Amber Ale - Coastal Fog Brewing

vacax

California

3.78/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Bottle from BevMo, twelve pack for $14.

A: Dark amber, caramel brown pours with a generous two finger off-white head. Leaves plenty of lacing.

S: Sweet biscuity and some caramel with light prickly raisin fruitiness.

T: Quite a pleasant surprise. Classic amber ale flavor with biscuits, caramel, a bit of hop bite. Finish has some definite roasty characteristics. Similar to a more complex Fat Tire.

M: Medium body with ample carbonation. Fairly standard.

D: Enjoyable amber ale with more complexity than I had expected. Easily sessionable and a fair price too.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2009 21:29:48 | More by vacax

bum732

Maryland

3.03/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

S: Light, toasted malt. Faint fruity hops and other esters.

L: Clear, reddish orange, white creamy head that dissipates. OK lacing.

T: Clean, toasted malt with slight fruity hop taste. Medium low bitterness, spicy almost that comes through in the finish. Finishes slightly spicy, slightly dry.

M: Medium bodied, medium carbonation, fairly clean and refreshing.

Not bad, pretty average. Quite refreshing with the spicy hops.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2012 02:41:07 | More by bum732

TheSixthRing

California

3.08/5  rDev -4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance - Pours a light amber with a finger width head, disipates quickly, and leaves a sparse lacing.

Smell - Sweet, straight-forward malt aroma.

Taste - Malt forward, with a bit of hop bitterness into the aftertaste. A bit of nuttiness. Nothing too interesting.

Mouthfeel - Medium body, low carbonation.

Overall - An average red. Pretty straight-forward, basic beer. Drinkable, but nothing that'll grab your attention.

Serving type: on-tap

04-08-2012 22:40:22 | More by TheSixthRing

TrojanWheels

California

4/5  rDev +24.6%

01-20-2012 20:03:29 | More by TrojanWheels

brendaniel

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -6.5%

12-06-2011 01:46:22 | More by brendaniel

codynevels

California

3/5  rDev -6.5%

11-18-2011 03:30:54 | More by codynevels

PokerGod

Minnesota

2.93/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a mug.

Appearance- Dark golden color, with a light tan head, that retains well. Beautiful lacework.

Smell- Malty and fruity, but nothing too strong here.

Taste- Nice. Roasty malty flavored with a real sweet finish.

Overall- A nice beer, very decent. worth trying again.

Serving type: bottle

06-22-2011 05:10:00 | More by PokerGod

CaseyR22

California

3.55/5  rDev +10.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I should start out by saying I'm not crazy about amber ales. I got this in a mystery 24 pack from bevmo and I couldn't find a freshness date on the bottle. Says its brewed by "The Tied House" in San Jose

Look- Deep reddish coppery color. Small thick head that dissipates after a couple sips. Minimal lacing.

Smell- Very rich toffee smell, but a hint of something kinda strange in the background, can't quite put my finger on it. Overall it smells great though if you don't over-analyze it.

Taste- Really tastes quite a bit different than it smells. Tastes like a malty amber, kind of sweet with a little metallic taste and some roastiness in the background. Not very big or bold but quite drinkable. I like it better than some much more pricey ambers I've had.

Mouthfeel- A little thin for the style, nice carbonation though.

Overall- Decent. I will probably buy this again, just so I can try it with some toffee.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2011 21:36:54 | More by CaseyR22

Mora2000

Texas

2.93/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Cavie for sharing this bottle.

The beer pours an amber color with a white head. The aroma is toffee, grass and earthy hops. The flavor is not as good. I get some earthy and grassy hops, along with some toffee and iced tea notes. There is also an off-putting cooked vegetable note in the flavor that is not good at all. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2010 06:41:48 | More by Mora2000

HalfFull

California

2.35/5  rDev -26.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Poured into a pint glass from a 12 oz. twist off bottle. Pours a copper amber with a thin and fleeting cap of just off white foam. Retention and lacing leaves a bit to be desired.

Nose is buttery rancid of hops and diacetyl. Not to my liking and with a sweet caramel backing.

Flavor follows with an odd drying bitterness.

