Laughing Skull Amber Ale - Red Brick Brewing Company

brownbeer

Missouri

3.63/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours bottle conditioned amber with a thin head. The aroma is of biscuity and nutty malts, and a citrusy hop balance. The taste is citrusy with tangerine and grapefruit, both in subtle balance with the bready, biscuity malts. Well rounded, though doesn't burst with vibrant flavors or aromas. There are more viable examples, but in a pinch, this would work.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2010 00:27:03 | More by brownbeer

cjgator3

Florida

3.15/5  rDev -7.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

12oz bottle

A- Pours a very nice slightly hazy amber color with a nice off-white head with nice retention that leaves a lot of lacing around the glass. This one sure looks great!

S- The aroma is caramel malts that are slightly toasty. It is a little bit bready as well. Not bad.

T- The taste is a lot of toasted grains with some biscuity malt and medicinal hops in the dry finish. Okay, but I'm not a huge fan of this one. I don't really dig the hop profile in the finish. Not overly hoppy by any stretch but I found the hop flavor to be a little harsh.

M- The mouthfeel is light-medium bodied and has a good amount of carbonation.

D- Overall, this is a decent Amber but nothing I would pick up again in the future. Worth a try though.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2010 04:34:32 | More by cjgator3

tpd975

Florida

3.43/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Pours a lighter shade of amber with a tall white head. Nice retention and lace.

S: Hints of caramel, bread, and piney hops. A bit of something chemical or industrial as well.

T: Caramel malt, light roast with hints of pine and a bit of grassy hops.

M: Medium in body smooth.

D: Okay amber nothing great.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2010 00:36:38 | More by tpd975

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

3.58/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

16 ounce pint - $4.50 at Taco Mac in Kennesaw, Georgia.

The first official pint of Atlanta Brewing's revived and reformulated Laughing Skull poured at this location from a handle-less ta. It's been more than a few years since we've last seen Laughing Skull. The last encounter I recall, was when I lived within walking distance of their previous location on William Street. Heck, I may even have a well-worn LS shirt around here somewhere.

Appearance: Served up a crystal clear, appropriately amber-hued body with a thinnish, near white head. Though thin, it is lasting and provides for some nice lacing.

Smell: Offers a modest nose smelling lightly of toasty amber malts, a vague hint of fruit, and some spicy, herbaceous hop notes.

Taste: Toasty, sweetish flavor of amber malts with a background hint of light brown sugar. A little blip of fruitiness passes by now and again. A touch of crisp graininess arrives late in the taste. Earthy, spicy, lightly zesty hop character but with only a subdued bitterness. Beyond a small, final hint of toast, Laughing Skull finishes quite clean and dry.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium-high carbonation.

Drinkability: I recall the old Laughing Skull performing well in terms of ease of drinkability, and this new rendition definitely follows in its footsteps.

Serving type: on-tap

02-09-2010 19:25:54 | More by ChainGangGuy

ATPete

New Jersey

3.3/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle

Thanks Tim. Awesome label design. Pours a transparent golden orange color with a medium sized snow white head that leaves excellent lacing on the glass. One dimensional sweet malt with a nutty background in the nose, a bit of a musty funk lays above it all. Soft, tangy and malt focused, leafy hops balance well enough, a slight medicinal character is sharp in the aftertaste. High carbonation allows for an easy quaff.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2010 03:40:45 | More by ATPete

Deus1138

Georgia

4.33/5  rDev +27.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

I noticed this clever bottle as I walked through Total and Wine and more in Kennesaw. The sign outside of the Vortex?? I must investigate!

Poured into a standard pint glass. Color is light red, mostly orange. Very clear. Not a lot of carbonation, but I got a decent amount of frothy head. It dissolved after a few minutes, leaving a thing slab of head on the surface. Good lacing.

Smell is bready with indistinct hops.

Taste is very good. Bready malts with some mild sweetness, dry bitter finish. Very nice.

This is a really excellent brew. Easy to throw back, but also great for slowly enjoying. I'm glad this will be available year round. This will make an excellent beer for grilling out!

Serving type: bottle

01-17-2010 03:54:18 | More by Deus1138

KickbacksSteve

Florida

4/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12 ounce bottle with cool label. On the label it looks like the skeleton from the freaky doll from the movie Saw. No glass available, drank straight from the bottle. Aroma includes caramel malts and mild sweetness with a slight hop presence. Taste seems like a well balanced amber, maybe leaning a touch towards the sweet side. Highly drinkable. I assume it weighs in around 4.5%. Refreshing, smooth and easy to drink. Nice beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2010 08:32:56 | More by KickbacksSteve

StarSAELS

Georgia

3.88/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I really can't say it better than Ding and Mavajo. I haven't had an ABC brew in a while, mainly because I've been trying many, many other things, so this is sort of a "welcome back". It's a nice, warm one. :-)

Picked up at GA World of Bev. in Fairburn and poured it into a Pauwel Kwak coachman. I have to agree with everything previously said except the soapiness. Didn't detect that. I really like the mild, lingering bitterness.

Cool label -- doggone it, the label is a plastic sticker! Easy-off-the-bottle and easy-onto-the-Beer-Fridge. :-D

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2010 05:21:22 | More by StarSAELS

Mavajo

Georgia

4/5  rDev +17.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Son of a gun, Ding beat me to it.

This beer pours a slightly orange gold color with excellent clarity. Head is average - just a bit under two fingers thick and basically white. Decent retention and lacing.

Aroma and taste are both pretty mild and easy drinking. Sweet malts at the forefront with a tame bitterness like unsweetened tea (but no where near the intensity of, say, an English Brown). Mouthfeel is smooth with appropriate carbonation - it's there, but doesn't dominate or distract. Drinkability is superb. Very crisp and refreshing. This didn't taste boozy at all, but there's no ABV label on the beer. If it's not too high, then this is a perfect session beer. There's nothing mind blowing here - it's simply a very well made and enjoyable beer.

EDIT: Spoke with brewer. The ABV is 5.7

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2010 21:31:27 | More by Mavajo