Amber Road Amber Ale - Baxter Brewing Co.

tigg924

Massachusetts

3.15/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Had on tap at New World Tavern, Plymouth

Appearance: red-brown in color, 1/4 inch head, clear, moderate carbonation

Smell: light toasted malt

Taste: sweet caramel and leather

Mouthfeel: medium-light bodied, moderate carbonation, sweet start with a slightly bitter end

Overall: An ok leathery brown. Of all Baxter's beers this is the one I am least likely to get again. Not a bad beer, just one that does not distinguish itself from others in the style.

Serving type: on-tap

02-24-2012 19:03:37 | More by tigg924

Fubar1453

Massachusetts

3.85/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: A nice murky amber with a creamy head, nice retention.

S: Nothing really, some sweetness.

T: Some breadiness and sweetness. Very drinkable, session-able.

M: Just right, not sticky, not watery, no lingering bad taste.

O: A solid amber, a perfect barbecue beer.

Serving type: can

02-20-2012 02:20:29 | More by Fubar1453

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz can was poured into a tulip glass.

Appearance: The beer poured a one finger head that has reduced into a thin layer and left lacing on the glass. A nice amber red like the name with great clarity and plenty of carbonation coming up through all of the glass.

Smell: Toasted bready malts, slight caramel sweetness too.

Taste: toasted bready malts, roasted nuts, a little fruitiness, and slight caramel.

Mouthfeel: silky smooth, medium boadied, medium carbonation, a little chewy, and for the most part easy to drink.

Overall: Another nice addition to their family of beers. Wish I tried this back in November on cask, but still happy to have tried it in the can numerous times.

Serving type: can

02-19-2012 07:28:03 | More by Flounder57

jlindros

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pouring from a can is not always easy, so it yields a big frothy almost 2 finger head that fades semi slowly with nice lacing over slight hazy amber nectar orange-red colored beer.

Nose typical amber/pale, light toasty reddish malts, hint of sweetness and caramel, light floral spicy hops with a hint of earthy herbal character.

Taste is similar, starting with a toasty reddish malt, light bready malts, bit of a light reddish malt syrupy taste with hints of caramel, then light spicy floral hops, a bit earthy and hint herbal, some grassy as well. A light bitterness, mostly clean, with a drier but still slightly sweet finish, clean finish with a bit more bitterness, light syrupy caramel flavors, bit more grassy spicy hops.

Mouth is med bodied, good carb.

Overall pretty good, nice and clean, no off flavors, nice toasty malts blend well with spicy grassy floral hops, nice clean finish, and lingering bitterness. Drinkable as well.

Serving type: can

02-16-2012 23:43:43 | More by jlindros

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

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

Amber Road Amber pours a clear amber (more orange than red) into the glass with a moderate, frothy head on top. The foam dissolves quickly to a creamy sheet on the surface and leaves behind a coating of lace as it descends.

The aroma is malty with a touch of hops mixed in. Caramel malt, toasted malt and bread dominate, but there's a touch of lemon citrus in there as well.

Each sip of this medium bodied beer is soft on the palate with mild to moderate carbonation. The flavor is malty with caramel and toasted malt dominating each sip. Bread and some ripe fruit are also present. It finishes slightly metalic with mild bitterness and some light citrus notes. Once gone the bread and fruit notes linger on the palate.

This is an easy drinking beer with lots of flavor. Leans heavy on the malt side, but there's enough hops to prevent this beer from becoming too sweet. A good beer to go with a hearty dinner.

Serving type: can

02-11-2012 22:31:59 | More by WanderingFool

OtherShoe2

Massachusetts

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear dark amber-orange with a big sticky chunky cream-colored head with gobs of sticky lace. Decent retention.

Toasted malt, a little earthy in the nose, bread, and grain.

Malty with firm bitterness. Non-descript bitterness, some slight malt sweetness, good bread crust and brea dough too. A little caramel, but disappears. Beer dries out a bit, and the malt and bitterness linger a bit. Decent, but needs some punch.

Needs a bit more carbonation. Some tingle, but a bit mushy.

Overall, pretty good. Probably will buy more when grill season rolls around.

Serving type: can

02-11-2012 00:41:09 | More by OtherShoe2

dasenebler

Maine

2.78/5  rDev -23%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz, canned on 11.8.11.

Pours a clear, dark amber with a nice off-white head. Retention and lacing are decent.

Aroma is a bit off, with hints of oxidation. Some woody hops.

