5 A.M. Saint - BrewDog

wl0307

United Kingdom (England)

4.1/5  rDev +5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Coming in a 330ml slim brown bottle, BB 22/04/2014, served mildly chilled in a tall tumbler. Notes: the front label writes “iconoclastic amber ale”, while the side label gives a long… essay (propaganda-style) on how the general public needs more educating about beers, blah blah blah, the UK beer scene is sick and they’re the doctor…??!! Seriously?

A: pours a clear, dark chestnut brown colour, coming with a thick layer of beige creamy head and moderate flows of carbonation.
S: almost like an ultra-aromatic Premium Bitter, the hoppy Altos sing in front of the deeper toffee-ish Baritones as of caramel-, crystal-, and/or roast-malts, giving a richly fruity and floral performance full of rose petals, longan-fruits, sweet citrus, jammy dark berries/raisins, and sweetened black tea. Weighty and creamy at the same time.
T: lively but not too fizzy, the creamy foretaste is immediately bready+roast-malty, citric-peel-ish, and dark-fruity, with plentiful aromatic notes of toasted nuts, raisins, deepening tannic sprigy and herbal bitterness as of roast malts plus mixed hops, and milder undertones of lightly smoked dark tea. Moderately dry-ish in the finish, where a lively flow of acidity reaches a harmony with the wonderfully attenuated sweetness and bitterness.
M&O: softly carbonated, medium bodied, yet tasting surprisingly light on the palate, this is a balanced, deliciously hoppy and also complex-malty brew very much my choice for a session beer, packing so much good stuff at 5%abv. Recommended (i.e. the beer itself, NOT the manifesto on the beer label…!).

Serving type: bottle

05-28-2013 20:23:42 | More by wl0307

UCLABrewN84

California

3.69/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a murky dark orange with a foamy khaki head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy swaths of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt, caramel, citrus zest, and herbal hops. Taste is much the same with malt and earthy hop flavors on the finish. There is a mild amount of hop bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer that has a much better smell over taste in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2013 04:00:04 | More by UCLABrewN84

djura

Serbia

3.85/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Found it in Romania.

A - Honey color,medium carbonation,excellent thin brown foam.
S - Honey,blueberries,fruits,herbs.
T - Maybe a bit watery, nice bitterness from hops,sweet from honey and fruity. Could not drink it more then 2,but that 2 would be something special.

O - This is how we like it! Unusual taste,but this is way Brewdog is one of the best!

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 12:41:57 | More by djura

brureview

Massachusetts

3.44/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Poured in pint glass. Cola color with a 2 finger head.

The aroma was hoppy and malty, but neither was prominent.

The mouth feel was very carbonated.

The taste was too bitter, and lack a hoppy or malty presence.

This seems like an imbalanced Amber ale, on the strange side. Usually an amber ale has a distinct finish- but this beer is unlike others in the style. Too bitter, and lacking other taste and aroma elements usually in an American amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 02:56:08 | More by brureview

SmashPants

Australia

3.33/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25

Bottle: standard 355mL brown bottle, pretty funky label too.

Appearance: clear, slightly orange amber in colour with a thick head that drops to rocky off-white.

Aroma: a fair ol' whack of herbal and grass hops, with bread malt backing. Interesting aroma, to say the least.

Taste: the taste follows the aroma, but in a muted fashion. A little disappointing on the taste, actually.

Aftertaste: dissipates rapidly, leaving only a slight taste of the herbal hops.

Mouth feel: a smooth, medium body with a low-to-medium carbonation.

Overall: a somewhat disappointing offering from Brewdog. Most of their beers are at least quite interesting - this one doesn't stand up. If the taste followed the nose verbatim, it would have turned out better. Not a bad beer, but not interesting enough to justify the asking price.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 01:01:58 | More by SmashPants

chinchill

South Carolina

3.65/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

11.2 oz bottle (batch 023), dated best by 22 Jan. 2013.
Beer is hazy, dark, orange-brown with a moderate head that soon reduces to a durable ring. VERY hoppy aroma for style; more like an IPA or APA ... really. The hops remain in the flavor but in a very subdued and mild form. It seems like I’m drinking a different beer than the one I am smelling. Nice. Beer is just a bit shy of medium bodied and has appropriate medium carbonation, lending a crisp feel.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2012 02:23:15 | More by chinchill

mattsdenney

Tennessee

3.35/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a NB globe glass.

A: Pours thick and cloudy, dark ruby red in color with one finger of light brown head that clings to the glass.

S: Heavy scent of dark cherries and raisins. Malty, hints of chocolate and caramel in there as well.

