Epicenter Amber - SanTan Brewing Co.

Phelps

Arizona

3.9/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This one pours from the can a nice cherry-amber color and almost perfectly clear. The one-finger head of grayish tan bubbles is rather filmy and oily-looking, fizzling away slowly to a pocked top layer. Thin lines of horizontal lace are left in its wake.

Strong nuttiness in the nose. Almonds, caramel, a bit of peanut, crackers, some earthy hops. It's a very warm scent.

In the taste: caramel-coated peanuts, popcorn, almonds and biscuits. It's sweet mid-palate before a rather dry finish.

Medium light body with medium carbonation that's prickly and lightly painful. The beer fizzes up a bit as it moves about. Smooth and super crisp.

The teeter-totter of this beer's flavor leans a little toward the sweet side, and I like that about it. It's a lovely mix of nutty malt and earthy hops. Very crisp and easy-drinking.

Serving type: can

12-22-2010 18:18:15 | More by Phelps

duceswild

Maryland

3.88/5  rDev +9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Had on tap outside in 100+ AZ heat Served in a pint glass.
Amber color with small head, leaves no lacing in the glass. Not much to the smell on this one I get a little malt but not much else. Taste is of malts and caramel. Don't get any sense of hops. Mouthfeel provides decent carbonation and alcohol with some sweetness on the end.

Overall this is a refreshing beer that is relatively light for a hot day.

Serving type: on-tap

05-15-2012 01:19:41 | More by duceswild

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big ups and major props to my fellow CANquistador, indiapaleale, for sending me this and one other in support of my version of The CANQuest (TM)! I love where it hails from (Chandler, AZ) and I look forward to trying it out.

From the CAN: "Craft Beer For Beer Drinking".

It came in a RexAm CAN with a wide-mouth opening, which is always good for an interesting Crack & Glug. My nearly inverted pour resulted in some cascading action as well was two foamy fingers' worth of tawny head with good retention. Color was a deep coppery-amber with NE-quality clarity. BUPGOO! Nose was very sweet with caramel malt. Mouthfeel was medium with a caramel sweetness offset by a molasses flavor, which I found both interesting and enjoyable. I am usually not big on sweet, malty beers, but this managed to strike a nice balance. Finish was sweet but not cloying. I would not want a steady diet of it, but I also would not be averse to putting it in my cooler.

Serving type: can

02-21-2011 21:11:18 | More by woodychandler

Gatch

Massachusetts

3.83/5  rDev +7.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Pours a bubbly, light-yellow head that fades quickly. No lace on the glass. A nice amber hue.

S - Sweet, toasted malt. Some alcohol. Bready.

T - Delicious malt with a very slight hop presence to balance it out. Alcohol is there, too. Toffee.

M - Clean, crisp. A bit cloying.

Solid Amber.

Serving type: can

08-31-2011 10:57:34 | More by Gatch

AlleywayRover

Nebraska

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had a pint off the tap at their Chandler brewpub.

Pretty much as advertised. They describe it as follows:
"Deep garnet amber hue with a firm toasted malt character, lightly sweet with a crisp, dry finish."

Pretty accurate. There's mostly crystal malt off of the top. It's balanaced at the end with a touch of hop bitterness. Nothing phenomenal but simply a nice, balanced drinkable beer.

I had the beer while sitting on thier patio, and I have to say, it complements a warm night in Phoenix nicely.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2011 03:32:35 | More by AlleywayRover

TempeBeerMan

Arizona

3.75/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Enjoyed on tap in a 32 oz stein.

A - Rust colored with a two finger pure white head. Clingly lacing lasting well past the half glass point. Cloudy. An unfiltered amber? Hmmmm.

S - Some sweet malts and little hops. Not much else really. A decent "beery" smell.

T - Tastes of toasted grains followed by a slightly spicy hop balance. Segways into a bitter and slightly acidic aftertaste. Everything just working well together, with each taste complimenting the other.

M - Slick, and decently full to the point of being borderline "chewy".

O - A very solid amber offering by San Tan Brewing. Decent enough that I ordered a second versus trying something different. A little more bitter/acidic and cloudy than I would expect for an amber, but it all comes together well in the end. I'd have another.

