California Amber
Ballast Point Brewing Company in San Diego, California, United States 🇺🇸
Amber / Red Ale - American Rotating|
Score
6.99
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Formerly Calico Amber
A rich, copper ale with a case full of gold medals.
Our California Amber takes its inspiration from traditional English ESBs. Four types of malts give it a bold complexity, and our proprietary yeast strain lends it a fruity, madeira-like richness. However, it’s the American hops that give this ale a distinct bite and floral aroma that have earned it just about every major beer medal.
A rich, copper ale with a case full of gold medals.
Our California Amber takes its inspiration from traditional English ESBs. Four types of malts give it a bold complexity, and our proprietary yeast strain lends it a fruity, madeira-like richness. However, it’s the American hops that give this ale a distinct bite and floral aroma that have earned it just about every major beer medal.
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7/10
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Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 8
Texture 6
Overall 7
Draft at ginger man. It was a light brown. Sessionable. Nice maltiness and some hops.
Tried
from Draft
on 20 May 2025
at 00:51
7/10
—
Appearance 7
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 7
Overall 7
Old rating from 21-12-14 - 355ml bottle, pours red-brown with a off white good sized head. Aromas & tastes of caramel, banana, bread, grain, flora, hints of spices & malt. Medium body. Mildly bitter finish
Tried
from Bottle
on 27 Apr 2025
at 11:57
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle at home, as "Calico Amber Ale". Aroma is bready malt, caramel, resinous hops, biscuit, toffee, soft fruity notes. Flavour is moderate sweet and bitter. Body is medium. Smooth and refined Amber Ale, it drinks so well, quality stuff.
Tried
from Bottle
on 11 Feb 2025
at 15:34
7.6/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
On tap at Ballast Point Miramar. Deep amber orange pour. Small creamy beige cap. Aroma is toasted malt with toffee notes. Flavor is toasted malt, sweet caramel and orange pith. Medium bodied. Mild hop finish has a hint of black pepper. Tasty.
Tried
from Draft
on 27 Jul 2022
at 04:26
6.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 5
Early rating from Beer Buddy app
Tried
on 28 Nov 2020
at 20:10
6/10
Tried
on 16 Nov 2019
at 04:29
8.5/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 8
Overall 9
Tap at CBM Awajicho. Dark amber colour, golden head. Aroma is lightly spicy, bit of funk, light cat pee, citrus, nice and hoppy. Taste is great, somewhere between a brown ale spiciness and citrusy ipa. Bit of sour cream and chive, grapefruit. Really nice.
Tried
from Draft
on 09 Sep 2019
at 16:02
7.1/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 6.5
Ballast Point California Amber Apparently an ESB inspired ale that clocks in at 5.5% It’s a matte reddish brown with a thick beige head. The aroma is sharply fruity in the berry & stone fruit mold. Medium to light bodied with a prickly carbonation and sharp dry finish. The taste is herbal, spicy (celery salt type minerality, mild caramel and stone fruit with raisins & biscuit. The finish is woodsy herbal and grows in low level bitterness. ---Rated via Beer Buddy for iPhone
Tried
on 08 Jun 2018
at 11:17
7.2/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Shaker pint draft at Summit Grill in Kansas City, MIssouri. The pour is clear golden copper with a small off white head. The aroma is fresh and clean caramel malt and bright floral hop. The taste is the simple clean blend of the fresh caramel cracker malt and the floral hop that dries out the malt sweetness nicely. The palate is light to medium bodied with the softly bitter dry hop mineral finish. Really well made.
Tried
from Draft
on 30 Oct 2017
at 15:51
7.5/10
—
Appearance 10
Aroma 8
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 7
Tropical fruit aroma. Hazy brown color, medium tanned head. Medium sweetness and light-medium bitterness. A little dry finish, medium body, not long aftertaste.
Tried
on 09 Sep 2017
at 05:39