Sundance Amber Ale - Boulder Beer / Wilderness Pub

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.03/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clear heavily ruby toned gold with a thick head. Slight hop nose with not much else going on really. Flavor is too thin like the Pass Time Pale Ale I tried last. Almost watered down and overall weak. You get those characteristics you expect from the style, but there is no grace or beauty about it. Just lacking overall. Mouthfeel is good, but with so little to offer, the drinkability stays low.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2007 07:08:08 | More by RblWthACoz

hwwty4

Missouri

2.78/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a 12oz bottle into a Chimay chalice. Poured a clear amber with a little fizzy head that quickly dissapated. Aroma is a bit grassy with hints of vanilla. Taste is sweet with vanilla and then almost a taste like english breakfast tea on the back end. Mouthfeel is medium bodied. Its an easily drinkable beer, but I'm not sure I would plunk down the money for another one.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2007 21:13:32 | More by hwwty4

scottblaze

Texas

2.98/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

"This is deja vu all over again"...maybe it is just "creeping old fartism" thats gettin' the best of me...I am tiring of that same hop profile that so many brewers think just gottta be. I am suspicious it is the Cascade that is getting on my nerves but might be the Chinook or Willamette or all of them. It may be that it is not a particular hop but too much of it that bugs me....I will fugure it out.

This brew looks appealing enough..light amber, head had decent retention. Grassy smell, hint of chamomile and vanilla. Once my taste buds became fatigued, taste wasn't all bad but still it has that hoppy overload that IMHO is becoming far too prevelant in American beers. There are ways to make interesting beers without hopping the hell out of them. If you like it...you like it, if you don't....you don't.... it's wearing me out.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2007 00:26:55 | More by scottblaze

BeerBelcher

Ohio

3.03/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I felt this to be a pretty marginal amber ale. I had a McTarnahan's a few months ago, and have since been ruined for other amber ales (I really enjoyed it). This one was OK, but simply did not measure up to the best amber ales that are out there.

This beer pours a color that would best be described as...amber. Aroma was lightly hoppy, with a significant malt presence. Flavor was fairly balanced, but not very distinctive. As I was drinking it, I started to snack on some food, which made the hop character jump out at me a bit more, but it was no means substantial, particularly not for those who usually seek out large quantities of hop flavor. Mouthfeel was unremarkable.

There's nothing wrong with this beer...it's just a bit boring. There are times I crave roasty maltiness, and there are times I crave hoppiness. But there aren't really times I crave middle of the road amber ales, so I'm not sure where this beer fits in my drinking repertoire. Not bad, but just not for me.

I bought this at Liquor Mart in Boulder when I visited CO for the Great American Beer Fest. It rode back to Milwaukee in my wooden leg.

Serving type: bottle

10-27-2007 01:23:00 | More by BeerBelcher

KarlHungus

Minnesota

2.83/5  rDev -17%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

This beer pours the color of watery cherry Kool-Aid. The head is half and inch in height, and recedes slowly but leave no lacing. The aroma has a generic malt sweetness, with a hint of tropical fruit. This smells like far too many other none-interesting ambers I have had. It tastes just like all those other beers too, but with a little more flavor. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a moderate level of carbonation. Overall, this beer is a bore. I don't think I will have it again.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2007 00:24:48 | More by KarlHungus

ArrogantB

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

The label reads "Necktar of the Vampires" and I am suspicious that this is simply relabeled sundance amber but whatever. This pours out a nice amber color with a perfect off-white head. Smell is malty as is the taste. Not much going on here but very drinkable and has a nice aftertaste of malt. I like the fact that they are supporting local arts.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2007 20:59:42 | More by ArrogantB

BigRedN

Nebraska

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Poured from the 12 oz longneck bottle into a pint glass a clear amber/copper in color. Pour produces a 1/2 inch off white head. Head fades to a partial cover, leaves some lacing.

Smell: Typical amber ale, some light caramel malt scents, slightly roasted, touch of aromal hops, providing a touch of floral scents.

Taste: Some decent malt provinding the base with a slightly bitter finish. Its solid, but not overly inspiring.

