North Coast Brewing Co.: Red Seal Ale

After a hiatus, I'm back to the blog. First up in the "one more year in Philly" edition is a beer I haven't had in forever and that I've bee meaning to try again. Here it is: Red Seal Ale.

I've been gravitating back towards Amber Ales recently, so I figured I'd have at least one more go before cold weather really sets in. North Coast's take on this classic American genre falls somewhere between Rogue's American Amber and Mendocino's Red Tail. In other words, it's got a a very earthy-bitter taste to it, but it's also got a light body and citrusy tang to it. There's a brief rush of smooth malt flavors early, but the bitterness comes in to wipe that out pretty quick. Despite it's oceanic name, Red Seal winds up with a very dry finish.

I didn't really recall liking this brew very much, but on this second try, I actually find that I'm pretty fond of it. It manages to pull off a big earthy-bitter flavor but somehow remains very drinkable. Now that I think of it, this is really more of a springtime brew, so I think it'll probably be awhile until I grab another one. But I'll be looking forward to it all winter long.

Mendocino Brewing Co.: Red Tail Ale

This post has been a long time coming. Red Tail has been a consistent favorite of mine for several years now. For a long time I claimed it was my favorite beer period, and while I'm not sure what my "all time favorite" is at the moment, Red Tail is certainly still in the running.

Red Tail is an amber ale, but one that definitely tends toward the lighter and hoppier side of the genre. It has a citrusy flavor that is strongly suggestive of Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale, and in fact, when I first had this brew way back in the day, I mistook it for a pale. You could almost describe this beer as an amber-pale hybrid, given how strongly hopped the brew is and how mild the malt flavors are. But while Red Tail is substantially lighter than your typical amber, it has a distinctive toasted barley flavor that places it firmly within the limits of the amber genre. The beer also boasts a light body, plenty of carbonation, and a dry finish, which add up to make it quite refreshing and very drinkable.

There's no special subtle flavor that makes Red Tail such a hit in my book. Rather, Red Tail's success comes from its ability to balance bold citrusy hops against a lightly toasted malt flavor in a way that brings out both flavors. It is the kind of simple but classic combination that is immediately enjoyable but never gets old. If I haven't imposed this one on you before, do yourself a favor, and grab a six pack for yourself.

Black Diamond Brewing Co.: Steep Trail Amber Ale

I've been meaning for quite some time now to write a review of a beer from my hometown's local brewery. Black Diamond actually hails from neighboring Concord, CA, but their first stab at a brewpub was located in Walnut Creek, so that's close enough. I'm quite sure that none of you have ever heard of it, but Black Diamond has actually put out a couple of quality brews. This time around, I've gone with their amber.

Steep Trail is a very hoppy amber. The hops hit you up front and linger on for quite a while. There is a faint but persistent carmelly malt flavor that compliments the hops quite nicely, though in the end this is still a hop-dominated brew. A light body and substantial carbonation make this a very refreshing amber, and helps prevent the bitterness from becoming overpowering.

At the moment, I haven't seen this beer outside of Walnut Creek and Concord, so a recommendation isn't going to accomplish much. But I am still happy to put in a plug for the home team. And if they ever grow beyond their humber Contra Costa County roots, remember, you heard it here first.

Anderson Valley Brewing Co: Boont Amber Ale

We're big fans of Anderson Valley here at 801. Having already reviewed several of their brews, it's about time we made it to their flagship: Boont Amber.

For better or worse, the benchmark amber ale today in America seems to be New Belgium's Fat Tire. But Fat Tire is a bit of a malt monster, and as a result, it's easy to forget that the amber can also be a vehicle for a more complex array of flavors. Boont is definitely an brew that tends more toward the subtler side of the amber genre, and one that will carry more appeal for hopheads thanks to its pronounced hop flavors. The taste on this one leads with a burst of bright and crisp hops balanced nicely against a lightly toasted sweet malt flavor. As the beer rolls off your tongue, this initial burst of crisp malt/hop hybrid is gradually replaced by an earthier hop aftertaste. Despite the full flavor, Boont is among the lighter bodied ambers I've tried, making it one of the more "summery" ambers out there.