Thanks anyway.

This beer isn't too far afield of many No. Cal. brews but I miss it completely. Thanks anyway. Offers a rancid bitterness yet doesn't have the body to pull it off. Check please..

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2010 04:45:14 | More by HalfFull

mooseisloose

Florida

2.95/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Didn't have to travel too far to get this brew, arrived at my door from BOTMC, let's give it a whirl. Popping the top doesn't reveal any prevalent smell other than some black licorice and malts. Poring into a tulip glass the brew is a reddish bronze with a huge foamy head. On the sip the brew is smooth but not real weighty and the mouthfeel is a little thin although well carbonated. The taste is basically balanced with a wslight bitterness and a a sweeter slightly roasted maltiness. Good flavor but nothing jumps out at me. A good drinker, but then again, there are alot of good drinkers with more standout features.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2010 19:57:23 | More by mooseisloose

watchnerd

California

3.73/5  rDev +16.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Since some 'Coastal Fog' (BevMo's in house beer) seem to come from different breweries, mine was labeled as having come from the Tied House brewery, making it local if you're in the Bay Area. Bought my batch in March, 2010. The bottling date was listed as 12/2009, so not super old.

A - Dark copper, not much head.
S - Probably the weakest feature, lacking in aroma. But nothing off-putting, either.
T - Pleasant, drinkable. Not particularly unique, and designed not to offend. A somewhat bashful amber ale, it's subdued and would go well with food.
M - Medium body, good carbonation. Dry, crisp.
D - Very drinkable, good session beer. Doesn't tire out your palate like some more 'in your face' ales and the alcohol content is low, making it easy to have several.

Overall, it's a good solid 'average' amber ale -- BUT for the price, it's a killer deal. Great for parties, BBQs, and just keeping on stock as a backup beer or a basic everyday beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2010 06:10:26 | More by watchnerd

DwnTwnBwn

California

3.2/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

A- Light copper brown body, clear. Tan 2 finger head.

S- Mainly sweet caramel malts with a touch of grassy hops

T- Standard amber ale. Caramel malts are upfront then a slight roasted malt finish with a touch of hops. The beer seems to be slightly artificial tasting. Could use more hops.

M- Medium body. Good carbonation. Slightly acidic finish.

O- It's a decent amber ale, not too impressive. Better examples out there.

Serving type: bottle

08-03-2009 16:51:52 | More by DwnTwnBwn

GoreStorm

California

3.2/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A - pours a (shocking) foggy deep amber red, moderate tan head. would be a good looking beer if the head stuck around but it fades quickly.

S - it's allright, there's a decent maltyness here and a bit of spicyness and hops.

t - for me, just the right amount of hopping, i don't care for a lot of hops, there is an okay malt support here, but i'd like to have it come through, i've had other, possibly older bottles where the malt was stronger for whatever reason and it was allright.

m - dry and crisp...

d - this is a pretty good session beer i would say, i've been drinking a few of them when i drink towards the end of the evening, it's never let me down yet.

notes - this beer is almost the epitome of average, but that's okay, it's super cheap at only 13 dollars for a 12 pack. i recommend it in spite of some of the lower ratings it's recieved just as a session beer or something average to have laying around the house as fodder for visitors.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2008 17:33:34 | More by GoreStorm

Injemanze

China

4.22/5  rDev +31.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Amber Ales are growing on me and this ranks among my top two at present.

Appearance: Amber red and elegant with minimal head

Smell: Caramel and malt, maybe even a hint of cinnamon, actually I am quite impressed

Taste: Quite complex, thought it is bit heavy up front and in the aftertaste. The most pronounced flavor is something sweet like caramel but with a hint of spice. It ends with a bit of hoppy bitterness

Mouthfeel: Not thick not thin but average

Drinkability: A bit heavy for more than three bottles but quite enjoyable

Serving type: bottle

09-02-2007 08:41:49 | More by Injemanze

cchotz

California

3.25/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Presentation - Nice simple design on the bottle. Not very fancy with tons of graphics or anything. Pours a clear dark amber. Not much head.

