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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10/10
Tried
on 19 May 2013
at 14:17
8.3/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 9
Flavor 9
Texture 6
Overall 8
Draft. Hazy golden color, thick tan head, solid lacing. Aroma of caramel buscuit. Taste is sweet cake with bitter spiced bread, intersting combo that works well. Puts most other ambers to shame.
Tried
from Draft
on 05 Apr 2013
at 14:23
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle at Antenna. Deep amber-brown. Low, fine head. Nicely balanced nose, caramel, earth, wort, grassy hop, light chocolate fudge. Fruity, hoppy flavor, orange chocolate, earthy, grassy. Nice citrus.
Tried
from Bottle
on 31 Mar 2013
at 05:33
6.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 6
Texture 6
Overall 8.5
Bottle from Holiday Wine Cellar. Pours a clear copper color with a large white head. A light biscuit malt nose with some caramel. A smooth refreshing brew with caramel, fruity hops, low bitterness, big biscuit and caramel malts. Very much an English ESB with some SoCal roots. Good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 20 Mar 2013
at 23:04
5.8/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 7
Flavor 5
Texture 4
Overall 6
Refrigerated 12 oz. brown bottle, extra from JStax, poured into a shaker. Pours clear amber with small off-white head. Some thin lacing, medium body, medium/well carbonated, and nice caramel aroma. Taste is some caramel malt and some off herbal hops. Not my thing.
Tried
from Bottle
on 08 Mar 2013
at 19:56
6.9/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 6
Overall 6.5
Smells hoppy, some citrus. Aroma of malt. Pours red with good head and lacing. Best beer so far in Puerto Rico but then again I just got here. Tastes bitter. Bottle from Stop and Go in San Juan.
Tried
from Bottle
on 15 Feb 2013
at 00:35
7.4/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 7
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7.5
Bottle @ Brewdog, Edinburgh. Pours dark amber to orange with some head. The nose and taste is dominated by a sweet maltiness that reminds me of cake mixture. There’s also something fruity in there that might be stewed apples or raisins. The palate is well balanced - nice medium bodied with some sweetness on the middle section and a nice clean hoppy finish. Overall, very enjoyable.
Tried
from Bottle
on 29 Jan 2013
at 08:38
7/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 6
Flavor 7
Texture 8
Overall 7
On draft at Spacebar, Falls Church. Pours almost black with a tan head. Mild malty aroma. Astringent mouthfeel. Light toffee notes. Bitter finish.
Tried
from Draft
on 09 Jan 2013
at 16:34
7/10
—
Appearance 6
Aroma 8
Flavor 6
Texture 8
Overall 7
Bottle from Wine Source, Baltimore. Amber with a decent, off-white head. Big, citrus hip aroma with plenty of fruit and a floral edge. Flavour had solid, biscuity malts, oranges and a hoppy dryish finish. Very good.
Tried
from Bottle
on 17 Dec 2012
at 10:43
8/10
—
Appearance 8
Aroma 8
Flavor 8
Texture 8
Overall 8
12 ounce bottle into pint glass, best before 1/18/2013. Pours lightly hazy reddish copper color with a nice 2 finger dense off white head with great retention, that reduces to a nice cap that lingers. Spotty foamy lacing clings down the glass. Aromas of grapefruit, caramel, toast, biscuit, toffee, floral, orange zest, grass, and herbal. Very nice and pleasant aromas with good strength and balance. Taste of caramel, grapefruit, toast, biscuit, orange zest, floral, toffee, light nuttiness, and light herbal spiciness. Light herbal bitterness on the finish; with lingering notes of grapefruit, caramel, toast, biscuit, toffee, orange zest, floral, and light herbal spiciness on the finish for a good bit. Damn nice balance of hop/malt flavors that feel fairly robust; zero cloying flavors after the finish. Medium carbonation and body; with a creamy and lightly sticky mouthfeel that is nice. Alcohol is very well hidden with almost zero warming noticed after the finish. Overall this is a damn nice amber ale. Very nice malt and hop flavor balance with good complexity; very smooth and easy to drink. A very enjoyable offering, no complaints at all.
Tried
from Bottle
on 01 Dec 2012
at 20:07