James Squire Amber Ale - Malt Shovel Brewery

heygeebee

Australia

3.45/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at local in Berowra.

Interesting to review this as this was my first staple craft entry beer a few years ago. Didn't even know what it was style-wise then, but I did know I liked the taste.

Pours a deep copper rather than amber. One finger head stays and good sheet lace.

Smells of nothing really, even as it warms.

Taste is a 100% caramel malt bomb. Big, Big, mid palate balanced by moderate hop presence, not too earthy, not too lifted. Hint of honey sweetness. Quite big for an English Brown Ale.

Mouthfeel moderately carbonated, smooth, and medium to light weight.Pub-style in a word.

So, was it as good as I remembered? Well, yes except I had two and did not want a third, as a slight astringent note crept in. I also got a headache from hell after this and two Chancers.

Serving type: on-tap

10-25-2012 22:58:03 | More by heygeebee

soju6

Missouri

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at the Portland Brewhouse.

A: Served a dark copper color with a decent head that fades to good lacing.

S: Aroma of mild citrus with a bit of malt sweetness.

T: Taste similar to aroma with a bit of citrus with an easy malt sweetness. Mild bitterness and a clean finish.

F: Fairly light body and quite smooth.

O: Decent drinker, seems to go best with food as it is a bit bland.

Serving type: on-tap

08-12-2012 08:24:41 | More by soju6

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

G'day Mate! Let's throw another beer down the gullet!!!! What can be said about James Squire's Amber Ale...well....its a a solid beer, very enjoyable. There is now alot going on with the beer...it's just solid. The color is a darker amber, decent head with lacing present. No much to smell, but the taste is well balanced by malt, caramel, and a wee roast. Not solid beer to enjoy during your next session of chasin the Sheilas!!!

Serving type: on-tap

02-11-2011 05:41:47 | More by WoodBrew

TubaManJack

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev +5.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Appearance- Deep Amber color- Wow I know big surprise. The head was moderate and produced some limited lacing.
Smell- Somewhat like a brown ale. There was a substacial nut and almost carmel malt nose. Of course there are herbal hops present in the background.
Taste- Moderatly Hopped with a substancial malt backbone. Its quite unique and worth the experience on tap. Its very easy to find on tap in SYD. The carmel malt transitioned to more of a bitter one towards the end of the class and as the carbonation levels dropped.
Mouthfeel- Rather light but the taste progressions are interesting and memorable.
Mixed Drinkability

Serving type: on-tap

04-28-2009 02:03:35 | More by TubaManJack

foles

Australia

3.53/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A pretty solid ale - it has the characteristics of an english ale, but scaled right down to suit the average aussie drinker who may not be familiar with the style. Subtle english noble hop presence, with a possibly excessive caramel backbone. Somewhat watery and lacking body, but this doesnt detract too much from the overall product.

Was well served with a decent head and looked impressive with the coppery transparent hue.

Not too bad. Seems better on draught than in the bottle in my opinion.

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2008 12:47:27 | More by foles

rec

Australia

3.55/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

When I can't get my hands on a Belgian beer, this is what I'm drinking. You're right, it's not a lot like a Belgian ale, but has a strikingly strong and full flavour which I've really grown to appreciate.

It reeks of malt and hops; you can almost taste it before taking a sip. Like the Golden Ale, it screams boutique, and is perfect for changing things up but definately not a session beer as the taste can become tiresome after a few.

It's quite complex but well-rounded. You'll taste nuts, fruit and florals. Served cold it's quite refreshing, but for the best flavour having it served a bit warmer than most pubs have it on tabe would be recommended.

I'd almost say it's my favourite Australian beer, if only I didn't get sick of the taste after so few at a time.

Serving type: on-tap

01-21-2007 10:14:46 | More by rec

vancurly

Australia

3.45/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a dark amber, head fades to a surface slick, leaving some nice lacing.

Smells of malt powder, English hops, hint of metallic note. Some yeast extract (Marmite/Vegemite) hint also.

Taste of amber malts, hint of banana, some honeycomb, aftertastes of floral, soapy hop that I think is Goldings. Mild bitterness.

Medium body, crisp-ish finish. Probably better from the bottle, where one has better control over serving temperature. The average Sydney tap-temperature is too low for amber ales, I think.

Serving type: on-tap

10-10-2006 04:24:33 | More by vancurly

warmstorage

Georgia

2.5/5  rDev -28%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

AU$5.50 schooner (~425ml, I believe?) had both on tap at several Sydney pubs, a couple of Victoria pubs, and a pub in the Sydney airport (when they were out of the James Squire Porter.) That my various tastings of this beer included my last Australian beer, after a month of drinking in the country, seems fitting: it's one of the better things on offer, and it's pretty lame.