Props to Anderson for putting forward a great amber. With due deference to Rogue, Bell's, and all the other breweries that have forayed into this category, Boont really is a cut above the rest of the increasingly-crowded field of amber ales. Grab one, and enjoy!

Rogue: American Amber Ale

Earlier today, I was pondering Budweiser's effort to muscle into the craft-brew market with their American Ale. Mattie has discussed some of this already in his earlier post, but it is an interesting move because it shows that Budweiser thinks that craft-brews have moved past a cult phenomenon and are now worth mainstream money. But it is also interesting that Budweiser's foray into the craft-brew market was with an amber ale. I would have thought that the American-style pale ale (a-la-Sierra Nevada) or amber lager (think Sam Adams) would have caught a wider audience. Clearly the brains at Bud are betting that the amber ale is poised to make a much bigger splash.

So before Bud's American ale gets too big, it's worth noting that their name is a direct rip-off of a much longer-running brew: Rogue's own American Amber Ale. But whereas Bud loaded up on sweetish malts and cascade hops, Rogue's original is a little more subtle. The malts are there, but they are a little more scaled back--a hint of coffee or maybe toasted bitterness offsets the sweetness. The hop bitterness is much stronger than you see in a lot of other ambers, and it's much more earthy than you get in beers like Fat Tire or Bud's American Ale. The beer is medium-bodied and persists with a slightly bitter-earthy aftertaste, but it's nothing unpleasant.

I was a little disappointed in this one only because I generally expect to get some pretty complex flavors from Rogue. Instead, they've stuck to the basics and produced a simple, but very well-balanced ale. It's probably best described as a hophead's alternative to some of the sweeter ambers on the market--bringing in all the roasty malt flavors you expect from an amber but still indulging in a generous amount of hoppiness. All-in-all, a very good beer, if not a great one.

Magic Hat Brewing Co.: Roxy Rolles

Back to the first great brewery I found when I came east. As I've already mentioned, I'm a big fan of their flagship #9 brew: it's got a snappy flavor and is really drinkable. But sometimes you're in the mood to crank up the flavor to something a bit stronger. Apparently Magic Hat read my mind, because Roxy Rolles, their "hoppy amber ale," does just that.

Like it's not-quite-pale counterpart, Roxy Rolles boasts a light body, faint citrus flavors, and a lot of carbonation. But the malts and hops have been cranked up on this one, so that there's a lot more flavor to go around. Their marketing it as an amber is a bit dubious--it looks like a light amber ale, but it isn't nearly as malty as your standard amber ale. Especially behind the substantial hops, the malt flavors are pretty well hidden. They come through just enough so that you taste a faint roasted sweetness on the back of your tongue, which actually compliments the fruit flavors quite nicely. The light malt-high hops combo also leaves you with a rather pleasant aftertaste of a clean hop bitterness on the edges of your tongue and a lingering sweetness in the middle.

I have to say, I'm a bit surprised that Magic Hat doesn't push this as their flagship instead of #9. Granted, the two brews bear more similarities than differences, so only people with a bad beer habit are really going to prefer one to the other. But in my estimation, Magic Hat has really scored a ringer here. Pick one up and check it out.

Full Sail Brewing Co: Amber Ale

It's time that I finally understand Full Sail's flagship beer. I've had varied experiences with this amber ale. I first tried this brew at an outdoor summer festival in San Francisco where some friends and I shared bottles while enjoying music, fun, food. Drinking the amber in the warm weather, the beers tasted light and refreshing and definitely quenched our thirst with crisp light flavors.

Recently I revisited the brew, sampling this amber again at a poker game in mid-January. I don't know if it was due to the change of season, but on the second occasion, the beer felt very thick and chewy with tons of deep and rich malt flavors. These two different experiences didn't add up in my mind and I couldn't sort out the spectrum of flavors I tasted in my two attempts of drinking this beer. As a result, I decided to sit down with Full Sail's Amber Ale again, and give it a thorough drink and review.

