Live Oak Big Bark Amber Lager - Live Oak Brewing Company

BrotherDarryl

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

After drinking the belgian ale, this is one is a refreshing light beer. The beertender reminds me this is not a light beer. The color is amber. There was a good head on it after the pour that is gone now. It has a decent finish. Easy to drink with an ale-like bitter taste I like. I could drink quite a few of these, me thinks!

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2013 01:55:53 | More by BrotherDarryl

ElCommodoro

Texas

3.25/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a very pretty amber with no head. Flavour profile is well balanced, fresh-tasting and all around decent, but nothing particularly interesting. Tastes like lots of other local ambers. The fresh hops are not really something I'm particular fond of, but it adds a nice fresh, fruity, bitterness a lot of people might like. It's just not something I'm personally a fan of.

Serving type: on-tap

07-08-2012 04:23:46 | More by ElCommodoro

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served on tap at The Holy Grail Pub in Plano, TX.

A: Pours a crystal clear amber with light amounts of visible carbonation. There is a thin off white head that has very little retention and moderate amounts of lacing.

S: Slight aromas of bready malts with hints of spices and caramel.

T: Beautiful malty sweetness with a pleasant lingering bitterness in the finish. Hints of toffee and caramel.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Slightly crisp.

O: Very enjoyable and a decent example for the style. The lingering bitterness (it lingers for quite a while) makes the beer not very sessionable. But I would enjoy this beer at another opportunity, just not many of them in a sitting.

Serving type: on-tap

02-17-2012 00:59:03 | More by dbrauneis

elNopalero

Texas

4.38/5  rDev +19.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

This pours a clear caramel color with a tight layer of foam topping it. There’s a muted aroma and this light, malty flavor with a sharp, hoppy bitterness that rounds it out. And, honestly, that’s the way I like my amber lagers: with character and a kick, not just malty syrup. Good one.

Serving type: on-tap

02-16-2012 16:57:44 | More by elNopalero

Biermaedchen

Texas

4.13/5  rDev +12.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - reddish brown with copper colored highlights, a nice off-white head that has good retention

S - exceptional malt aroma with toasty sweet caramel scents & very slight hint of hops

T - tasty set of malty flavors with sweet toffee/caramel and light toasty malt note. smooth graininess with a crisp hop bitterness in the background

M - medium bodied. well-balanced and smooth, but firm. great carbonation.

O - really exceptional beer... tasty and drinkable & good representation of the style. Happy they gave this year around.

Serving type: on-tap

06-28-2011 18:25:06 | More by Biermaedchen

jamescain

Texas

3.05/5  rDev -16.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass at the Draught house.

Appearance: Red-orange with a white head around a finger thick that fades into a thin lacing.

Aroma: Malty sweetness, with a burnt grain aroma in the background.

Taste: Sweet from the malts and slightly roasted. Nothing spectacular, but not bad by any means, just kind of bland like most beers of the style.

Mouthfeel: Light body with medium carbonation and a relatively dry finish.

Overall: Honestly I’m not that big a fan of brown ales or amber ales and this one was no exception. It didn’t do much to separate itself from the pack. I always enjoy Live Oak’s beers so I was slightly disappointed by this offering.

Serving type: on-tap

06-09-2011 16:08:35 | More by jamescain

tronester

Oklahoma

3.28/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Amber in color. Smells of toffee, and a hint of cinnamon. Taste is light grainup front followed by caramel and finishes with oaky smoke. Mouthfeel is smooth low carbonation. A pretty good beer, somewhat bland though. I like their Hefei much more than I like this beer personally.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2011 18:50:03 | More by tronester

bisonkron

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +20.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

A - slightly cloudy, small light head that fades quickly.

S - sweet malts, light hops, caramel

T - light caramel taste, toasted bread, also sweet malts, it was a very light taste overall, very refreshing

M - light, smooth, crisp. great.

D - amazing drinkability. could drink this for several hours. really enjoyed this one, will not be seeking it out soon, but if its on the menu i may grab it again.

Serving type: on-tap

01-23-2011 05:01:50 | More by bisonkron

Mora2000

Texas

3.9/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

On tap at the Addison Flying Saucer.