Notes below were an amalgam of two separate tastings and ratings, though all five or six times I drank this beer my impressions were the same: I disliked it quite a bit, though not as much as whatever else was available in each (next) place along the way.

Bright copper to orange color, visible rising bubbles and average to slightly vigorous tight white head. Schooners, incidentally, are a pretty ridiculous glass for aroma, head, and taste, for most beer.

Nose is fruity and sweet, and a good head is held, with the beer consistently served WAY TOO DAMN COLD. Jesus: it's an airport, it's temperature controlled, and they still serve the beer around 42-44*F. After one taste, I read my book while it sat for about 10 minutes to warm. It was just a little below cellar temp when I rated and made notes.

Taste is significantly sweet, fruity, with hints of apricot (reminded me of Magic Hat #9 or Dogfish Head Aprihop.) Oddly sweet, and totally inappropriately so for the style (whether that's Amber or EPA), bordering on sickly sweet.

The taste lingers briefly, with slightly harsh malt flavors and more sickly sweet fruitiness.

Pretty poor: and that it's one of the better offerings in the country says a lot.

Serving type: on-tap

04-14-2006 07:50:31 | More by warmstorage

diablo14

Australia

3.53/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

took me a while to warm up to this one, but once i did i found it hard to stop buying 6 packs. then i had it on tap. that cemented it for me. the j.s amber is easily one of the best warm weather session beers going around in oz if you want something with a touch of class.

color is a very strong copper color with a light foamy head that stays a fair bit better than it does on some of their others (from the keg no problems with retention at all). sweet nutty caramel like nose with some flowery hops, tastes alot like a brown ale, but less sweet, with subtle malts, caramel tinges and a nutty finish supported with a drawn out but gentle hop bitterness. not too complex or robust, but impressive presentation of flavors. quite light in body and rather carbonated for the style, but this serves to make it very drinkable indeed. never have any problem getting this down.

infinately better on tap than from the bottle, either way you cant get better for the price. more consistant than the other standard j.s brews when in the bottle also. a real thirst quencher from jimmy here.

Serving type: on-tap

11-18-2003 09:45:52 | More by diablo14

koolk

Australia

3.8/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Lovely amber red colour with a slight head and low to medium carbonation.

Light nose of floral hops and a hint of malty sweetness.

Palate is great. Soft, round, rich and very full flavoured. A nice and deep malty flavour with a good dose of floral hops that is a really enjoyable beer in the summer time.

Finally, a reason to go into a Tooheys pub.

Serving type: on-tap

11-17-2003 23:31:38 | More by koolk

machalel

Australia

3.1/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: A nice and deep red-amber colour. Reasonable amount of white head (2 cm) which disappears a little too fast. Small amount of lacing down the glass.

Aroma: Subdued caramel, toffee, and malt. Not a lot here to write about, as each time I have tried this beer it has had a literal lack of smell.

Taste: Malt and toffee, a little bit of zest and fruit. Enough bitters to balance the malt, but still on the mild side.

Mouthfeel: A bit too carbonated, as it detracts a bit from the flavours, but otherwise acceptable.

Drinkability: Quite easy to drink, and one that I could (and do) have regularly. That being said, it's not a beer to savour or to think too much about. It's a nice BBQ lunch beer, where your mind is on other things.

Serving type: bottle

02-01-2012 04:16:40 | More by machalel

jjkatter

Australia

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

330ml bottle poured into a goblet... This beer differs from the one pictured in that it is branded "Nine Tales" and illustrating a top hat with a card with the number 9 on it.

A- deep amber in color. No head to review.

S- tried and tried and just couldn't smell much.

T- much better than anticipated. Nice floral malt front to it with a bit of a salty finish. Still, not half bad.

MF- nice effervescence and good balance.

O- yea, I'd drink another of these.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2012 08:17:48 | More by jjkatter

BeerSingh

India

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer was briefly available on the shelves here, but I guess was taken off as soon as the batch expired. I had bought a mixed case of the Amber and Golden, plus 6 each of Hahn and James Boag lager. The amber was poured into a Stella glass with enough aggression to create an inch of off white, sudsy head that settled into a fine collar within a minute. The beer itself was a deep copper - amber hued, with plenty carbonation. Decent so far. The nose was pretty muted - faint malt, a little caramel with slight graininess. The beer may have been a tad cold, but the nose was definitely stunted and shortlived.
The taste was far better than the nose, with the malt and caramel - toffee character making their presence felt. It definitely tasted like a sweet lager, like a bock. There was slight hop bitterness and a fruitiness to finish with. The palate was left moist, and the above average carbonation made the mouthfeel a little livelier than chewy, although it could have been more than required. Overall, a decent beer and can be had all year round with ease, but no need to go looking out for it.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 11:40:01 | More by BeerSingh

davidfoley

New York

2.85/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Copper, Amber colour. Light carbonation. Zero head retention. Great clarity