Smell - Caramel malt smell.

Taste - Nutty, caramel flavor that gets a bit more sweet as you drink it.

Drinkability - Average. Not much there. But still a descent beer.

Overall - I do like this beer. Do not expect anything special. But I do recommend trying it at least once. Makes a good beer after work.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2007 22:46:13 | More by cchotz

rhoadsrage

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

(Served in an American pint glass)

A-The body is brown with an orange hue and a good carbonation, but the head is a very thin off-white ring around the edge.

S- Very clean sweet malt taste with a hint of citrus hops but very faint.

T- A light malt base with just a hint of chocolate or roasted malt. Some light wheat or maybe rice flavors but some adjunct taste in there. A hint of biscuit and some acidic taste at the finish.

M- light watery mouthfeel with no alcohol warmth or hop astringency. It doesn't have the fizzy that I would expect with this acidic finish

D- This is a simple amber ale. Not real complex and not a lot to balance the slight roast of the malt. It would be nice to have more malt and some hops to support the taste.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2005 01:17:39 | More by rhoadsrage

Troyone

California

3.5/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a true amber color with a root beer hue, minimal lacing with a half inch head, and some carb action.

Smell is of a toasted caramel malt with sruce grapefruit hops and hints of oak wood.

Taste is a moderately sweet and acidic roasted, nutty, chocolate, and caramel malt; spruce and grapefruit hops; and hints of oak, toffee, and cola.

A medium to full bodied mouthfeel, with a dry minimally watery/syrupy texture, soft carbonation, and a slight metallic finish.

A good heavy amber can be part of a session.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2005 01:40:38 | More by Troyone

Zorro

California

2.8/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Pours a clear red colored brew.

Smell is mostly a bit of malt and a faint citrus hop scent.

Taste is a little bit of sweetness and some roasted malt flavor and a fairly strong hop bitterness. Faint citrus flavor and a bit of buttery flavor to this too. The citrus flavor gets more pronounced as you drink it.

Mouthfeel is very average.

Drinkable? Well yes you can drink it but I can't recommend it. Tastes like a first try at homebrew when you forget to dry hop the wort.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2005 01:33:26 | More by Zorro

TheLongBeachBum

California

2.9/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Presentation: 22 ounce Bomber, the main label is exactly like that of the 12 ounce bottle pictured in the BA database avatar. Labeled as ‘Coastal Fog’ in white text set against a black oval background with the words ‘Look what just blew in above’. No strength or freshness listed anywhere. In fact, not much information at all.

Appearance: Dark amber brown body that is perfectly lucid. The head is lazy, a creamy off-white color it struggles to retain any interest in hanging around. Mild lacing but only on the opposite side of the Pint Glass to which I drink from. Average carbonation levels help to reinstate some head but it remains thin, broken and punctuated with large bubbles, reminds me of Bass-Shandy at times.

Nose: Sweet malts with a caramel hint. Light hint of dark fruits and some toffee apples. Spartan at times, there is some aroma but it is non-descript at times.

Taste: As with the nose, the start has sweet malts. Grainy malts make a very brief appearance in the middle. Light fruitiness in the back end. Finishes quickly with a dry ending and a little bitterness.

Mouthfeel: Incredibly middle of the road. Sweet malts and the carbonation help to maintain a 3.0, just.

Drinkability: It’s OK, nothing offensive, the appearance reminded me of Bass-Shandy, and I have to say that the overall impression is that this is exactly what it drinks like, easily downed.

Overall: A real Sally of a Brew. Cost me $2.59 for the Bomber - not worth it. Exceptionally Average, in every sense of the word. Is this a UK Bitter-Shandy in Bottles – sure as hell tastes like it?

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2005 04:07:47 | More by TheLongBeachBum

beerguy101

California

2.95/5  rDev -8.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Amber color, medium white foamy head. Aroma is fruity and sweet. This beer is a lighter tasting amber, somewhat mild. Medium malts and lightly hopped. Nice flavor. Mouthfeel is full and round.. Finish is clean. Aftertaste is slightly bitter, with a touch of malt.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2003 00:12:05 | More by beerguy101