The beer pours an amber color with a white head. The aroma is very nice. I get quite a bit of toffee, but I also get some bread and a little bit of grape. The flavor is more of the same, with a lot of toffee and bready malt as well as a little bit of pine and grass from the hops. I also get a little bit of grape in the flavor as well. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: on-tap

10-28-2010 01:08:46 | More by Mora2000

rtepiak

Poland

3.35/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

nothing particularly interesting from a good local brewery. pour is amber and expected. head wasn't particularly rich... a tad off in color from white. not particularly hoppy nose and something that come out to be something dry and peppery. palate has the bitter and a very thin malt character. seemed like a thinned out pale ale. no fruit. no broadness in palate just a tad bitter and carbonated.

with that said... don't go to cane and abel's in austin. it a waste of time. had it again in much better quality but still nothing equal to their other beers.

Serving type: on-tap

08-14-2010 22:14:54 | More by rtepiak

armock

New York

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Poured an amber color with an off white head that leaves lacing behind

S - Is of sweet malt some caramel scents

T - Follows the nose with the sweet caramel malt

M - This beer has a lighter body with lighter carbonation to it

D - Overall this is a good sessionable beer it has a good taste thats easy to drink not the first Live Oak beer I'd pick but a good one thats worth a try sometime

Serving type: on-tap

02-01-2010 00:00:52 | More by armock

fjordhook

Texas

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours with a dark amber color, minimal head, with a transparent body. Smells were abundant with malts, low in hops. Compared to other amber lagers I've tasted, the malts weren't overpowering. The taste was bitter with malts, but it wasn't an uncomfortable bitterness. Was a smooth drink overall. This is not a style I'm very particular of, but this was definitely one of the better ones I've had.

Serving type: on-tap

01-31-2010 22:38:15 | More by fjordhook

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A thin, off-white head that had begun to dissipate even as it was being served to me. Color was a medium-amber with NE-quality clarity. Nose was fairly sweet for a lager-style beer. Mouthfeel was medium with a good bit of sweetness on the tongue. Finish remained sweet. Decent, but not compelling.

Serving type: on-tap

12-21-2009 23:43:58 | More by woodychandler

champ103

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a translucent amber/reddish color. A small one finger white head forms, and recedes in an instant. Light lace is left behind.
S: At first a large whiff of brewers yeast. Some sweet caramel malt and piny, citrus, and grassy hops.
T: Sweet caramel malt. Some grassy and piny hops. Fairly standard.
M/D: A medium body that is a little over carbonated for my tastes. I did not have any problems drinking this. Something I can session.

There is just not a lot here. I can't see reaching for this over the Hefe. Though, worth at least one try.

Serving type: on-tap

09-21-2009 01:58:46 | More by champ103

Arbitrator

California

3.65/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

On tap at Buffalo Billiard's in downtown Austin. Not a great lineup, but at least this was something I hadn't had before.

A: Poured a translucent dark amber body. The head was a finger of off-white foam that receded quickly into a donut, and left a few drabs of lacing down the sides of the glass. For a beer of this style, kind of average.

S: Toasted caramel malt, grain, and nuts. Not all that pungent.

T: Much breadier than the nose implied, and this dominated the taste along with grain and nuts. Caramel came near the end of the taste. It had a malty, but clean finish with a distinctly nutty aftertaste. I got a very light hop bitterness, but I couldn't place the flavor -- earthy, I suppose.

M: Light-bodied, medium carbonation. It went down smoothly.

D: I liked it, didn't love it.

Serving type: on-tap

09-17-2009 17:14:47 | More by Arbitrator

BayouBengal1537

Louisiana

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at Scholz Beer Garden in Austin, Texas. Took notes on my phone
A - orangey amber color, big fluffy head that remained pretty much through whole beer
S - sweetness, caramel malts
T - Matches the caramel malts aroma, breadiness, slight bitter hops in the end
M - medium mouth feel
D - very drinkable, I enjoyed 1 but would have liked to have a couple more.
I'm glad I got to try a local Austin brewery beer, I'll look forward to trying more when i'm in the area.

Serving type: on-tap

09-08-2009 18:27:59 | More by BayouBengal1537

DeathbySexyBT

Texas

3.68/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Amber-ish gold with fluffy white head that laces the glass marvelously.

S: A little light on the aroma here. Sweet caramel malts with a splash of apricots and a hint of wet grass.

T: Much like the smell, the taste is a bit restrained. I liked the apricot influence, but this beer comes across with a minor amount of bittering hops, mint, and caramel malt. The issue I take with this is that no ingredient or flavor sufficiently leads the charge. Just a bit boring, but not nasty. Too middle-of-the-road of a beer to follow something as delicious as their Hef.

M: Decent carbonation and body.

D: No problem with hammering this one over and over if you so desire. Smooth and not syrupy.

