Kirkland Signature Amber Ale - Kirkland Signature / Costco Wholesale Corporation

notsoprobeer

Oregon

3.23/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The tasting: Color is is deep amber / copper. It has a white head that dissipates fairly quickly and leaves no lacing. I'm didn't notice much in the aroma department. Taste is mainly caramel malts with a bit of a nutty flavor. Very little bitterness. Medium bodied and nice carbonation. While you can feel the effervescence in your mouth, this isn't over-carbonated like their Pale Ale and Hefeweizen.

This a good beer. The problem for me it comes in a mixed case with two beers I don't like.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 07:41:00 | More by notsoprobeer

trocketsauced

New York

3.5/5  rDev +10.8%

05-13-2013 01:51:54 | More by trocketsauced

danfix99

Minnesota

2.5/5  rDev -20.9%

05-02-2013 19:15:29 | More by danfix99

KingBiscuit

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev +2.8%

04-10-2013 00:55:25 | More by KingBiscuit

GMB

Japan

1.25/5  rDev -60.4%

03-16-2013 21:04:04 | More by GMB

Darkmagus82

Montana

3.31/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Poured from bottle into a pint glass

Appearance – The beer pours a clear amber color with a small white head. The head fades rather fast to leave a light level of lace on the sides of the glass.

Smell – The aroma is rather light overall with some light breadiness, caramel sweetness, and a tiny amount of nut.

Taste – The taste begins a little on the sweeter caramel side with a nice bready backbone. As the flavor advances more some of the sweeter flavors fade as a light nutty and toasted malt flavor comes to the end. At the finish of the taste, the sweetness comes back with a light citrus hop joining the rest to leave a lightly sweetened and moderately roasted flavor to linger on the tongue.

Mouthfeel –The body of the beer was average in terms of thickness with a carbonation level that was rather average. Both are appropriate for the style. But nothing too extraordinary.

Overall – Not too complex in flavors, but it is a fairly easy drinking and slightly sweeter brew. For ~ 80 cents per bottle it is well worth it.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 02:47:19 | More by Darkmagus82

warpedrevolution

Washington

3/5  rDev -5.1%

02-08-2013 16:29:38 | More by warpedrevolution

rusty3335

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -5.1%

01-15-2013 16:56:23 | More by rusty3335

Bsod27

3/5  rDev -5.1%

01-15-2013 03:32:20 | More by Bsod27

JimKal

North Carolina

3.83/5  rDev +21.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

Poured int a Shaker pint glass.

A: a nice amber color with a minimal head. Clear with a good amount of carbonation.

S: For me this gave of only faint aroma.

T: This had a nice hoppy, caramel taste to it. It reminded me of Bell's Amber. I think someone who preferred a more hoppy amber would enjoy this one quite a bit.

M: A pretty good overall mouthfell for a beer with a less than 6% ABV. The carbonation, hop presence, and caramel all came together.

O:I tried this as part of the Costco mixed case. This was the second one that I tried. The first, the IPA, didn't measure up, but I think this is a decent Amber. Again, if you only enjoy the high ABV Imperial stouts and IPA, this is not one you will enjoy. But, I think it is a good low cost offering from Costco. If the final two, A German style lager and a Pale Ale are OK, it will make the $19 case price a bargain.

Serving type: bottle

01-13-2013 20:04:56 | More by JimKal

dmorgan310

Michigan

3.25/5  rDev +2.8%

01-13-2013 03:44:48 | More by dmorgan310

KatyC

3/5  rDev -5.1%

01-08-2013 02:57:07 | More by KatyC

napetry

North Carolina

3.5/5  rDev +10.8%

01-06-2013 22:58:01 | More by napetry

CmBanaszak

3.25/5  rDev +2.8%

01-06-2013 01:00:14 | More by CmBanaszak

Mxslms

2.75/5  rDev -13%

12-31-2012 22:23:45 | More by Mxslms

TheBishopco

Tennessee

2.75/5  rDev -13%

12-30-2012 07:36:43 | More by TheBishopco

jduprey007

Michigan

3/5  rDev -5.1%

12-26-2012 21:08:59 | More by jduprey007

kojevergas

California

2.55/5  rDev -19.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

This was one bottle of 24 in a pack acquired at Costco today for $19.00. 12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into a Oskar Blues pilsner glass in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are average; this is my third Kirkland Signature beer and the two before it varied between poor and average. I certainly like the price. 5.4% ABV confirmed.

Served straight from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a two finger light khaki colour head of some limited cream, decent thickness, and average retention. Body colour is a dark clear copper-auburn. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show. Lacing is sparse and unimpressive.

Sm: Amber malts - with some light toasted character, vague nuts, and biscuit malt. A below average strength aroma. Little sticks out.

T: Malty, yes. Limited roast, some biscuit, the usual amber sweet malts. Sure, there's some middling floral hop character. It's too sweet, all around, which seems a ploy to disguise its extract feel. Some understated nut notes are a highlight; hazelnut, maybe chestnut too. Underwhelming balance and build. A pretty simple beer, even for an amber. No alcohol or yeast comes through. I'm far from impressed.

Mf: Smooth and wet. Thickness is average. Overcarbonated. Not at all well executed or tailored to the flavour profile. Meh.

Dr: Drinkable but pedestrian. Not a bad option for the price, but there are far better Ambers for not much more than this. I wouldn't bother with this again. Hides its modest ABV well.

C-

Serving type: bottle

12-17-2012 05:43:50 | More by kojevergas

irishgreensoda

Washington

3/5  rDev -5.1%

11-20-2012 23:04:57 | More by irishgreensoda

TerryB

Indiana

3.5/5  rDev +10.8%

11-20-2012 18:33:28 | More by TerryB

mfigueroa713

New York

3.25/5  rDev +2.8%

11-20-2012 12:07:22 | More by mfigueroa713

Hobby

Michigan

2.5/5  rDev -20.9%

11-10-2012 00:59:03 | More by Hobby

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

3.58/5  rDev +13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

354ml bottle, one of many, many, (did I say many?) in the Costco mixed pack.

This beer pours a clear, brassy amber hue, with two fingers of tight, puffy pale beige head, which leaves a few instances of broad spectral lace around the glass as it slowly sinks away.

It smells of sweet bready caramel malt, some indistinct orchard fruitiness, a mild oily nuttiness, and leafy, earthy hops. The taste is quite upfront with the caramel malt, tinged with toffee and a waning biscuity breadiness, some still indecipherable nuttiness, a slight orange and pear fleshy fruit character, and more soft earthy, musty leaf hops.

The bubbles are pretty laid back, to the point of me wanting to shout a hearty "Get a damned job, ya hippie", but I'll hold back for now, the body a sturdy medium weight, and actually rather smooth, the caramel candy nature having strong pull here. It finishes fairly off-dry, the malt still redolent with caramel and thin toffee notes, and little beyond some weak drupe fruit and earthy hop posturing to form any kind of a counterargument.

While not the strongest offering in this gargantuan value pack, in amongst its own class, this punches well above average, as said mid-range is usually quite lacking - amber ales are as common as water, but normally not much more interesting, and often less so. Therefore the unexpected gravitas of this offering speaks with more oomph that I would have initially expected. Good, I guess.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2012 05:36:13 | More by biboergosum

TroyFarrar

Virginia

2/5  rDev -36.7%

11-02-2012 03:17:27 | More by TroyFarrar

hadlance

Alabama

4/5  rDev +26.6%

10-27-2012 13:55:15 | More by hadlance