Mouthfeel: Medium in body with light carbonation. Nothing too exciting.

Drinkability: This is just a solid, well made, sessionable brew. I purchased a 6-pack for just $4.99, which is a great price for a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

07-10-2007 02:54:41 | More by BigRedN

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked this up at Downtown Wines and Spirits up in Somerville, Massachusetts over the weekend. I liked all of the beers that I've sampled from Boulder's "Looking Glass" series, so I thought that I'd give it a try. The Troeg's Nugget Nectar was the only other brew in this style that I've had, and thought that this would be a bit more representational of an American Amber/Red Ale. With half of my drink now gone, I can't quite say that it is, but I can certainly state that this is very unique and unlike anything I've ever had before.

The pour was decent, in that the head was full, the lacing minimal, and the hue was - you guessed it - a nice, deep red. The aroma and taste seemed a bit like an Octoberfest to me, but only up front! Lots of caramel and roasting to be found, with a smoky undertone tying both of them together. Then, ya swish it around and drink it down, and the back hits. Can ya imagine this...it's metallic and very dry! I can't say that many beers that I've had have had the bottom drop out of them, but this would be one of them. It's not necessarily a good or bad thing, but to have the malty backbone of this be the only constant throughout my tasting experience was quite a surprise, at least to this beer drinker!

At 4.85%, this has the qualifications of a good session beer, but it's not going to be the end-all on a hot summer day. The bite of the metallic aftertaste is certainly going to leave one wanting for more, not the least of which would be where the woody, chestnut-like tones, that one initially encounters in this, went. No matter, it's still fairly easygoing and worth a shot, but I'd prefer Boulder to stick with their hoppier concoctions. At least I know that this will suit a lazy summer night at home, or could wait out the warm weather and be enjoyed in the early fall...

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2007 06:19:40 | More by JerzDevl2000

cjgator3

Florida

3.6/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle poured into a pint glass. Pours a amber/copper color with a thin white head that leaves a small amount of lacing. The nose is a faint aroma of sweet malt and some citrusy hops. The taste is roasted biscuity malts with a mild hop finish that is pretty well balanced. The flavor is a little too toned down for me but it is a highly drinkable red that would make a pretty decent session.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2007 02:35:33 | More by cjgator3

BadRockBeer

Colorado

2.93/5  rDev -14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Serving Type Sampled: 12fl. oz. brown crown top bottle. No extra features but a nice sunset picture!

Appearance: Copper in color, small tan head that faded quickly into a loose lace. Very clear.

Smell: Sweet malt and citrusy hops

Taste: Very strange on the palate. At first it’s like bang! Bitterness and caramel malt. But just as quick as it hits you, it’s gone leaving nothing but a metallic aftertaste. There is a slight hoppy note some where in the middle but it is really mild. I also taste a sweet note maybe brown sugar. I haven’t had many beers that fade as quick as this one.

Mouthfeel: Light in body, medium carbonation

Drinkability: Good, I guess. I found this beer to be really strange. I don’t think that I will ever purchase this beer again but by no means is it bad.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2007 05:09:24 | More by BadRockBeer

Vancer

Illinois

4/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

#1 of 4 beers in the 12er sample pack. ALL nice beers; Sundance Amber, Pass Time PA, Planet Porter and Never Summer ale.

Starts off with the classic clear amber / mahogany pour with a frothy tan head – nice looking brew.

Then a note of black pepper in the aroma perks my interest, nicely followed by sharp and crispy tasting spicy amber ale. Finishes with a smooth malt balance (yeah, opposite).

Just another fine session brew from our boys in Colo. Really, give this one (or the sample pack) a try.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2007 01:41:13 | More by Vancer

brewdlyhooked13

Ohio

4.35/5  rDev +27.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 5

Appearance - a muddied amber with a thin, wispy film of bubbles. Some random lace around the edges.

Aroma - a brief glint of citrus, backing off to a mildly sweet roasted grain nose. Some biscuity aroma after it settles.

Taste - big roasted caramel malts with a moderate sweetness. Some citrusy hops provide the balance, very low key on the bitterness and very tasty. Aftertaste is a dry, slightly grapefruity flavor with plenty of toasty grain warmth.