T: Up front with heavy malt and dried fruit flavors. Followed quickly by toasted grain and a hint of bittersweet chocolate. Some hop balance there as well with underlying tones of grass and earthiness.

M: Lighter than you would think. Slick and finishes clean.

O: Very interesting and different than most amber ales that I have experienced. This one does a good job of delivering heavy hitting (and unique) flavor while maintaining lightness and drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2012 21:33:35 | More by mattsdenney

TheBrewo

Michigan

3.55/5  rDev -8.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

We pour a brew of deep reddish, orange. It holds a two and a half finger head of a creamy, cakey off-white bubbles. Retention is superior, with eventual sticky, patterned lacing left all down the glass. There is no haze or sediment noted, and carbonation appears light, but bubbles cling to the walls of the glass, submerged in beer. The malts are deep, sweet with caramel, and slightly roasted in the nose. There is a soy sauce saltiness and an herbal quality to back this up. There is a “roasted beef stew with gravy” quality to it, with light metallics from the yeast with warmth. Our first impression is that the flavoring is a bit metallic, and sometimes on the thin side, but relatively robust in flavoring. As we sip, herbal hops, pale and caramel malts, and bready yeastiness start things off. The salty and gravy qualities add in here to the peak, which gives more washed grain, and light sweetness of toffee and caramel. The finish comes with toasted malts, light rye grain spiciness, dilly hops, lemon rind bitterness, and more of those paler malts. The aftertaste breathes of tin, faint plastic phenols, light booze, chalky grain, pumpernickel bread, and distant mint bitterness. The body is lighter, and the carbonation is medium. There is decent slurp, smack, and cream to each sip, but it is not truly satisfying. The mouth is left slightly puckered with a cooling, metallic bite, but little astringency. The abv is appropriate, and drinkability is even.

Overall, what we enjoyed most about this brew was the look. The head was glorious, and even now, at the bottom of the glass, it still remains. This added nicely to a mouthfeel that was otherwise on the watery and weak side. While BrewDog certainly hit what they were going for here, with a no-nonsense red ale, the flavors were a bit muted and seemingly underdeveloped, making us want to reach for something else next.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 00:32:22 | More by TheBrewo

shand

Florida

4.08/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from an 11.2oz bottle into a Sam Adams perfect pint.

There's been a lot of Brewdog hitting my market recently, guess the distributor is pushing them. This isn't nearly as fresh as the sub-one month old Hardcore I had the other day, but less than 3 months isn't that bad. It pours out a hazy deep red color with a finger of off-white head. The aroma is very nice, it's got earthy hops over a solid caramel malt. On the tongue, this unfolds as an aggressive ale. It comes on strong with citrus hops and sweet caramel malts that have just a touch of a roasty flavor. More pine and earthy hop flavors make themselves known on the finish. The mouthfeel is medium bodied and thirst-quenching. Overall, this is a great ale. It's not a mind-blower, but I'll pick this up next time I see it fresh for sure. Just a solid, aggressive beer.

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2012 00:46:18 | More by shand

flagmantho

Washington

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 330mL bottle into a pint glass.

Appearance: good amber hue with a haze-free body and a moderate effervescence. Head is a thick finger of frothy tan foam. I like it.

Smell: a nice bouquet of citrusy and earthy hops hits me right up front, along with a caramel-heavy malt backbone. I think the overall effect is rather enticing.

Taste: sweetish malt flavor with a good caramel quality right in the middle. Citrusy hops are present from front to back, but aren't overwhelming at any point. Bitterness is low-to-moderate, but acceptable here. As red ales go, this is pretty good.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a good carbonation and satisfying creaminess. Good stuff.

Overall: this type of red ale really works for me: a good combo of citrusy and earthy hops, and a malt character leaning more towards caramel than towards biscuit. I'd definitely have this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 20:59:54 | More by flagmantho

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Review from 10/2010 notes. Poured into a Nostradamus flute glass. Pours a rich red-orange amber with a modest head, but lots of lacing. Strong hops with some light fruit aroma. Taste follows, strong hops, but a sweet light fruit start. Finishes bitter with a just short of fresh hop flavor. Well made, but not quite as balanced as some of other red ales. Approaches an IPA hopping. Actually pretty impressive for a 5% ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2012 03:09:37 | More by LiquidAmber

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

a nice clean deep amber / ruby pour with 2 fingers fluffy off white head causing for some great lacing. smells mostly of bittering hops , faint smell of burnt caramel. the taste is nowhere near as hoppy as the smell, slightly bitter with a heavy sweet malt profile, tastes of grass, caramel, cereal, oh wait - the hops kick in HARD for the finish! medium body, nice creamyness, moderate carbonation.

