Tap Room No. 21 Amber Ale - World Brews

garjc

Tennessee

2.65/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

I picked this up at a local Kroger that was just built near my house because of its price (only 20 cents more than crappy old Budweiser or Miller) so I thought, "What the hell; I' give it a shot." Anyways, here's the breakdown:


A: A pale amber color with a thick offwhite head that quickly shrinks. Seems comparable in appearance to other amber ales.

S: Not as pleasant as the appearance, smelling almost like the bastard child of tin and malts, though not overly offensive.

T: Malty but slightly watered-down tasting. While at first unremarkable, the aftertaste is much better when the almost initially absent hops kick in. Altogether, nothing special in the taste of this beer. If the aftertaste tasted more like the taste of this beer when first drunk, this would have received a much higher rating.

M: Thin, leaving you wishing there was more oomph to it. Not unpleasant, but severely lacking in character.

D: Middle of the road for me. I've had far superior amber ales, but this beer is not offensive enough for a lower score. I would rate this higher in all regards, but the brewers seemed a little reserved. To the Tap Room brewers: grow some cojones!


Altogether, this is pretty unremarkable though unoffensive. I might buy this beer again only because of its price which makes it competitive against any macrobrew. However, when money is not an issue I heed you this advice: buy any other amber ale.


PS- I also bought the pale ale from Tap Room, which is a much better beer. But I digress, this will be recorded under the proper beer review.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2007 07:53:20 | More by garjc

Big78CJ

Michigan

2.65/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

So this beer is from Kroger??? The grocery store?? So that floors me. Anyway, here is the review:

I just drank an Abita Amber and this is very similar in color. The smell and taste have a more refined hop presence. The smell is more similar to the bitey hop aroma present on the Amber. While the latter is easily drinkable because of its similarity, this was initially so because of its complexity. As I type this I can taste it lingering behind though and making me want another sip of Abita to wash it out.

There is a sweet malt covering up the hops, which as I said linger behind bitterly on the palate. It is still a very impressive for a beer brewed by the grocery store, and a good business move too I bet.

Serving type: bottle

05-30-2007 02:17:28 | More by Big78CJ

wcdoyle

Florida

2.65/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 3.5

I'm always game for a new beer that's mid-priced (~ $6-7/6-pack), so when this amber ale (and two siblings, a lager and a pale ale) appeared at my local Kroger, I thought I'd give it a try. Label and packaging use a combination of mock-letterpress and retro font/design in blacks and browns, which I mention b/c it's what initially attracted me.

A: Pale, clear light amber/copper. The head starts off at about 1 inch, but disappears quickly. Little lacing.
S: Thin metallic-maltiness, without much hops.
T: Much like a "I'll keep trying" first/second batch of homebrew. Like the smell, the taste is thin, mild. Very, very faint hops in the aftertaste. Flavor reminds me of weak iced tea, not the actual flavor, but b/c it hints at what a stronger, richer version might taste like. Little maltiness. Taste isn't bad, just mild.
M: Thin with low carbonation.
D: I actually rate this a little higher than the other categories b/c it's so mild-mannered. Like I suggested above, overall, this beer reminds me of a "try again" homebrew batch, one that gives a newcomer hope regarding what future batches could be. It won't offend.

It will be interesting to compare this to the other Moe's selections.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2007 20:35:51 | More by wcdoyle

StarSAELS

Georgia

2.73/5  rDev +0.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

So I picked this up in the new Kroger... the beermonger says it's a Kroger brand that's contract brewed by Midwest Beverage Packers, which is part of City Brewery, which is actually Melanie Brewing Company. So it's a friend of their mother-in-law's second cousin, who happens to be twice removed.

Either way, it's an average beer. I'm more of a pale ale kinda guy, but what the heck.

A: Pours a golden amber with a small whitish head that can't even get to two fingers. Recedes fast to a broken cap with bubble of various size. Minimal lacing.

S: A tiny touch of hops. More malty than the pale ale, but it's a struggle to get to the nose.

T: Malty, lightly hopped (at least the aroma-compass was pointing in the right direction). Very little aftertaste. Nothing to remember it by. There's something sweet in there, but I can't place it. It's kinda like a sub-flavor from my kids' Ovaltine...

M: A light body, less than I'd expect from an amber. At least it's got a smooth, dry finish.

D: ehhh... it's okay. It'll do in a pinch. It's better than some of the mass-produced alternatives. And if it's on sale for under $6 a six-pack, that makes it taste better.... not!

Serving type: bottle

05-17-2007 01:33:20 | More by StarSAELS