Smell - Light hop, dark fruits, cherry and plumb

Taste - Light hop & malt, dark fruit, woody, flavour with slight dryness. Bitter finish

Mouthfeel - Good carbonation, medium body

Drinkability - Light beer properly carbonated, drinkable

Overall - Better that the other James Squire beers, however still not one I would return to. Generic beer with little character

Printed on the side of the bottle :
Hand-crafted with Pale & Crystal malts & distinctive hops for a long, slightly nutty finish, this Ale writes another page in the glorious & enigmatic life of James Squire

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2011 09:00:32 | More by davidfoley

aBeeraWeek

Australia

3.78/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle picked up from Safeways in Melbourne.
Chilled, then poured into a Spiegelau beer glass.

Appearance – dark amber with some dark red coming out when held to the light.

Smell – an enticing combination of fresh sweet bread and caramel

Taste – is well matched to the smell. The same sweet caramels come through early but are not overstated, with a light bitterness coming through from the hops. A sweet fruit aftertaste.

Mouthfeel – Agree with previous postings that this is slightly over carbonated. A little less carbonation would be more fitting with the taste and smell of this beer. It takes some of the focus away from the sweeter flavourings.

Overall – a pleasant tasting beer that has enough flavourings to keep the drink interesting throughout.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2011 04:22:14 | More by aBeeraWeek

Stew41

Australia

2.35/5  rDev -32.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Attractive toffee - caramel hues. Slightly stale malts on the nose and a little pongy - not unpleasant. A bit staid in the mouth like the most of the range. Malts are a bit metallic and hollow, and the staleness pops up again. Finishes a touch bland.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2011 13:05:01 | More by Stew41

JohnnyBarman

Ontario (Canada)

3.48/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Single bottle picked up at a Canberra supermarket.

Poured into a small tumbler glass. A nice amber-copper hue, good colour, about a half inch of white head, survives as a thick ring with some flecks of lacing. Not bad.

Nose is caramel, toffee, light hopping.

Begins with a sweet malt character, a little bit of caramel, toffee, dark fruit, before finishing with a slightly metallic, tart, lemony taste that doesn't quite work. Still, goes down fairly well and has some nice things going for it.

Carbonation is quite aggressive, doesn't really fit. I agree with a previous poster, it reminds me of a red lager in this respect. Slick, thin bodied. The finish is long and a bit metallic.

A decent amber ale, certainly drinkable and worth trying, but nothing fantastic. Needs a bit of work on the hoppage to really finish well.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 08:35:09 | More by JohnnyBarman

dgilks

Australia

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Crystal clear amber colour with a small, off-white head. Poor head retention.

Dark, toffee and yeasty aroma. Slightly oxidised.

Bready caramel and toffee flavour with lots of residual sweetness. This could be a little drier and the fruit flavours are very raisiny.

Medium body with moderately-low carbonation. Fair but not great.

An okay but not entirely satisfactory beer. It lacks finesse and seems overly simplified.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2011 04:39:38 | More by dgilks

Macca

Australia

3.58/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This pours clear with a deep amber colour and a solid slightly off white head.

The nose is nutty, earthy hops, some sweetness.

Malts really come through on the palate as you would hope. The hops are there but restrained. Maybe finishes a touch too sweet for me but that's something I find in a lot of malt driven beers.

Reasonably full bodied.

Always a safe bet when you want something with a bit of body that you can have a couple of.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2011 07:49:10 | More by Macca

doktorhops

Australia

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 2 | overall: 4

The James Squire bottle tells a story of a man that received a hundred lashes from a cat-o-nine tail because of his insubordinate and wanton lust to brew beer. This to me sums up Australian's well - so great is our thirst for the amber drop that we will gladly suffer punishment to brew the ultimate beverage.

Today's serving vessel is my trusty old clay chalice/tulip 450ml cup (from the Pilsner Urquell brewery in Pilsen). The amber ale itself was poured from a 345ml bottle.

A: Oh dear, I poured the beer before realised that I cannot see through lacquered clay... err, I'm sure the body would appear amber as advertised (actually it's more of a "caramel brown" - I've had this beer before). 2cm tan head that dissipates to a thin layer that leaves lacing in the chalice.

S: Nutty malts, followed by a woody fragrance with a hint of puke (not a good thing to have a hint of mind you).