i do believe this is the best tasting red ale i've ever had. quite complex for the style. to all those who just hate on brewdog because they're a "gimmick brewery", fuck off already. get off your fucking high horse, brew your own god damn beer, and have it taste this fucking good. i'm sick of hearing people shit talking a craft brewery, just because they're slightly bigger than most other craft brewers, and try different things with their brews. just shut the fuck up, enjoy the beer, and stop looking too into shit. this is how things get ruined, and if this is how you're going to be i'd like you to please find a new fucking hobby. thanks. sorry for the outburst, just had to say it. this is my first beer from brewdog, because i've always been put off by the high price. gave it a shot, and love it. not saying it's worth $14 for a 4-pk, but if you can find a single bottle, it's worth it to try it.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2012 10:49:53 | More by facundoCNB

themind

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev -8.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

First Brew Dog I have tried and I think they made they're point. Brew Dog can brew some decent beer. I see a lot of Gimmick type beers that catch my attention but for a daily offering this beer is pretty good. Nice amber color with refreshing carbonation.

I look forward to trying more of Brew Dogs creations.

Bottom Line: You have to try Brew Dog at least once and this is a good place to start.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 22:22:09 | More by themind

tenesmus

United Kingdom (England)

4/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured into straight half glass.

Pleasing deep amber appearance, very clear with a small head of tight small foam that rests comfortably upon the liquid. A light lacing flatters the glass.

An profound aroma of hoppy resinous pine with citrus and tropical notes, appealing and enticing.

Taste - intriguing, expecting a hit of hops, but whilst a grapefruit and pine flavour lingers on the front of the mouth, tropical hints of mango and pineapple, rye and brown sugar brings a depth to the taste. The feel is smooth and creamy, mild carbonation aids the subtlety.

A pleasant, above average beer, of a style that can be drowned out amongst the shouting hoards of extreme beers that are becoming the norm.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 20:04:18 | More by tenesmus

bark

Sweden

2.35/5  rDev -39.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

The colour is dark amber (25 EBC), the liquid is clear. The three finger head is airy and beige. It sinks slowly leaving lots of thick lacing.

The smell is rich and hoppy. Resin, sour citric fruits, caramel and exotic fruits like pineapple and apricots. Robust bitterness with some unclean notes of dried flowers and detergents. Some alcohol.

The taste got notes of hay, old flowers and American hops. Golden syrup and overripe fruits. Quite a lot of bitterness. Medium body. The aftertaste got some alcohol, fermenting hay/grass and citric flavouring. Sour fruit drops in the finish.

The carbonation is strong, the small bubbles are sharp. The liquid is semi-dry.

I have tried this one before, but always as a part of a BrewDog tasting. At those times, it was always the least favoured beer. When I now drink it on its own, I still think it is an odd beer with notes of dusty malts and rotten grass.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2012 20:33:34 | More by bark

neckbracesub

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I had this in a bottle, but something tells me I need to one day seek it out on tap. As far as amber ales go, I would put this up against some of the best and more complex of its kind.

Easy to drink or down quickly, the 5 A.M. Saint has plenty of kick for being such a toned-down-in-potency ale. BrewDog is most famous for its high volume, rare beers, but out of the few that you can find regularly (if you have a decent liquor store nearby) this is one to try out.

Not a bad choice for accessibility if you are having a gathering.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 00:31:14 | More by neckbracesub

BerkeleyBeerMan

California

3.88/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: Hazy amber color. No sheen. Thin white head with big bubbles.

Smell: Nice aroma. A wide bouquet of fruits, especially peach, plum and fruit punch. Roasted malts provide light chocolate, caramel and toffee flavors. Traces of cinnamon. Hops are relatively muted.

Taste: On the sweet side. Fruity and nice lightly roasted caramel malts. Piney northwest hops.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, creamy and mild. Malts dominate. Mild hop tingle on the finish.

Overall: Scottish brewery making a northwest session ale. Count me in. I liked this.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2012 04:42:45 | More by BerkeleyBeerMan

eriktoyra

3.8/5  rDev -1.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: The colour is dark amber and the liquid is clear. Fairly light and fluffy head that leaves very little lacings.

S: Lots of red fruits; lingonberries, raspberries and red currant. I can also find hints of celery and wet leather. Caramel malts.

T: Surprisingly neutral compared to the rather complex smell. I can find hints of cocoa and biscuits. Some caramel malts which finishes of with dry, yet sweet citrus tones.

M: Medium to strong carbonation. Light to medium body.