Serving type: on-tap

12-16-2011 02:31:43 | More by TempeBeerMan

indiapaleale

Massachusetts

3.73/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pour - dark amber in appearance with some red and orangish hues and a thin wispy head that dissipates rather quickly.

Aroma - lots of caramel, honey, stewed grains and bran cereal along with toasted brown bread, caramel and apple butter. Plenty of aromas pulling you in to this sweet smelling, toasty brew. Everything seems to be in place for this beer to be pretty tasty and easy drinking. Time to dive in.

Taste - right away this hits the tongue light, sweet, malty and toasty. A lot of those aromas play out similarly on the tongue. Definitely the caramel, molasses and honey flavors that tend to come with the style as well as some nice roasted malt flavors. Not too sweet, not all that hoppy and like SanTan's own description states, the, "light, approachable taste is quenching and appealing to new and long term Craft lovers alike." I don't think we could have said it any better.

Overall - solid amber ale. This is a style that has become a staple at brewpubs in this country and even the most novice beer drinker has some expectations of it. SanTan has done well with this brew, it hits all the marks and is satisfying even to the most seasoned beer drinker.

Serving type: can

07-05-2011 00:31:55 | More by indiapaleale

PhxHorn

Arizona

3.68/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this one on tap at Another Pointe of View, and it hit the spot. Deep red in color with a quarter inch of white head, and it was served at the right temperature. Mild malty bite and a bit of citrus flavor, it's a good amber flavor if on the mild side. Carbonation was just right, and it's too bad I couldn't have one of those giant pint glasses of the stuff.

Serving type: on-tap

05-28-2010 19:32:12 | More by PhxHorn

greenmonstah

New Hampshire

3.6/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On draught in the Phoenix airport.... Boring layover.

A -Amber red in color with a thin head that lingers. Nice lacing, this airport bar has clean glassware!

S- standard fare. Sweet and caramelly with a light hop bitterness.

T - Follows the nose, not exciting but wonderfully drinkable.

M - medium to light in body. Very smooth with moderate carbonation.

O - A fine take on one of my favorite session styles. Could drink for hours. Too bad my flight is coming up!

Serving type: on-tap

12-11-2012 19:29:58 | More by greenmonstah

brentk56

North Carolina

3.59/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a clear copper color with a very nice two inch head of foam; good retention and a few shards of lace are left behind

Smell: Toffee, toast and nuts

Taste: Toast and toffee, up front, with a fruity/nutty flavor developing, in the middle; after the swallow, the sweet flavors predominate though there is a little earthy bitterness to balance

Mouthfeel: Medium body with moderate carbonation

Overall: Not a bad amber, but definitely oriented toward those who like their ambers sweet

Thanks, mikedR (from the other site), for the opportunity

Serving type: can

04-19-2013 02:13:54 | More by brentk56

Gueuzedude

Arizona

3.58/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A vigorous pour into my 25cl tulip glass produces a four-finger thick, nicely amber tinged, tan colored head. The beer is a nice bright amber color with red highlights; when held up to the light it shows brilliantly clear, copper red hue. The beer smells quite fruity with notes of berries being the most noticeable fruit component. This is backed by a crystal malt biscuit character and caramelized malt aromatics. Somehow this reminds me of a fruity, young, red wine.

This has a fair amount of crystal malt sweetness to it, this is accentuated by a berry like fruitiness in the flavor. The finish has a touch of sweet-tea like crystal malt flavors that can be a bit annoying as it clings to the palate. There is a light bitterness throughout that becomes a bit more biting towards the finish; this helps to balance the sweetness and fruit character. This seems almost a bit tart somehow, though I am not sure what is contributing this particular flavor. A medium body is accentuated by the malt sweetness, but this remains fairly quaffable.

Definitely an interesting beer; I am now even more confused after reading the brewery's description of this beer, it is not completely off the wall, but it seems a bit different than my experience. I am actually enjoying the aroma of this beer and even the flavor is pretty good.

Serving type: can

10-16-2010 00:36:38 | More by Gueuzedude

Lucklys

Arizona

3.58/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap and poured into one of their fantastic glasses, it appeared a deep coppery amber color with a rusty glow in the light and was very clear with no visible carbonation. The head was a creamy off-white and just over a finger thick when it was brought out to me. With good retention, it took a while for the foam to completely dissipate, but it left a heavy lacing along the inside of the glass that I was quite impressed with.

