Amber Ale is a ‘style’ typically referring to a pale ale with some amount of crystal malt added to create the amber or copper color. It also very much seems to me to be a generic term used to classify any beer that is not either IPA/Pale or Stout/Porter. An expectation of beer drinkers often have of Amber Ale is that it will be more malt driven than hop driven and that it will offer a smooth, semi-sweet flavor, consistent from start to finish. This is indeed a proper foundation for a medium bodied, medium colored beer, but it need not end there.
Beer is about balance. Now, I know that much of today’s IPA production is only balanced if your scale tilts exclusively towards hops but, regardless, many of the best beers offer the best balance. At Troegs in Harrisburg, PA they live by this statement and have produced one of the best representations of ‘Amber’ Ale that you can readily acquire today. Of course, I am talking about Hop Back Amber. Continue reading More than Color…