O: Very drinkable. I really liked the smell of this one. Will definately buy it again if I get the opportunity.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2012 18:47:53 | More by eriktoyra

hiku7

California

3.73/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours opaque amber orange, with some rust hues. Moderately thick creamy head with residual lacing. Shouldn't be this cloudy. Looks like mud.

Caramel malt aroma dominates, with strong orange citrus hop aroma. Slight alcohol aroma. Clean yeast character. Pretty standard west coast u.s. amber ale aroma, yet coming all the way from Scotland.

Fairly strong bitterness, which lingers a bit. The flavor starts sweet caramel, but finishes drier than expected. Grassy citrusy hop flavor.

A bit thin on the body, especially considering the cloudy appearance. Medium full carbonation. Some slick hop resin feel.

Pretty decent Scottish interpretation of American amber ale. One issue is the hop and malt disconnect. Seems like two separate tastes entirely and not very integrated. With all the great California amber ales, probably won't buy this again, though I appreciate the effort.

Serving type: bottle

02-29-2012 20:54:57 | More by hiku7

metter98

New York

3.83/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is clear reddish amber in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a quarter-finger high beige head that quickly died down but left a thin head consistently covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: There are moderately strong aromas of citrusy hops (grapefruit stands out in particular) in the nose along with hints of caramel malts.
T: The taste has flavors of caramel malts and citrusy hops. There are also notes of sweetness and a light to moderate amount of bitterness. Grapefruit flavors linger through the aftertaste.
M: It feels medium-bodied on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation.
O: There are lots of hops in this beer, but they are not overpowering in bitterness because they are well balanced by the underlying malts. This is an easy drinking beer that packs in a lot of flavor.

Serving type: bottle

02-24-2012 19:26:11 | More by metter98

CowsCanBark

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 11.2 oz. bottle into Samuel Adams pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a murky dark orange with a short one-finger off-white head. Minimal lacing is left on the glass as I drink.

Smell: It's very malty. A bit of hops detected, but mainly buscuity malts, raisins, slight earthy tone.

Taste: Mainly just neutral tasting buscuit malts. Extremely mild bitterness, and an almost cocoa-esque flavor. Watery.

Mouthfeel: Light to moderate body, high carbonation. Easy as hell to drink.

Overall: I've had much better examples of American Amber Ales. While I wouldn't call this horrible, but I also wouldn't purchase it again. I would recommend you to try it once, though, as it's far from a bad beer.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2012 03:05:09 | More by CowsCanBark

Mar02x

Netherlands

3.95/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Clear copper color or amber looking. A dense creamy head. Good lacing too.

S - Floral, pine, grass.

T - Nice fresh tasting beer, hop tingling goodness. A bitter hop punch to the tongue.

M - A little light on the body, but the carbonation and the creamy feeling make up for it. Tastes more like a thin IPA.

O - A perfect summertime beer. I will buy this again.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 21:23:07 | More by Mar02x

CHILLINDYLAN

Washington

4.35/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Clear amber with copper highlights. Big dense creamy tan head. Good Retention. Chunky clouds of lace.

Spicy floral, pine, pepper, resins. Toasty rich caramel.

Hop tingling goodness. Spicy floral resins, pine sap, and herbal peppery flavors. Rich sweet toasty caramel. Big resinous bitter punch to the tongue.

Rich, sticky, drying, coating. med+ body. perfectly carbonated.

Yum. A hoppy sessionable red. Wish it wasnt so damn expensive. I would have this all the time.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 02:09:14 | More by CHILLINDYLAN

grapetonix

Sweden

3.68/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Medium dark amber, slight haze. Slight OK.

S: Caramel, tea, coffee, citrus. Not groundbreaking but pleasant. Zero skunk.

T: Burnt toast, smoked sausage, tea/tannin style hops. Very interesting and pleasant, the taste is what makes this beer very worthwhile.

M: Slightly too rough and raw. Medium to strong carbonation. There is no unpleasant aftertaste. Average.

O: Expensive but a far above average beer. Have it at least once and see what you think.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 17:19:14 | More by grapetonix

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

4.47/5  rDev +15.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz. served into a SA perfect pint glass.

A - Slightly hazy amber with a 1 finger lightly tan head. Some lacing left

S - Toasted bread, caramel malt, golden biscuit crust, honey, bold bready yeast.

T - Slightly toasted caramel malt, golden biscuit crust. Honey rounds it off with a kiss of sweetness. Bright stone fruit, mint, sweet citrus, and some pineapple.

M - Full lush body with creamy carbonation.

One of the better amber ales I've had. Hits all the marks with flying colors for the style. Yeast is strong but balanced. Excellent malt backbone with a variety of synergized flavors to keep it exciting. I would seek this out for sure.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 01:15:32 | More by StaveHooks