Flavor is malty and toasty. Firmly bitter with a tea-like character. Notes of caramel, bread crusts, and spicy hops. Oxidation character comes through in the flavor as well-- kind of stale tasting, and a touch metallic. Mouthfeel is medium-bodied and nicely carbonated.

Shows potential, but not something I'd seek out. Seems every can from Baxter I've drank recently has some off-flavor going on. They'll need to get their act together if they're expecting beer drinkers like me to pay 9-10 bucks per six pack.

Serving type: can

02-04-2012 22:45:46 | More by dasenebler

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.63/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The second offering from Baxter I am trying, love the cans!

A- Poured into a pint glass with a deep amber hue. A nice frothy/creamy off-white head forms to fill up the upper inch of the glass. Good retention and a nice coat of lace.

S- Cereal grain, caramel and fruit (apple, berry) come off in the aroma. Definitely some hops but nothing huge to mention. Kind of reminds me of those strawberry hard candies.

T- Starts off with a general grain, caramel and toasted nut malty profile and some yeast bread notes. Hops lend pine and floral notes. There is also a pretty strong fruit flavor of light fruit like apples and some berries.

MF- Silky smooth lighter-end body with a fairly creamy feel. Leaves the palate just a tad bitter.

A solid, laid-back amber ale. Not flashy and overhopped like some newer examples.

Serving type: can

01-31-2012 04:20:00 | More by cbutova

silentjay

Massachusetts

3.35/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

pours a slightly amberish copper with an average sized light tan head that sticks at two-fingers and laces pretty well.

aroma is slightly of piney, citrusy hops but with a lot of caramel and toffee malts behind that. a lot of herbal tea and cracker aromas reminding me of an english style pale ale as well.

herbal hops hit first with caramel and biscuity malts behind that. slightly toasted bread and some peppery spice.

lighter side of medium bodied with average carbonation and a lingering bitterness.

meh... very forgettable. an english-styled pale ale with some added caramel malt flavors. nowhere near as good as their IPA.

Serving type: can

01-29-2012 01:06:15 | More by silentjay

gford217

Georgia

3.65/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12oz can.

Pours a crystal clear amber with a big creamy beige head that leaves some sticky lacing along the sides.

Aroma is very malty, to be expected, with the caramel very evident but there is also a nice crisp biscuity note. Also getting some toasted nuts and some earthy hops.

Taste is very crisp with toasted bread, caramel and faint grassy hops. Some fruitiness thrown in as well.

The mouthfeel is light, crisp and leads to an exceptionally drinkable brew. Not the hoppiest or most complex amber but really solid.

Serving type: can

01-19-2012 02:51:53 | More by gford217

morebeergood

Massachusetts

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

Poured from a can into a stemmed glass. Great looking fire engine red color. Huge head forms then fades. The body is almost translucent. Nice stream of carbonation bubbles. Smell had a toasted biscuit aspect to it. Taste showed a nice balance between the fruity hops and the rich malt. Really thought the mouthfeel was the highlight here. Super smooth beer, easy to drink, and the abv was not even noticeable. Drinkability ranks high. This is not an over the top kind of beer, but purely a well built brew and a pleasure to drink.

Serving type: can

01-14-2012 05:34:50 | More by morebeergood

Durge

Connecticut

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

This new amber brew is a dark...amber...color, perhaps close to a dark iced tea. The head is fair in stature, receding pretty quickly to a dusting of off-white with good lacing in retreat. The aroma offers a simple sort of malt custard deal with hints of molasses and earthy, herbal hop. The flavor comes on with more earthy, woodsy malt and mild hops. It's simple and has a bit of a harsh, leafy edge that makes it an interesting amber but may not appeal to everyone. There's a slight burnt toast quality that can border on ash tray, but for me I'd say it works okay for the style. Most ambers can be boring and this one is better than that to me. It's got a vague hint of citrus, oranges maybe. But mostly I'd use the woodsy, leafy descriptions here. Body is medium with a tingly feel from tiny bubbles that keep it crisp and refreshing. Very little sweetness here. Not something I would want to drink a lot of taste wise but one or two are fine. However, it's well short of my huge praise for their Stowaway IPA.

Serving type: can

01-13-2012 04:44:40 | More by Durge

donkeyrunner

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into a Baxter can shaped glass - hooray for uber appropriate glassware. Clear orange with an off-white head. There's a lil' stowaway hop leaf (at least I hope that's what it is) floating amongst the foam. Thin, amorphous skim retention.

Aroma is primarily crystal malt sweetness with a bit of chocolate biscotti. Some juicy grapefruit hard candy but certainly not 35 IBUs worth. Tastes like thin, mildly citrus sweetness with reserved hop balance.