Serving type: on-tap

08-13-2009 13:58:07 | More by DeathbySexyBT

htomsirveaux

Texas

3.03/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Tried on tap @ Dancing Bear on Bastille Day 2009.

Poured in a Fireman 4 glass. Small light tan head. Lightly carbonated. Clear orange brown color. Faint caramel malt smell. Starts with some caramel nuttiness, turning slightly astringent. A little vegetal. Med body. Finish gives the slightest bit of hops on the back of your tongue. Med alcohol.

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2009 02:56:56 | More by htomsirveaux

drunkboxer1

Texas

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Smells of citrusy (grapefruit?) American hops and maybe a little caramel from the malt. Taste is dominated by big hop flavor with a little caramel adding some balance. The mouthfeel is thin, making it good for washing down a meal. An alright beer but a little one dimensional.

Serving type: on-tap

05-03-2009 23:29:38 | More by drunkboxer1

jujubeast6000

Texas

2.85/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Reviewed 10/19/2008 (draft @ Alamo Drafthouse Ritz, Austin, TX):

Pours a dark brown reddish colored body, with some white colored head. Has a very malty aroma, with some dustiness, and some fruitiness, but not a strong aroma. Nutty, dusty, light fruit taste. Some graininess.

Serving type: on-tap

02-25-2009 15:38:55 | More by jujubeast6000

mizzourah

Missouri

4.22/5  rDev +15%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Had it on tap at Cain and Abel's in Austin.

Appearance- Dark caramel color with a nice head that left decent lacing. Slight carbonation evident.

Smell- Caramel, perhaps a hint of chocolate and somewhat fruity.

Taste- Caramel malts at first and then fruity hops afterward. Good fruity aftertaste that wasn't too strong and quite enjoyable.

Mouthfeel- It wasn't too watery and danced around nicely on the tongue.

Drinkability- Excellent drinkability. I could drink this all night and be happy. None of the flavors are too overwhelming, I found it nicely balanced, and I kept wanting more. I always find myself ordering this when I'm in Austin.

Serving type: on-tap

01-06-2009 08:47:41 | More by mizzourah

TheMistler

District of Columbia

3.58/5  rDev -2.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Had on draft at the Ginger Man, Austin. Poured a clear, nutty brown. Copper. Creamy, latte foam of a head. Nice cap after middling retention. Lacing leaves behind interspersed walls and spider webs.

Caramel and chocolate malts. Nougat, maybe. Fairly sweet, but with hints of grass and grapefruit tang.

Crisp, finishing fairly bitter - hoppier than I expected from the nose. Subdued caramel, with the slightest hint of chocolate. The malts are the predominant flavors up front but are quickly supplanted (though not _completely_ overrun) by floral and citrus hops. Sweetness makes a a decent stab at reasserting itself, but the aftertaste is almost all hops, with a bitter resin presence.

Creamy feel with lots of restrained CO2 prickliness throughout. Pretty easy drinking.

A nice amber lager, with a tasty hop assertiveness that - while welcome - might give this beer a just slightly unbalanced quality.

Serving type: on-tap

12-28-2008 21:42:57 | More by TheMistler

SFRider

California

3.83/5  rDev +4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Clear. Light amber in color. Slightly more orange/red. Great head.
Smell: Musky. Kinda sweet. Actually smells kinda woody...but I wonder if that's from the name suggestion. Still...it does...
Taste: This was a little sweeter than I prefer for an amber - but not bad at all. Pretty good. Mildly malted. A little bitter on my breath at the end.
Drinkability: This beer was very drinkable. Medium carbonation.

This was a good beer - very drinkable. Definitely worth trying if you find yourself in Texas. I was told Live Oak is a good brewery out there - this was my first of their line. I'd have it again, but wasn't my favorite. Not bad at all though...

Serving type: on-tap

10-08-2008 19:37:58 | More by SFRider

tempest

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On-tap at the Gingerman in Dallas. Served in a pint glass, clear amber with a short white head.

The aroma is full of smooth caramel malts. The flavor matches with the same caramel and bread, but with a dry, almost burnt toffee note. The beer finishes with grassy bitterness, its not big, but its the most prominent taste.

Serving type: on-tap

09-10-2008 00:57:47 | More by tempest

dill

California

3.63/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

served on tap in a pint glass.

A - a deep amber color with a cream head.

S - a bit of sweetness, perhaps caramel.

T - a little bit of sweetness in the taste as well with the malt coming through as well.

M - medium bodied.

D - this is a really nice amber from a great brewery, but i was hoping they would do even better with this style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-09-2008 02:25:54 | More by dill