Amber - Abita Brewing Co.

BuckeyeNation

Iowa

3.18/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Who'da thunk it? Abita Amber isn't an amber ale at all, but an Oktoberfest. At least it's the right season for it. Pumpkin orange with amber edges capped with a pale orangish ecru head that is whipped creamy, decently persistent and sticky enough to lay down a high collar of lace.

The nose is a step down from the appearance. It's moderately toasted caramel malty, but it isn't bold enough or multi-faceted enough to suit me. The flavor isn't a whole lot better. It's malt-dominant (natch) with a lackluster toasted caramel flavor and... not much else. The body is medium for the style and is about as generic as the aroma and the flavor.

Abita Amber is a garden-variety Oktoberfest that makes no horrible missteps, but neither does it impress. It's drinkable as long as one is otherwise engaged and doesn't want to bother with anything even remotely interesting. I drink for flavor though, and by that standard this beer falls noticeably short.

Serving type: bottle

10-05-2004 22:49:11 | More by BuckeyeNation

UCLABrewN84

California

3.43/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a clear light brown with a foamy tan head that fades to nothing. No lacing on this one. Smell is pretty mild with some malt/grain and slight caramel aromas. Taste is of toasted malt, caramel, and some mild herbal hops on the finish. There is a slight bitterness on the palate with each sip. This beer has a good level of carbonation with a crisp mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty good beer flavor wise but the smell is lacking in my opinion.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 02:19:18 | More by UCLABrewN84

brentk56

North Carolina

3.45/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Pours a slightly hazy copper color with a modest head that doesn't display great retention or lacing but does manage to cap the liquid for quite some time

Smell: Slightly sweet with a grainy barley aroma

Taste: Starts out somewhat sweet with a toasted malt flavor; after the swallow, an unfortunate grainy aspect takes over that detracts from the finish

Mouthfeel: Light to medium body with moderate carbonation

Drinkabiluty: Easy enough to drink but no particularly memorable

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2006 17:15:10 | More by brentk56

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.45/5  rDev -28.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a clear, light amber body with a huge, creamy-looking white head that fizzled out in half the time it took to type this sentence.

Smell: Impossibly faint aroma of grains and grapes.

Taste: Quick hint of caramel and grains before a sweet-sour grape flavor kicks in. Oh brother, what a way to kick-off the evening.

Mouthfeel: Thin-bodied. Medium carbonation. Downright watery.

Drinkability: Not very impressive. I didn't enjoy this one at all.

Serving type: bottle

10-14-2007 01:43:02 | More by ChainGangGuy

BEERchitect

Kentucky

2.73/5  rDev -20.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Slight sweet and malty aroma, less than I prefer. Lightly brown apearance lessened by the carbonation. Flavor and body seem to be a bit too weak, both of style and preference. Too sweet and tacky to be refreshing; too weak to be flavorful or balanced. Finishes also sweet and a bit tart for style.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2005 02:03:25 | More by BEERchitect

oberon

North Carolina

4.3/5  rDev +25%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

My favorite style of brew.Really easy to drink,low alcohol for the style.Maybe a little sweet,but I like how easy to drink it is,goes well with spicy cajun food.

Serving type: on-tap

07-23-2002 07:57:58 | More by oberon

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A slightly hazy copper body is topped by a full, foamy off-white head that holds well and maintains a thin surface covering throughout the glass. The aroma is slightly fruity and offers the toasty and lightly sweet maltiness of Vienna malt. The flavor follows the aroma with a well-balanced, bready & toasty malt. Some of the Abita house flavor is present but it doesn't stand out as it does in some of their less malty beers. The body is medium with a very fine and moderate carbonation. The creamy mouthfeel helps to accentuate the maltiness. The malt gives way to a dry finish with a touch of hop bitterness and a lightly lingering biscuity note. One of Abita's better beers and a good crossover beer for those starting to look for more flavor. This beer should be enjoyed at 45-55F to experience it's complete maltiness.

Serving type: bottle

08-01-2002 04:52:07 | More by NeroFiddled

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.35/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Served in a Devil's Backbone willibecher.

I love cheap singles. We need more of them at more stores, I tells ya! This one pours a clear, well, amber (how very appropriate) topped by a finger or so of white micro-foam. The nose is heavy on the buttery biscuits, as though company was expected; some light caramel and nutmeg finish off a strange olfactory experience. The taste also has a good amount of biscuits, but they're not as buttery as before. Some mild wheat, light caramel, and, following the theme, very mild hoppy floral and citrus notes round out the kinda lackluster flavor. The body is pretty light, with a light carbonation and a semi-crisp finish. Overall, an okay brew, nothing special, nothing objectionable. Easy to down, though.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2010 07:25:01 | More by TMoney2591

metter98

New York

3.35/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: The beer is slight hazy light copper in color and has a light amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a thin off white head that quickly dissipated into a ring of bubbles around the edge of the glass and some lacing in the center.
S: There are light aromas of toasted caramel malts in the nose.
T: The taste is similar to the smell and has some flavors of toasted and caramel malts.
M: It feels light- to medium-bodied and a somewhat thin on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. There are some hints of dryness in the finish.
D: The beer is drinkable, but nothing really sets it apart to make me want to have another of these.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2011 02:50:23 | More by metter98

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.28/5  rDev -4.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Clear, pale amber coloring, 1/4" creamy head, slims down quick.

