Beer of the Weekend #130: Amber Lager
BotW is double dippin’ to fit in another indigenous Cali brew: Amber Lager, brewed by the Karl Strauss Brewing Company of San Diego, California.
Amber Lager’s carrier had no window, either.
This is one of those rare instances when my weekend base lager is better than the traditional Friday night sampling. When I tried Amber Lager for the first time last night I was very impressed; Great White had an uphill climb, and it failed miserably. Karl Strauss distributes only in SoCal (basically Santa Barbara and south), delivering fresh beer every day directly from the brewery in San Diego. Before moving, I should pay a visit to the main brewery. Karl operates a number of restaurants in the region, and there is one next door in Costa Mesa, but I’d rather go to Strauss brewing headquarters.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles. No born-on or freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is caramel with a tint of amber or ruby. Two fingers of buttery, off-white head developed and left a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: Sweet caramel, vanilla, and butterscotch. Another reviewer mentioned it smelling like Werther’s Originals, and I have to agree.
Taste: Follows the smell, but it thankfully tastes more like beer. The caramel is mostly sweet, but has a slightly toasted edge to it. The vanilla is also detectable, but the butterscotch is not as prominent. Floral hops provide a touch of balanced bitterness, which lingers after each sip.
Drinkability: Very tasty and smooth drinking. It is the most flavorful lager I’ve ever had.
Fun facts about Amber Lager:
-Style: American Amber/Red Lager. BA says this:
-Price $8.29/sixer at the Beach BevMo!. Not only is Amber Lager taster than Great White, it’s also more expensive.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 4.2 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends Latin American cuisine and meat (beef and poultry).
-IBU: 16.
-Color: 15 SRM. In Tasting Beer’s nifty SRM chart, 15 corresponds to “Deep Amber.” To me it looks a little lighter than what I would consider deep amber.
-Microbrew nerdiness from the Karl Strauss website:
-Amber Lager won a bronze medal at the 2009 San Diego International Beer Competition, and a gold medal at the 2009 LA County Fair.
-The carrier boasts this little line:
I’ll say.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
Amber Lager’s carrier had no window, either.
This is one of those rare instances when my weekend base lager is better than the traditional Friday night sampling. When I tried Amber Lager for the first time last night I was very impressed; Great White had an uphill climb, and it failed miserably. Karl Strauss distributes only in SoCal (basically Santa Barbara and south), delivering fresh beer every day directly from the brewery in San Diego. Before moving, I should pay a visit to the main brewery. Karl operates a number of restaurants in the region, and there is one next door in Costa Mesa, but I’d rather go to Strauss brewing headquarters.
Serving type: Six 12-ounce bottles. No born-on or freshness date.
Appearance: Straight pour into a pint glass. The color is caramel with a tint of amber or ruby. Two fingers of buttery, off-white head developed and left a spotted lacing and ring around the edge.
Smell: Sweet caramel, vanilla, and butterscotch. Another reviewer mentioned it smelling like Werther’s Originals, and I have to agree.
Taste: Follows the smell, but it thankfully tastes more like beer. The caramel is mostly sweet, but has a slightly toasted edge to it. The vanilla is also detectable, but the butterscotch is not as prominent. Floral hops provide a touch of balanced bitterness, which lingers after each sip.
Drinkability: Very tasty and smooth drinking. It is the most flavorful lager I’ve ever had.
Fun facts about Amber Lager:
-Style: American Amber/Red Lager. BA says this:
A sort of catch-all category, these lagers boast a bit more malt backbone and overall character than their lighter sister styles. Bitterness is generally low.
-Price $8.29/sixer at the Beach BevMo!. Not only is Amber Lager taster than Great White, it’s also more expensive.
-Serving temperature: 40-45ºF.
-Alcohol content: 4.2 percent ABV.
-Food pairings: BA recommends Latin American cuisine and meat (beef and poultry).
-IBU: 16.
-Color: 15 SRM. In Tasting Beer’s nifty SRM chart, 15 corresponds to “Deep Amber.” To me it looks a little lighter than what I would consider deep amber.
-Microbrew nerdiness from the Karl Strauss website:
In the beginning… we created Karl Strauss Amber Lager. Generous amounts of caramel and Munich malts give the beer rich caramel flavors, balanced by a background of Cascade hops. After the beer is cold fermented for a clean, smooth finish, we filter it - not once, but twice- to enhance its bright, bronze color. Our flagship Amber Lager was also Karl’s favorite beer.
-Amber Lager won a bronze medal at the 2009 San Diego International Beer Competition, and a gold medal at the 2009 LA County Fair.
-The carrier boasts this little line:
A Munich pub-style lager with a rich caramel maltiness balanced by a clean, smooth finish.
I’ll say.
The Quiet Man’s grade: B.
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