Mouthfeel - crisp, somewhat full-bodied.

Drinkability - delicious, very sessionable!

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2007 17:35:19 | More by brewdlyhooked13

zeff80

Missouri

3.3/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours out a copper hue with a one-finger head. Left no lace.

S - It smelled of malt and hops. There was also a spice-like aroma.

T - It tasted very malty with a slight hoppiness. It also was sweet at the back of the tongue.

M - It was crisp and smooth. A light-bodied beer.

D - Pretty good amber. Nothing too special but it is certainly worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2007 00:52:31 | More by zeff80

beveritt

Ohio

4.22/5  rDev +23.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: Poured from a 12oz brown bottle into a standard pint glass. The label depicts 8 beers chilling in a bucket while the sun sets over the Rockies. Boulder Beer also claims to be "Colorado's oldest microbrewery."

Appearance: Pours with a big 1 1/2 inch creamy, off-white head. The head settles very slowly, but sticks around for the whole beer. Tons of lacing! The beer itself is a crystal clear orange-amber with a ton of bubble activity.

Smell: Grassy hop aroma, with a slightly sweet malt background.
A little bit of smokiness.

Taste: Nice even hops bitterness throughout the beer. An undertone of sweet, slightly caramelized malt.

Mouthfeel: Average carbonation level, good body.

Drinkability: A nice flavorful, easy drinking beer. I go this in a mix pack and am wishing I had more.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2007 03:52:28 | More by beveritt

mattcrill

Ohio

2.05/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Aroma: Mild and spicy hop notes, sweet bread, and a bit yeasty.

Appearance: Umm...amber? Brick red color that is slightly cloudy. An off-white creamy head that fades a little too quickly.

Flavor: Spicy hop notes follow the aroma. Wet grains and a mild vegetal note. Rye bread flavors brush that palate as it warms up.

Mouthfeel: Light body with mild carbonation. A pretty crisp finish but that vegetal note keeps messing up the experience.

Overall impression: Sessionable enough but pretty forgettable. It's beer. Nothing too complex about the aroma or flavor. I'm no expert on hops but I would have gone with a higher alpha acid hop or dry hopped this with a "C" hop to really have this qualify as an American Amber. It tasted too much like a lager yeast strain and/or non-American hop varities being used here. Too much other quality stuff out there to horse around with this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2006 20:38:13 | More by mattcrill

Abita45

Pennsylvania

3.9/5  rDev +14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a pint glass with an unremarkable head and faint sweet aroma and dark copper/amber color.

A sweet malty taste that reminds me slightly of caramel. No hop presence or carbonation whatsoever. The mild, sweet malts carry the beer entirely, but I found it a pleasant, nice beer to drink. It is a bit light, but not thin or weak. It has a smoothness to it I appreciated. I'm not sure how fresh the beer is and can't help but wonder if a draught might be a bit more nuanced than a bottle bought from World Market in Avon, Ohio. Still, I enjoyed it and wish I had a few more bottles to continue my exploration.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2006 15:18:53 | More by Abita45

Gavage

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Appearance: clear amber in color with a 2" head. Some light lace spots develops onthe glass.

Smell: some sweet caramel candy tones is all that's detectable.

Taste: caramel, fruity, brown sugar sweetness, and some mild bitterness levels.

Mouthfeel: lightly crisp at the start and smooth at the finish. Very short aftertaste. Medium bodied.

Drinkability: easy to quaff - a nice session beer. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2006 15:19:53 | More by Gavage

dfried

Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Clear reddish amber in color. Average size off white head settles to a film that leaves some OK lacing. The aroma mainly about the malt but has some not strong but noticable resinous hops. Sweet malty smell, mainly of caramel and toffee, with some fruitiness, like ripe apples. As you would expect the flavor is quite malty, buttery and toffee like, I even thought of chocolate. Some musty resinous hops. Lighter mouthfeel, pretty easy to drink, but not very complex, it left me wanting something more tasty.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2006 03:15:28 | More by dfried

oberon

North Carolina

3.95/5  rDev +15.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured a nice clear light amber to copper color with a thinner white head but I nice sheet of lace was left behind as it settled.Lightly roasted malt and juicy fruit in the nose not much hop profile but this is a more traditional malt drived amber ale here,malt driven is the key here light carmale sweentess and some buttery toffee-like flavors overtop of a light roastedness with not much of a hop profile to speak of but for what it is its pretty darn good.A lighter quaffing amber better than alot of others amber ales out there,I would have again given the chance.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2006 00:35:54 | More by oberon