A ho hum beer that could have been from any brewery. More Pamola than Stowaway if you know what I mean. Kinda bummed Baxter, my least favorite of your 3 beers.

Serving type: can

01-11-2012 01:23:52 | More by donkeyrunner

VelvetExtract

Massachusetts

3.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A-Pours pumpkin orange. Tan creamy head is tight and small. Head laces quite well. Hazy but transparent.

S-Mellow aroma. Mostly caramel in the nose. I love my Amber Ales hoppy. This one is quite devoid of hops. Sweet, smooth and mellow. Would definitely like to smell more hops here.

T-Grassy and sweet. A bit of hop bitterness. Taste surpasses the aroma in my opinion. Finishes grassy. Good balance. Grassy and floral hops combined with sweet bread. Overall, pretty tasty. Citrus comes into play once the palate becomes accustomed to the flavor.

M-Light bodied with lots of carbonation. A bit slick. Sessionable feel and body. Could even see this being pretty refreshing out of the can.

O/D-Pretty decent beer. Has just enough taste to keep me interested per sip. Their IPA is their best beer so far, but I think this one beats out their Pale Ale. One six-pack at $10 is worth a try but I don't foresee this ever being a regular in my mini-fridge.

Serving type: can

01-01-2012 19:54:44 | More by VelvetExtract

beerbiatchMD

Maine

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz can into a wine glass.

A: nice brown amber with red orange hues when examined in light. One finger of off white head has good retention and lacing. Looks like a beer worth drinking.

S: mostly malty up front, I get doughy bready scents, caramelly malts, Not really much hop characteristics that I can pick out.

T: also quite malty, get some earthy tones, sweet bread, and it finishes slightly bitter. Not anything to write home about in terms of taste but it's good nonetheless.

M: smooth, good amount of light carbonation, not boozy at all. Medium body.

O: a pretty approachable amber, reminds me a lot of a malty english style ale like Prelude or Sam Adams Winter Lager. A good beer but not my favorite by Baxter. Definitely worth trying.

Serving type: can

12-30-2011 23:52:55 | More by beerbiatchMD

brewerburgundy

California

3.8/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12oz CAN, Sam Adams Perfect Pint, and I really appreciate that Baxter is making the effort to provide a canning date, but the dot printing on the bottom makes it hard to interpret. It looks like 10/27, no year.

Quintessential amber color for, who knows, what may become a quintessential canned American amber ale. On top is a nice little creamy head a shade darker than the normal off-white tan. It appears to stick well.

While the nose is pretty calm, there are zings of orange zest and a broad palette of pale malt smells to choose from (grain, bread, biscuit) with a dash of caramel.

The flavors are more lively; orange mixes with more herbal and spicy hops against complex pale malts. Biscuit battles with stolid American 2-row, gloriously grainy. Shots of sweetish caramel candy, but not too much.

Well rounded and satisfying weight with medium carbonation. Rough and supple in turns.

I normally don't take to Ambers that don't try and be an IPA, but this one isn't and I love it. It's the second super good canned Amber that I've found, Coop Ale Works' Native Amber is hoppier. Don't pass this one by.

Serving type: can

12-23-2011 22:44:13 | More by brewerburgundy

ggilman

Maine

3.48/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz. can poured into a DFH snifter.

Nice ruby/auburn hazy body, with cream colored foamy head that settles relatively quick. Sudsy lace. The smell is apple cider and almost vinegary. Clean and soft feeling. Nothing overwhelmingly comes through up front. Refreshing, and pure. A little spicy herbal hop note pokes through, then finishes with a powdery bready malt. Sharp carbonation, with a medium body, and slight metallic aftertaste. Malt coats the palate as it warms. Herbal bitters linger toward the end.

A good amber ale, thirst-quenching, but not my favorite style.

Serving type: can

12-21-2011 02:30:04 | More by ggilman

CA2670

Maine

2.42/5  rDev -33%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

Looked great nice amber hue and clarity. Taste was very unremarkable. A bit flat. Like drinking a pale with out sweetness. Smelled of fresh cascade and Amarillo hops. Unfortunately that's were the bright notes ended. Mouthfeel was thin with a slight metalic note to it. Was expecting a really outstanding beer for this breweries third. Much like the x pale they are putting out only with caramel color.

Serving type: on-tap

12-19-2011 19:10:02 | More by CA2670

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +10.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Acquired from svosie, so a big “Thank You” goes out to her. Poured from a 12oz can into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep reddish amber color, with a large off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a thick lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, citrus and some hops.