Aroma: sweet, and slightly vegetal. Don't like it, nossir. Are Munich style lagers supposed to smell like this? Not sure, there...

Crisp, clean on the palate, with a linger of that off-flavor detected in the nose, hanging a bit in the front. Slips off innocently, and the rest is easy to drink, and forgettable.

Actually, as more passes my lips and I get acquainted with it, it's a pleasing passable lager, ...dry finish, slightly grainy texture, ...light body, briefly malty taste....I could drink this, if it were the alternatives were BMC croppola.

As I drain the glass, the lightly toasty malts become more appealing, and, darn it, I actually wish I had another.
Good, quality lager, this.

Serving type: bottle

12-05-2005 06:28:15 | More by feloniousmonk

WesWes

New York

3.55/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a light amber color with a thick white head that quickly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a slight malty scent with nutty undertones and a breadlike finish. The taste is good. It has a bit of malty flavor with a nutty accent. It finishes clean, but with a little watery aftertaste. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a low/medium bodied beer with good carbonation. The beer drinks well; a good sessions ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-10-2004 00:14:43 | More by WesWes

drabmuh

Maryland

3.68/5  rDev +7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Poured from a bottle into a goblet. Beer is amber to brown and completely hazy. Forms a thin broken head of tiny white bubbles. Carbonation is low and there is only a little lacing.

When I smelled the beer I thought, this smells like an Oktoberfest, up until that point I had assumed it was an amber. An marzen should be clear, but the aroma is spot on.

Thin bodied, an odd sweetness up front followed by a clean finish with no aftertaste. There really isn't much of a flavor overall. Overall, its kind of a boring marzen but a decent effort. A lot of marzens are unremarkable but this one is slightly above average. Drinkability is good.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2010 03:09:08 | More by drabmuh

zeff80

Missouri

3.35/5  rDev -2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A - Poured out an orange/amber color with a small, foamy, tan head that left minimal amounts of lace.

S - It smelled of malt, caramel and some grains.

T - It tasted fairly sweet. Nice caramel maltiness with a little hint of vanilla. Some mild spiciness.

M - It was smooth and a little soft. A medium-bodied beer.

D - This is an okay brew. Nothing too fabulous but drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2008 05:05:08 | More by zeff80

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev +12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a deep orange color with a large foamy off-white head that fades slowly and leaves a spotty lace on the glass.

S: The aroma is of caramelized malt, some spice and a little bit of hops.

T: The taste is very malty and a little smoky with strong flavors of caramel and spices. There’s a good hops presence in the background that provides a nice balance. The after-taste is bready and slightly sweet.

M: Crisp and very smooth, medium body, medium carbonation, clean and dry finish.

D: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, it’s a good beer to stick with for an evening even if it may not quite be a true O-fest, maybe more of a Munich Dunkel or Helles Lager maybe, but still a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2007 04:19:47 | More by TheManiacalOne

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -22.1%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer poured out with a pretty nice looking amber color, the head was cream colored and fizzy. The smell had a slight hoppiness with some caramel malts in there. The taste was too mild in my opinion, I couldn't really pin point any real specifics here other than some malts and a minimal hop bitterness. The mouthfeel is on the light side too. Overall not the most impressive Amber Ale really.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2011 04:01:02 | More by Knapp85

russpowell

Oklahoma

3.4/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

BBD of March 23 (07??? I think)

Pours deep bronze/light amber with a 4 fingers deep white head with some effervescence. Above average lacing & average head retention

S: Bready with a slightlty vegtal/sour/corny scent up front which fades as it warms

T: Slight breadyness & caramel notes up front. Dryness follows along with a little grainyness. Finishes with caramel & toffee sweetness & some grainyness

MF: Medium (barely) bodied with a little pricklyness

Drinks alright, not a bad one to have with some pizza, but so-so as marzens go. Might taste better at 90 degrees with 90% humidity. If I had to guess at the abv, I'd say about 4.7%. That's probably the biggest knock on this beer, too thin/light for the style

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2006 00:34:32 | More by russpowell

Gueuzedude

Arizona

2.9/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a clear amber-copper color that is topped by a frothy, almost creamy, light tan colored head. The aroma is fairly bland with hints of crystal malt, and perhaps just a wisp of spicy hoppiness. The taste is soft and smooth, quite light and it has an up front light caramelized sweetness. The finish is lightly spicy and a bit bitter with a balancing hoppiness. This is really a rather bland Amber Ale, not really much to say.