The scent was an interesting combination of sweet citrus, which was relatively crisp and clean, and toasted malt, which grounded it. There were no hops to speak of in the nose, though this is labeled as a malt-forward brew. Other than that, I really couldn't discern anything else from the light aromas, but it wasn't an unpleasant experience.

At first sip, there was a very obvious barley-malt flavor that dominated my tongue, and according to their website, they employ the use of six different malts: Two Row Barley, Wheat, Munich, Caramel 80, Victory, and Roasted Barley, so I was not entirely surprised at this. Though now I need to find a website that properly describes all these different malts so I can obtain a better understanding of them. Back to the beer, behind the wave of malt, I found the citrus mid-drink, a sweet, light caramel, and a toasted grain afterthought that lingered into the aftertaste. The beer had a perfectly medium mouthfeel that was accentuated by a fine carbonation and a barely-there biting bitterness that also helped to tone down the sweetness of the malts.

Ending on a clean note, if not a little dry, I found myself really enjoying this self-proclaimed "gateway ale" right to the very last drop. It was extremely easy to drink and left me with a quiet warmth as we sat on the patio watching the sunset.

Serving type: on-tap

11-01-2010 23:59:33 | More by Lucklys

drpimento

Wisconsin

3.58/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured with a nice foamy, frothy, off white head and some lace. Color is a clear dark amber. Aroma is a slightly roasty malt. Flavor is almost really good except for a strange heavy grain thing. Body is good and so is carbonation. Finish is like flavor and of a shorter length.

Serving type: can

12-06-2010 03:23:22 | More by drpimento

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This strikes me as a crowd pleaser amber. Nothing really obnoxious or boisterous about it. Delivers a pleasant drinker with little stepping outside of the bounds of the standard style parameters. There are worse beers to have to drink while waiting for a layover in an airport.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2012 21:29:24 | More by RblWthACoz

Jason

Massachusetts

3.55/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz can with no freshness date.

Good amount of foam from a steady pour, lacing has some retention. Bright amber color, very clear. Light herbal citric hop on top of a clean caramel and bready aroma. Slick, almost milky mouth feel with a nice crisp snap. This ale screams "malt bomb" with a thick creamy caramel and nougat sweetness to a more level toasted breadiness in the finish. A quick brush of hop bitterness helps to balance. Clean palate throughout. Grainy and semi-dry in the end.

Not all American ales need to be hops, hops and hops. Nice to see a malt bomb here and there. This one ending to up being a good quaff.

Serving type: can

11-20-2010 02:32:39 | More by Jason

arizcards

Arizona

3.53/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a sixer today from Total Wine for 7.49.

Beer poured amber with a very nice tan head initially.

Nose has a toasted malt theme going on, light hop flower lingering in the back.

Taste is primarily toasted caramel malts with just enough hops to balanced the sweetness.

Mouthfeel is moderately lively and refreshing from the mild carbonation.

Drinkability is pretty good, I am looking forward to sessioning the sixer tonight!

Serving type: can

01-01-2011 00:19:36 | More by arizcards

doughanson78

Washington

3.53/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz can poured into a snifter. Thanks to Phelps in the Tickers BIF for this.

A: A darker amber color. 3/4 finger off white head with ok retention and pretty good lacing.

S: Toasty and caramely. Sweet malts. Bready. Slight honey notes.

T: Malty. Caramel and honey. Toasted and bready. Not real sweet.

M: Light body, but not watery. Medium carbonation. Light creaminess.

O: A Decent beer. Reds aren't my favorite but this beer is worth drinking.

Serving type: can

10-02-2011 18:54:03 | More by doughanson78

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz can served in a standard pint glass.

L - clear amber color with a small off-white head that thinned to a light ring.

S - caramel malt aroma.

T - mainly caramel malt taste all the way through, no real sharp bitterness but it isn't a total malt bomb either.

F - medium bodied with mild carbonation.

O - it's an ok beer but not one I'd go looking all over for.

