Game Day Beer Review: Back Bay Brewing False Cape American Amber Ale

(6.00% ABV) False Cape Amber Ale was drunk on draft in Virginia Beach, Virginia during American Craft Beer Week.  By the way, there is a nationwide toast to Craft Beer Week tonight, May 16, at 8pm EST / 5pm PST -- so now that you've been warned, be prepared to take up a glass.

False Cape Amber was poured with absolutely no head, as pictured above.  The beer was produced by a very small brewery in Virginia Beach -- so small it doesn't even get mentioned yet on Beer Advocate.  It was true to its promise as an amber ale -- the deep amber copper color came though even in the semi-dark environs of the bar at which we enjoyed this beer. 

False Cap Amber had a mild smell; in truth, the maltiness was the most apparent aspect of the nose.  

The beer's overwhelming taste was of a musky, muted chocolate, and it struck a nice balance between malt and hops.  This beer is a direct descendant of New Belgium's much celebrated Fat Tire.  

The mouthfeel was medium, and the beer was well carbonated.  Nicely done: B+

Game Day Beer Review: Grand Teton Brewing Pursuit of Hoppiness American Amber Ale

Pursuit of Hoppiness was poured into a clear glass mug, and appeared a thick amber color, true to its promise, with a massive off-white head composed of millions of tiny bubbles.

The beer had a very hoppy, rich smelling nose.

It was maltier than we expected up front, and pleasingly bitter on the back end, with a drying grapefruit and pine taste.  Pursuit wasn't nearly as hoppy as we'd been led to believe after reading the label -- right up until the bitter finish. It was the first beer we've had from this brewery out in Idaho, and we'll give it a B+

Game Day Beer Review: New Belgium Fat Tire American Amber Ale

There were so many good beers tested at the Craft Brewers Conference that it's difficult for us to pick out any one in particular -- so for our first review we'll stick with one of the basics:

 

(5.20% ABV) Fat Tire Amber Ale is a great example of what's happening in the beer world. Long held up by visitors to Colorado as "the" beer to seek out when traveling to the western part of the country, it's lost a bit of its luster over the past couple of years as the craft beer business has exploded. It's not so much that Fat Tire has gotten worse, or even that the beer is much more broadly distributed now -- it's that so much of the rest of the brewing world has gotten better, and the measuring posts have moved as consumers' tastes have evolved. A lot. Given all that, we recently revisited the long time New Belgium standard bearer to see if it still measured up.

After being poured on draft at the Renaissance Hotel in Washington, DC, Fat Tire appeared a beautifully clear caramel color, with a thin head of white foam that left behind a surprising amount of lacing.

The beer smelled primarily of malt, but that was all; there was little else to notice about the beer's very mild nose.

When we drank it, we found the beer to be biscuity, alright, just like it states on the label.  But it was earthy, as well. This beer has a very particular taste that reminds us of no other amber ale we've ever encountered. It's highly carbonated, with a relatively thin mouthfeel for the style. We like it for its high sessionability, even if it does have some flaws.  But then again, don't we all?  B

Game Day Beer Review: Maine Beer Zoe American Amber Ale

Beer: Zoe American Amber Ale

Brewery: Maine Beer Company

ABV: 7.20% ABV 

Appearance: Zoe poured a reddish brown with a very big, off-white head

Smell: Definite hops. Sweet malt, as well.

Taste: A roasted maltiness typical of the style in my opinion, but with a chocolate-y, dry finish in which the hops were readily apparent.

Overall: A well balanced and very smooth beer. I would definitely drink it again: A-

Game Day Beer Review: Bell's Brewery Big Porch Ale American Amber

(6.00% ABV).  Poured from a bottle into a pilsner glass, Big Porch Amber Ale is noticeable only in its mild smell; there's almost nothing there. It's exactly the color you'd expect with its name: amber, and maybe slightly darker orange near the top. It's mild tasting, too, infused with a malty sweetness.

This is not a very complex beer, but it's well suited for when you want to just kick back and relax -- tailor made for vacation. Big Porch is very mellow, and definitely recommended for sipping in the summertime while sitting in a big rocking chair on the porch of the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island, overlooking Lake Huron in the distance. Soak it all in: I'll give it a B.