Ambergeddon - Ale Asylum

So, upon doing my recap, I realized I had only reviewed one amber. Putting two and two together, having only reviewed one amber and having an amber fresh and chilled in the fridge, I decided to go that route to start the evening. I also have to say, you gotta love the name on this beer. Ale Asylum is the best.

Vitals:

Name: Ambergeddon

Style: American Amber Ale

IBU: ??

ABV: 6.8%

Gravity: ??

Purchased at: Trixie's Liquor

Descriptions:

Appearance: Pours a thick, hazy amber-brownish color with about a finger of tan head. The head retention is moderate, but leaves a nice creamy tan cap on the beer.

Smell: This beer is nutty and malty on the nose; those come through strongly. You get some excellent earthy hop undertones on the smell as well. The malt is caramel-like, so somewhat sweet. The caramel is expected, but the nuttiness isn't...not sure how I feel about that...

Taste: Caramel malts dominate the outset with sweetness, which then rolls through the nutty flavor to a slightly bitter finish with earthy hops. The malt flavor is very bold, and the hops are relatively mild, providing good balance for an amber. The hops are, however, much more pronounced than most ambers I've had. Prepare yourself for that and I think you'll enjoy it (provided you enjoy hops). The 6.8% ABV doesn't come through much but will keep you from drinking a lot of these (Editors Note: hmmm....so THAT'S what happened on Thanksgiving at Amanda & Mikes...)

Mouthfeel: Medium body with light-medium carbonation...a nice beer with some substance to it. Splits itself nicely between easily drinkable and a little bit chewy. This beer dries you out a little bit, which is a bit of a detractor (given the style).

Overall Grade: B+

Comments: This is a solid effort from my favorite WI brewery; keep in mind I'm a total hop head so this may not be for everyone. I'd say it's a must try if you want a unique amber. The beer comes together pretty well; only the astringent quality was a noticeable detractor.

Cheers,

Hurls