RedChrome

Connecticut

3.33/5  rDev -2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pour produced a light reddish copper color. Small off white head head vanished rapidly. Only a few small slowly moving carbonation bubbles. Minimal lacing.

A major aroma of toffee malt. There is a slight note of hops that can be noted deep into an inhilation.

The flavor has a slight watered down taste. The flavor of honey roasted peanuts blends with a light bitter hops aftertaste. Very nice balance of what flavor was there. Would be a fantastic flavor if it was a tad more potent.

As witht he flavor, the feel of this beer is watered down. A nice burst of carbonation on the surfaces of the mouth.

A nice beer to enjoy when you want something malted but light on the palate. This beer would go very nice with a steak of the grill on a warm fall night.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2006 18:51:30 | More by RedChrome

BadBadger

New York

3.3/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This beverage pours from the bottle a dark amber color, with reddish undertones. The head is descent in size at the beginning but diminishes quickly. The smell is a mixture of malts and hops, with the malty nature winning the battle. The taste for me was somewhat sweet, with a slight bittering. The mouthfeel is moderately heavy. A nice brew but not one I would search out again.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2006 00:10:07 | More by BadBadger

hanco005

Minnesota

3.8/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass

A—reddish amber and clear with a ½ inch foamy tan head that fades away after a few minutes and produces spotty lacing as I drink

S—malty sweetness is strongest, a little butter and caramel, just a touch of hops in the nose as well

T—good. It’s a bit smoky to me, the caramel and butter blend well for a sweet flavor

M—a little slick, light bodied, just a bit flat with the carbonation

D—not bad. I’ll enjoy the other 3 that can in the sample pack.

Serving type: bottle

07-29-2006 02:39:33 | More by hanco005

jmz62565

Connecticut

3.48/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

This beer pours a clear amber with a large foamy head. The smell is a nice 'bisquit' aroma with some roasted malt with little else. The taste has some malt with a slightly bitter hop aftertaste,not bad, but really nothing special. The m/f is light and creamy with a malt and hop mixture thats not quite right. This is a decent beer that I would'nt mind trying again.

Serving type: bottle

07-16-2006 23:50:27 | More by jmz62565

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.3/5  rDev -3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

It's an average beer for an average style. Decent red color and mild bready, malty flavor. The body falls a little light, which makes the beer thin and tasting a little metalic (may be hop related). Leaves a less-than-clean maltiness on the toung. The hops are quite assertive; though I like it, this throws the beer a bit more out of style. Good to chase down a meal, or quaff down in a pinch, but not one to seek out or make a big deal about.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2006 17:53:24 | More by BEERchitect

UnionMade

Colorado

3.45/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle, as part of the mixed 12 pack.
Clear amber, topped with a modest white head. Rapidly rising bubbles. Great retention, with large, blobby lacing. Fruity and nutty aroma, a bit of grassy hops that remind me of Earl Grey tea, my guess is Willamette or Mt. Hood. Grainy caramel, with a touch of roasted barley. The flavor starts with chewy, grainy caramel malt, a slight bittersweet, grainy bite of roasted malt adds some dry carob flavor. Nutty, with a touch of sweetish apple fruitiness, moving languidly into a modestly hopped, grassy floral finish. The carob flavor maintains throughout, kinda unusual for the style, adding bit of robust flavor. Medium bodied, with fairly agressive carbonation. Feels a little rough around the edges. The pale ale is similar, maybe it's the brand of malt they use. I like amber ales to be really smooth, and on the sweeter side. Nicely balanced, but I can't see myself making this a favorite.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2006 07:52:13 | More by UnionMade