Not surprisingly, I found aspects of both the crisp lightness and dark malts that I experienced in my prior tasting. This amber has the aroma of a citrusy IPA with some light lemon citrus flavors that match when the liquid first hits the tongue. To back up the hop citrus, there are also some thick brown and deep caramel malt flavors that balance out the beer. Overall it's a medium bodied amber ale that probably can fit into any occasion or season. It's pretty tasty and a good example of the west coast amber ale style. I'd give it a try; any time of the year. Cheers.

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.

Lagunitas Brewing Co: Censored Rich Copper Ale

My wandering eye noticed on a friend's computer that he had an email in his inbox from Lagunitas Brewing Company. I thought this to be strange and after I inquired into the matter we struck up a conversation about the the email and the brewery in general. To summarize, apparently Lagunitas is pretty good about responding to questions and comments about its beer if you contact them. All this talk about a cool local company made me realize I had not reviewed on of their beers in a while. So here goes.

This Lagunitas offering is entitled 'Lagunitas Censored Rich Copper Ale'. It might be one the most misleading of beer titles out on the market. First the six pack literature indicates that the Lagunitas marketing team named this beer after its copper color and nothing else. Apparently they invented the 'rich copper ale' tag. On further tasting, it's pretty clear the brew resembles an amber ale. In addition to the style confusion, the real name for this beer appears to be covered by the 'censored' label graphically stamped over the title. (see picture) After a quick scan on the Internet, there seems to be a consensus that the original name was "The Kronic" (and that could fit the outline of a couple letters that are visible behind the stamp). I'm not sure if this censoring was an intentional marketing technique or mandated by the Alcohol Beverage Commission. But either way that's the name of this brew.

As for the product itself, it does have a coppery hue with an orangey - yellowly lining. So I'll agree with them there. The smell is surprisingly more like a Belgian ale than an American ale but the taste is pretty standard for an American Amber. There are a lot of caramel malt flavors and a hint of a hop backbone. Hops come through more as the beer warms. The malt flavor lingers and provides a sweet aftertaste. The beer is also rather crisp and is quite drinkable despite the fact it is an ale. As I generally am a fan of ambers, I could easily put this in my regular rotation.

While the taste I can figure out, the name will leave you guessing. Since, I've heard that Lagunitas responds to emails I might just inquire into the reason for the strange name. If I do, I'll be sure to let you all know. Cheers.

Update on 5/22/09: I haven't emailed Lagunitas yet. But I do have proof. At my favorite beer bar in San Francisco (Toronado), I found an old Lagunitas tap bearing the true name. While I didn't have my camera on me, I wanted some evidence, and my cell has a decent photo option, so if you don't believe me click on the photo.

New Holland Brewing Co.: Red Tulip Ale

I've been dormant for a while. I'll see if I can remedy that in the coming couple of weeks. My goal will be to review not only a new brew, but a new brewery every week from here until the end of classes. (No promises regarding duplication if I post more than once per week.) I'll start off with the New Holland Brewery: specifically, their Red Tulip Ale.

I'm not quite sure where the name Red Tulip comes from. The reference to the tulip could be nothing more than an allusion to the tulip craze that seized Holland in the seventeenth century. I'm not sure about the "red" part--while this might technically be a red ale (it does have a reddish hue), the predominant taste here is toasty carmelly malts, which is more typical of a brown ale. This is a thoroughly drinkable amber ale (of which red ales are usually considered a sub-group), which--probably to New Holland's detriment--means that it is strangely evocative of Budweiser's new American Ale. Except, unfortunately, this one has even less hops than its megabrew counterpart. It makes up for that lack a little bit by bringing out the malt taste a bit stronger. However, all in all, it's a disappointingly bland beer.

This beer's chief redeeming factor is its drinkability. It may be the only carmel-malty ale that stands no chance of filling you up. But that's hardly enough to warrant craft brew pricing. Good effort, New Holland, but you'll have to try again.

