Ramblin' Reck Amber Ale - Chicago Brewing Company

jujubeast6000

Texas

1.3/5  rDev -56.5%
look: 3 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 2

Reviewed 3/16/2008 (Sampler @ 4 Queens Brewpub, Las Vegas, NV):

Pours an amber colored body, with a foamy white colored head. Has nearly no aroma, with some sweet malt. Has a very bitter taste, very sour. Also some fruit present. Very bitter, and caustic.

Serving type: on-tap

03-10-2009 03:15:42 | More by jujubeast6000

JDV

Texas

2.6/5  rDev -13%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Clear light amber pour. Smell is faint malt with a hint of hops. Very subtle aroma. Almost NO flavor. Extremely thin, and watery with just a hint of hop bitterness but not flavor. Not a well done amber at all I thought, but not much at this place impressed aside from the food.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2008 19:31:48 | More by JDV

tigg924

Massachusetts

2.63/5  rDev -12%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Appearance: amber in color, small head, clear, minimal carbonation

Smell: toasted malt-not overly complex

Taste: hops jump out. There is also some grass and a touch of malt

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, medium carbonation, slightly not overpoweringly bitter

Drinkability: A slightly below average amber that is more hoppy than malty. Not a bad beer, but nothing worth getting again.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2009 19:24:40 | More by tigg924

Dogbrick

Ohio

2.9/5  rDev -3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Sample at the brewpub. Pours a clear amber color with a thin and foamy off-white head that dissipates quickly. Spotty lacing on the glass. Mild malt aroma with a touch of hops. Medium, smooth body with a weak malt and hops flavor along with a hint of fruit. The finish is sweet with a short-lived malt aftertaste. Overall there is nothing noteworthy about this beer.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2008 18:42:39 | More by Dogbrick

charlzm

California

3.03/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Consumed 05/11/08 at Chicago Brewing Co. & Cigar Lounge, Las Vegas.

Medium caramel-red color. Clear. Active carbonation even ten minutes after sampler arrived. Slight bit of foam left.

Aroma is caramel malt.

Hoppier than expected! Grassy rather than bitter. After this slight palate shocker somes caramel malts, some toffee. I think this was a touch oxidized as well as aftertaste was a bit cardboardy.

Don't think I'd want a pint of this one.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2008 23:33:10 | More by charlzm

kimcgolf

Georgia

3.28/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Not sure how this is retired...Had on tap at the 4 Queens in Vegas in March. At any rate, poured to a light copper color with medium thick off-white head that hung around through mid-glass and left a little lacing. Aroma and taste were both muted, though they were no doubt affected by the numerous cigars I smoked up to that point.

Although nothing great stood out with this beer, Iit was actually nice and smooth, with a decent finish, and one that I might enjoy much more under different circumstances.

Serving type: on-tap

05-21-2008 15:32:38 | More by kimcgolf

kylehay2004

Florida

3.58/5  rDev +19.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Single finger head with nice lacing on a clear copper body with orange hue. Aroma is excellent and more on the APA side with grapefruit, floral hops with caramel malt base. Flavor is also fairly hoppy with citrus and earthy hop notes. Mild caramel malts. Medium body and moderate carbonation. This one "cheats" a little making a boring amber style better by adding some hops.

Serving type: on-tap

12-15-2012 22:13:58 | More by kylehay2004

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.63/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

After having a few lighter beers, this is one that I had while eating the garlic knots and pizza at the Cigar Lounge at the 4 Queens.

The beer is fairly standard of most amber ales with an emphasis on the toasty, caramelly malts while hop bitterness balances the sweetness but little more. A confectionate sweetness persists that the hops struggle to counter against, leaving the beer a little too sweet. The beer shows no significant flaws in the brewing or handling, but also struggles to show any standout character. Hop flavors of grapefruit and pine help the sweetness, but they need more boldness to make the beer stand out. The malty sweetness continues through the mouthfeel and into the finish.

A good amber, but it had potenial to be very good.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2008 22:16:08 | More by BEERchitect

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.68/5  rDev +23.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured on-tap into a pint glass, the beer presents with a typical light, foamy head. The beer has a dark caramel-red color, impressive looking in the glass. The smell reminded me of most ambers, with bits of barley throughout the nose. It had a malty-sweet flavor, with a crisp, hoppy aftertaste. The light finish and the low alcohol content make this an extremely easy beer to drink.

Serving type: on-tap

12-09-2010 00:53:43 | More by GarthDanielson

jeranbrews

New York

4.2/5  rDev +40.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Consumed on 1/5/10 at the Four Queens in Vegas.

A - Half way from amber and cedar color. Slightly cloudy. A finger of fine bubbles and bone white head.

S - Crisp, hoppy smells. Cool, sweet, bits of wheat. Some fresh hop leaf smells. Not much yeast. I may have to go back and re-do my other ratings.

T - Hops subdued to just the right level. Malty sweetness. Caramel and roast. Tiny American amber hop aftertaste. Balance between the hop and malt was just right for me.

M - Better than average. Not watery or flat like some tap beers.

D - This was distinctive and well balanced for an amber.

Note: I am liking this brewery. They don't seem to just phone in their beers. The types of beers and quality seems to be geared towards beer geeks. I'm not sure why my reviews of this brewer are higher than everyone. But at least at the time of tasting they seem accurate.

Serving type: on-tap

01-09-2010 16:37:34 | More by jeranbrews

Gavage

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +43.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Appearance: arrived in a pint glass looking clear amber in color with a 3/4" head. Decent lacing developed during the session.

Smell: aroma was weak, as some hints of caramel and sugar sweetness were barely detectable.

Taste: the nose did not predict the flavor, as the caramels, brown sugar, hint of honey, and mild floral bitterness were quite bold and up front. Very flavorful amber.

Mouthfeel: lightly crisp at the start and smooth at the finish. Aftertaste is short with the caramel tones. Light-medium in body.

Drinkability: very drinkable, a clear session beer. This is not your usual boring amber. Have it if it is on tap. I wish more ambers were like this.

Serving type: on-tap

03-19-2006 18:22:10 | More by Gavage