T: This "ale" has a mild, slightly nutty flavour balanced with some sweet malts. The hop bitterness is slight, and doesn't spoil the aftertaste which is earthy followed by a sour note. I'm glad there's no taste of the 'puke' I noticed from the smell.

M: Here's my bugbear with this "ale" (and I'm using inverted commas for a reason) - this is no more an "ale" than my grandmother is a scuba diver, and it comes down to the carbonation for me - this "ale" is carbonated like a lager (which really p****s me off!). Unfortunately this is where Aussie brewers drop the ball over our English brethren. Points have been deducted.

D: So we've got an "Amber Ale" that isn't really "Amber" or an "Ale", but how does it stand on the drinkability front? Quite well actually. I could easily go through a 6er of these - there's very little confronting me. And that is the only thing holding this brew back - lack of complexity... apart from that - this is one drinkable beverage, worth a hundred lashes? Perhaps not, but otherwise enjoyable.

Food match: Roast chicken, leg of Lamb, Lyonnaise potatoes and light barbeque fare.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2011 09:04:47 | More by doktorhops

drtth

Pennsylvania

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

Review based upon notes taken during a recent trip to Sydney.

Poured into a wine glass. Glass of cold water on the side to sip from periodically.

Appearance: As poured the beer is a clear bright reddish copper color with a 1" white head that recedes slowly. Sipping leaves some modest lacing on the sides of the glass.

Smell: The aroma is dominated by the biscuity toasted malts and has some earthy herbal hops in the background. The malts also contribute a touch of caramel and the hops seem to add a lightly floral character as well.

Taste: The flavors include the sweet malt backbone with its hints of caramel. The hops well in the background here but definitely show some earthy, floral and herbal notes.

Mouthfeel: The mouth feel is medium to light bodied with unimpressive carbonation. The finish is medium to short in length and does have a touch of spicy dryness from the hops as it tapers off.

Drinkability: This was easy enough to drink, but did not stand out in any obvious way. I could drink a second but probably won't.

Serving type: bottle

12-28-2010 02:38:04 | More by drtth

Parrotshake

Australia

3.53/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Have had this beer dozens of times but not for quite a while. Grabbed a few bottles to have with lunch. Pours into a Guinness pint glass a clear rusty amber with 2 fingers of tight head.

Sweetish malty nose; toast, nuts and kinda stale biscuit. Lightly sour fruity smell. Taste is not dissimilar - sourish grainy flavor backed with nutty, toasty malt and herbal/slightly metallic hops. Dry and nutty finish without much lingering bitterness.

Prickly carbonation, thin mouthfeel. Smooth and easily drinkable. A pretty satisfying brown ale which is going down a treat with the roast beef sandwich I'm eating. Not 'great', but I could certainly polish off quite a few.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2010 04:07:38 | More by Parrotshake

leastsquares

Australia

3.53/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

A: A crystal clear, dark honey colour. Two fingers of pale beige head which slowly collapses into a long-lasting film a few millimetres thick. Many small bubbles rising in columns at rapid speed from the base of the glass.

S: Malts, mixed with warm porridge and floral aromas.

T: Most of the taste is at the back of the mouth. Quite sour. Not a complex taste, but not insipid either.

M: A Goldilocks body - not too heavy, not too light. Fairly creamy. Not as much carbonation on the tongue as there was in the glass.

D: Very easy to drink, despite the sourness - ideal for casual drinkers who want something different but don't want to go too far out of their comfort zone.

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2010 10:05:47 | More by leastsquares

ADZA

Australia

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

This is one beer that ive had many times before but not for a while and a mate popped around with a sixer so thought id give a review,it pours a see through light amber hue with decent carbonation that leaves behind a creamy two finger head and some nice lacing,im not impressed by this aroma of sweet malts and grains with the feinest of hints of herbal hops,the mouthfeel is very average and definately lacks the body that i like in a good old fashioned EBA and the taste is only just above average with hints of brown sugar,very i mean very light herbal hops and it finishes with a nutty,caramel finish,overall this brew is not how i remember it i mean i dont know if they have changed the recipie or my palette has changed but its definately not a beer that i would go out and buy but in saying that id prefer this on tap then the other macrobrews on offer at most non-micro pubs as usually the james squire range is sometimes the only other option and i do thank them for that.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2010 14:46:52 | More by ADZA

eric5bellies

Australia

3.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Drank on tap at the Palace, Kalgoorlie.

A - Nice dark amber colour with an off white head that dies pretty quickly.

S - Not much by the way of aromas.

T - Slighly sweet citrus notes and some caramel.

M - Medium body an low carbonation.

D - MAkes a decent winter session beer.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2010 16:51:38 | More by eric5bellies