Serving type: bottle

08-21-2005 03:53:42 | More by Gueuzedude

Halcyondays

California

2.9/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

12 oz. bottle, purchased at the Hi-Time Wine Cellars in Costa Mesa, CA,

A: Pours a light amber colour, with a thin head, but left a nice rim around the glass, very nice clarity though, good lager character.

S: Light caramel malt, sugar, toffee, some smoke, but fairly weak overall.

T: Taste was a little bit of a letdown as I was expecting a fuller flaovured beer. Has a weak malt character, some good caramel notes, a bit of molasses, and some grassy and earthy character from the hops, but overall the flavour needed more oomph.

M: Light and watery, thin, but has a nice carbonation kick in the aftertaste which I liked.

D: A mediocre beer, IMO, but better than a macro, I'd take this over a Bud any day, but nothing really making want to buy this again, though it's light character makes it easy to drink as a refresher, might try this again in the summertime.

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2008 02:26:34 | More by Halcyondays

Gavage

New Jersey

3.53/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dull amber color with a medium head. The head didn't last long after the first swallow. Very little lacing. The aroma was mellow with sweetness and bitterness detectable. The flavor is simple, malt sweetness and some bitterness, but a faint caramel tone is detectable as you swallow.

This is a light-medium bodied beer and carbonation levels were good. The aftertaste was fairly clean. There is nothing that really sticks out to make this anything other than an average beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-14-2004 00:06:20 | More by Gavage

jwc215

New Jersey

3.1/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I first had this on-tap in New Orleans on a very hot, humid day and remember being refreshed. So, when I recently saw it in bottles at a local store, I decided to try it. I took notes on it, but also remember it vividly because of its lack of anything but decent water. I must have been very thirsty in New Orleans. It poured a very light amber with a bubbly thin head that VERY quickly disappeared. It didn't smell like anything. Maybe some attempt at a floral aroma, but it took a deep smell to get even that much. The most obvious part of the taste was the water. It tasted like very good spring water, so the water they use is very good. I'm being too harsh - it has a thirst-quenching quality.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2006 14:24:39 | More by jwc215

WVbeergeek

Ohio

3/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appears a pale copper amber, with a large egg shell tinted white head forms fizzy thick head that rises above the glass and then quickly fades away to form bands of scattered lacing with each sip. Aroma slightly metallic with mild faint caramel and nut notes mild flowing sweetness and a kiss of herbal hops. Flavor is light with specialty grains just slipping through the fizzy beer flavor, but it works with a mild caramel, nut, and slightly creamy edge with faint hops arising with each sip. Mouthfeel is light bodied as it gets in the craft realm but a nutty dryness does stay on the palate with carbonation tickling the throat. Drinkability is sessionable but damn I want more flavor at this level in the game. I still give props to these Abita beers being early on influences in beers exploitation of myself.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2008 06:08:27 | More by WVbeergeek

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.3/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clear amber with a crème head. Nose is like a pile of wet grass from yesterday that I let sit out on the front yard since then. Nasty. Over time calms down to a mere wet grass stink, but still... Flavor seems to be heavily influenced by a straw character. Feel is decent at best. Nice level of carbonation and a good liquid feel, but the flavor just kills any possibility of a positive experience here. Overall just a weak beer. Nothing at all good about it from my point of view. Avoid.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 18:55:54 | More by RblWthACoz

jdhilt

New Hampshire

3.1/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Pours a two finger white head that fades quickly leaving traces of lace. Clear amber color. Light carbonation and medium bodied. Smells like hay. Flavor is malty, smooth but nothing special. Clean finish. Best by Oct 23. (gift) 12oz bottle from somewheres in New Orleans.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2007 22:35:38 | More by jdhilt

Jason

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Presentation: 12 oz brown short with a freshness date marked on back.

Appearance: Clear amberish orange with a bubbly off white lace.

Smell: Delicate malt, both toasted and caramel in the smell.

Taste: Crisp, clean and some what smooth yet medium bodied and malty with a toasted biscuity malt flavour and hints of caramel. Some hop presence of spicy bitterness and a touch of herbal flavour. Some more, yet fading, toasted grain in the end.

Notes: This brew still holds its ground as a classic among the many "micro brews", a down right tasty lager.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2002 19:52:04 | More by Jason

ppoitras

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +16.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle from a beer exchange with a friend at the holidays.

Poured into a pint glass, a 1/2 inch head formed, which retreated to a layer of foam over the slightly cloudy amber brew. Malty, yeasty nose, reminds me of bread. Good, full mouthful of malts, with hops that complement and do not detract from the grain flavor. This one sort of caught me by surprise, wasn't expecting to enjoy this one as much as I did.

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2004 22:10:15 | More by ppoitras