Serving type: can

05-24-2011 21:46:43 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

facundoCNB

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

a clear deep amber pour with 2 fingers of fluffy white head which quickly disappeared. smells of chocolate, caramel, rye bread. a malt heavy flavor, trying to remember what grain this tasted like.. as a homebrewer, i tend to usually try a spoonful of the spent grains after i'm done with a batch.. this tastes just like a recent one.. thinking it's caracrystal or rye. anyway, hints of chocolate, bready, and slight caramel flavor. very mellow, but VERY tasty. light bodied, champagne-like carbonation.

it's a nice beer, but honestly leaves much to be desired. hardly any lacing, the head died off quick, smell was pretty one sided, as was the taste.. mouthfeel was nice but nothing really more than average. i gave it an extra 5, because although it is mostly malt based in every aspect, it's at least a mellow sweet malt, and not too bitter or anything, but honestly it's just an average beer all around.

Serving type: can

05-08-2012 06:33:34 | More by facundoCNB

LXIXME

New Mexico

3.49/5  rDev -1.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

Medium sized light tan head settles into a decent lacing above a clear reddish caramel colored beer.

A light sweetness to the caramel roasted malts in the aroma of this amber.

A lot of caramel in well roasted malt taste that also has a bit of sweetness and just a touch of alcohol included.

There is just a touch of caramel tastes hanging around in a very light dryish aftertaste with this medium bodied beer.

Middle of the road tasting amber, no displeasing tastes or anything, with is better than a lot of ambers can claim.

Serving type: can

04-20-2013 20:59:04 | More by LXIXME

daliandragon

North Carolina

3.45/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Picked this one up in these sweet yellow cans at the liquor store across the street from the hotel we are staying at in Sedona. "Craft beer for beer drinking". Mellow rust color and very little head with a sweet candy nose and some backing malts.

Plenty more cloying malt sweetness in the taste. it finishes clean however, and actually tastes better in the can than in the table glasses in the hotel kitchen. Carbonation is a little high but not debilitating. This is a solid amber beer and fits the slogan well.

Serving type: can

07-03-2011 04:49:40 | More by daliandragon

Allpe45

Arizona

3.43/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz can, no freshness info available, poured into a SanTan pint glass.

Appears amber / light reddish brown, a small amount of bubbly head that vanishes almost immediately. Smells like toasty, biscuit malt, tons of breadiness, hints of wet cat food (maybe the can is old). Tastes slightly sweet, caramel malt, more breadiness and toasted malt. The caramel malt is what stands out most. There is no hop presence. Medium bodied, low carbonation for the style. Easy/smooth drinking but doesn't stand out above any others.
Judging from other reviews, and from the looks of the store where I bought it, this may not have been a fresh can.

Serving type: can

06-06-2011 01:02:47 | More by Allpe45

Fatehunter

Oregon

3.35/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured into a pint glass. A thin white head formed and was quickly gone. Amber to bourbon colored and transparent.

S - Honey and wet malt smell.

T - Malty, not too sweet though. Bitter ending that grabs the tongue nicely. Simple, nice flavors.

M - Crisp and clean. Moderate carbonation and light body.

D - Good, easy to drink and solid tasting.

Serving type: can

03-17-2011 19:51:31 | More by Fatehunter

swthomas55

Michigan

3.33/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I first had this beer in the can and liked it, but this review is of the sampler pulled on tap at the brewpub.
There's nothing to dislike about this beer, and a lot to like. It's exactly what is advertised, an easy drinking red/amber beer with a toasty malty sweetness, barely balancing bitterness and basically no hops. It's clear and coppery, medium bodied, and just slips down my throat. Remaining behind is a long toasty malt finish.
Not spectacular, but very nice, indeed.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2011 04:22:30 | More by swthomas55

yemenmocha

Arizona

3.25/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark amber with white head that is large at first pour, laces nicely, and provides a nice creamy entry for the first few sips. Nose is on the lighter side but fruity. Palate offers a significant malt presence, with caramel and toasty flavors. This focus of this ale is clearly the sweetness. Body is medium to light though, and it is almost watery quite honestly. Finishes fruity sweet and light.

Serving type: can

11-07-2010 05:33:14 | More by yemenmocha