Budweiser: American Ale

If you've watched any professional football this year you've probably noticed a Budweiser advertisement approximately every 8 minutes. It's not really surprising, as normally there would be about 3-4 Bud Light commercials during any football telecast. What is surprising is that the commercials are for a Budweiser product that is an ale.

Now Anheuser-Busch as a company does produce a variety of ales under different names (i.e. Michelob, Green Valley, ect), but never before under the Budweiser trademark. At least to my knowledge.

So I wanted to give this ale a shot. See what a so called macro-ale tastes like. The beer is an amber ale. So you'll notice the ruby hue to this brew. Not much head or smell. The taste is pretty malty with a caramel after taste. Smooth aftertaste is clearly its best feature. Slightly bitter and very carbonated. Overall not bad. Not surprisingly it is very drinkable. I could easily down about 12 of these if necessary. Which is probably the point; to ease the company's target market of lager drinkers into the flavor of this amber ale. Which is also probably why it's called 'American Ale'. (Then again it could be to confuse the public from the fact that a Belgium company purchased Budweiser).

The beer is not special in any way. But then again it's not bad. And since it's a macro brew its way cheaper due to the mass production. It was 2 bucks cheaper than any other sixpack in the store. So, if you do a price-taste analysis I could see people opting for this beer in a pinch. That's what they should put in those football advertisements: not bad, drinkable, and cheap. Cheers

Bell's Brewery: Amber Ale

Now that I'm back settled into my little apartment in Philly, it's time to get back to enjoying some of the perks of east coast life, which means a whole new slate of beers to try that we don't usually find out west. For my first pick of the new (and final) school year, I went with a new beer from a brewery that's already proved itself: Bell's Amber Ale.

Bell's does not get props for their naming scheme with this one. Apparently unable to think of a clever moniker for their self-proclaimed flagship, they settled on pure unadulterated generica. But while the name may be a bit uninteresting, the brew itself fares much better.

Whereas most amber ales are marked by pronounced malts and hops (think fat tire, boont), Bell's decided to back off on the hops and really bring out a big malty body. However, the malts tend more towards sweet than smokey, and the beer is pretty well carbonated, which means that Bell's offering in this category is still much lighter tasting than a brown. There's an almost floral bitterness running through the beer that lingers on the tongue for quite a while.

Overall, this is definitely a solid offering, though I would have preferred a bit more hops. Definitely one to check out if you are one to go for big mats, especially sweeter malts.

Ballast Point Brewing Co: Calico Amber Ale

I can't believe I've gone this long without posting on an amber ale. One of my favorite beer styles, I sometimes can't resist picking up an amber I've never tried before. That was exactly my thought process when I saw Ballast Point's Calico Amber Ale. Described as a ale brewed in the "American Amber style", I couldn't wait to give it a shot.

This beer fits the brewery's description. The taste starts off with a ton of soft malt flavors. Very light caramel malts fill the pallate which typify the amber ale flavor. The second swash in the mouth brings out a ton of hop bite, which balances nicely with the malts. This 'second taste' is probably why the amber gets it's "American" description as it is still quite hoppy despite not being a pale or india pale ale.

Overall very flavorful and easy to drink. I could definitely sit down with a sixer of this SoCal selection and not get bored or turned off. Cheers

Pyramid Brewing Co: Amber-Weizen

FAT TIRE WENT AND GOT YOUR FAVORITE HEF PREGNANT, and this is the result. Pyramid's latest creation (it still says "new" on the label) attempts to take unfiltered wheat beer and give it a fuller body and bolder taste. The resulting creation bears elements of both its parents; I thought that it tasted predominantly like an amber ale, though its a bit lighter and certainly less bitter than, say, a Fat Tire. I also thought it had the wheaty after-taste of your traditional Hefs and other wheat beers. Those that like amber ales for their boldness and couldn't stand to see any of that sacrificed will probably be a little disappointed, though in my estimation, the Amber-Weizen is a bit more drinkable, especially on a hot summer day.