time ago, and I wasn't really sure where this blog was going at the time. Well this post is number 99 which means we are 1 more post away from reviewing 100 beers. I'm pretty satisfied with the work and effort of all my friends who have contributed to this blog.

I'm also happy that the first beer I reviewed was a Marin Brewing Co beer. As you've probably noticed, I like to try to hit at least two beers from the same source so as not to make a snap decision on a brewery before sampling a couple of their craft. After trying Marin's IPA, I moved on to their San Quentin Stout and I'm finally trying their amber ale. While I forgot to review the stout, I'm here now with the amber.

And I must say, this ale is quite tasty. On the back of the bottle, the brewery mentions that the crystal malts are roasted longer than normal. And I really like this effect. This beer is pretty malty and has great caramel malt flavors. The continued roasting also brings out some stout like flavors and I taste a little bit of chocolate and coffee in the malts. It's a nice touch and makes this beer quite smooth but still complex. With little hop flavor, it's not very powerful and very easy to drink making this a silky and somewhat of a lighter brew. Overall, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

And to be honest I would have never had the opportunity to drink and enjoy this beer without this blog. Writing about beer makes me want to sample more often and explore the complexities of each brew and the offerings of each brewery. I hope you all have enjoyed our posts and recommendations as we've tried some fine beer. Cheers.