T: The taste starts out bready with a hearty malt character up front followed by some citrus and caramel sweetness. Then a strong but not over-powering hops presence comes in and creates a good balance. The after-taste is slightly sweet and slightly hoppy.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

D: Tasty, goes down very easily, not too filling, mild kick, good representation of style, this is a nice solid beer to pound down for a long time.

Serving type: can

12-18-2011 23:04:38 | More by TheManiacalOne

tehzachatak

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz can poured into my Baxter can-shaped pint glass.

A - vigorous pour yields 3.5 fingers of big, slightly amber tinged head with decent retention. leaves decent lacing. completely clear reddish-amber body that's a little bit darker than what i expected- quite pretty body, head a little less so.

S - malt malt malt malt. some grain and sugar (caramel) notes, noticeable, but very little hop presence.

T - bready malts with some slight toasted malt/ caramel/toffee notes. nutty. little bit of hops at the beginning and end. sweet, but not cloyingly so.

M - almost thick/sticky mouthfeel, yet manages not to be too heavy. nice carbonation, and leaves a pleasant sweetness behind.

Serving type: can

12-18-2011 22:56:47 | More by tehzachatak

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Clear, dark amber color. Impressive blankety lace from the small, but lasting head.

Earthy aroma with light floral hop background.

Darker flavors than the color suggests--I like that. There's an alcohol presence that is also unexpected. Good hop spice for balance. The body is approaching chewy. Light carbonation.

Serving type: can

12-11-2011 01:00:30 | More by smcolw

cosmicevan

New York

4.03/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

thanks gary (BlessedBeBeer) for the final piece in ticking all the beers from this fine ME brewery.

a - opened the can and filled my CBS snifter. beer poured a golden ruby with a generous 3 plus fingers of head...this thing filled the full oversized snifter! head was white and frothy like an ipa, but whiter and left really chunky milkshake like lacing clinging to the glass. looks damn fine for an amber.

s - earthy brown sugar molasses. all malts. some spiciness, but VERY earthy.

t - much like the nose, very earthy. brown sugar molases. some nutmeg and nuttiness.

m - medium bodied and pretty fizzy with a tingle in the finish.

o - overall a pretty solid amber. very easy drinker and a bit sweeter than your typical amber. quite good for the style.

Serving type: can

12-06-2011 02:57:15 | More by cosmicevan

bishopdc0

Maine

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into my British pint

This is a beautiful beer. Big head dense and creamy . As it disipates the lace clings the the glasses edge. The color is a deep amber mahogony color. Very nice

Lots of grain in the aroma sweetness comes through. Nothing to spectacular but it is an amber afterall .

The taste is sweet at first but quickly becomes nutty with hints of a sweet crystal malts. Full flavored with a decent mouth

Overall a pretty nice amber. I'd choose something else for the $ but a nice amber

Serving type: can

12-01-2011 01:06:01 | More by bishopdc0

Jayli

Massachusetts

3.93/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Courtesy of svosie so a big THANK YOU goes out to her!!!
Poured in to a pint glass

A: This beer pours a beautiful, deep amber color with a 1/2 inch of offwhite head. Head recedes quickly and leaves little to no lacing on the glass.

S: Nose is big caramel notes, some citrus hops, and a good deal of breadiness.

T: Taste is a bit of hops in the front but it is overpowered by the strong caramel malt presence. The hops cut the sweetness so that it isn't cloying. Grainy, breadiness comes in through the middle with some toasted notes. Finish has some grassy notes to it.

M: Medium body, medium carbonation, slick at first with a touch of a sticky, dry finish.

O: Goes down easy, tasty, not too filling, mild kick, better representation of this style in my opinion. I could definitely sit for a few pints of this!

Serving type: can

11-21-2011 03:40:20 | More by Jayli

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.53/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a can into a tumbler pint, the beer is a deep, vibrant, amber coloring, with a hefty, big bubbled, off-white head that starts at a strong two inches, but quickly settles into an uneven, chunky half-inch covering. Great cling on the glass. Medium nose of roasted caramel and toffee, with a tangy sweetness to it. Flavors are rich, with a nutty and caramel sweet background. Roasted qualities throughout, with a hops bitter at the end to clean the flavors from the palate. The aftertaste is more of the roasty qualities, with the slight linger from the hops. The beer's finish lingers quietly along, with a slight cloying character that survives the hops bitter aftertaste. Tasty little brew, and very sessional.

Serving type: can

11-20-2011 00:12:56 | More by GarthDanielson