River Horse Special Ale Amber - River Horse Brewing Co.

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.68/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 12 oz. bottle. Has a pretty dark amber color with a small head. Smell is of malts, some hops. Taste is the same, some malts up front with hops kicking in at the end, a touch of caramel is present. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and overall makes for a solid offering.

Serving type: bottle

04-02-2011 13:10:23 | More by tone77

BuxMontBeerLover

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Purchased as part of a mix/match 6pk from The Beer Store in Southampton, PA. Price averaged out to $2.50/bottle.

Enjoyed in a DFH Signature Glass.

A - Pours a rather dark amber color with a one finger head that dissipates rather quickly. A very slight amount of lacing is left after drinking.

S - A very light sweet smell (malts). No hop smell at all. Not an overwhelming impression can be drawn from the aroma.

T - A very malty, slightly tangy taste. The presence of hops is no where to be found. Not a bad taste at all.

M - More on the thin, watery side. As mentioned, a tangy after taste lingers after drinking.

D - Not a bad beer. For an ale, I actually like it. You could easily drink a few of these since it is not a very heavy beer.

Overall: A decent beer that was worth a try. Would I purchase again? Probably not since I'm more of a hop head. Would I have a problem drinking it again? Not at all...it'is a nice departure from my normal beers. Give it a try.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

01-21-2011 14:05:16 | More by BuxMontBeerLover

snegopady

New Jersey

4.22/5  rDev +17.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5

I'm not going to claim that the Special Ale is world-class or anything silly like that. But what other reviewers see as a defect, I see as this beer's best feature. Sometimes--often--daily--I crave a malty beer that isn't hopped to the gills. And that's what this beer is all about--loads and loads of tasty, tasty malt. Not for everyone, apparently, but if you're a weirdo like me who likes his malt and wants it now, you could do whole a lot worse.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2011 02:28:54 | More by snegopady

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

3.08/5  rDev -14%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: deep amber red, almost brown in color. rich 1 finger head died down before i could take my first sip. a little hazy, perhaps this one is unflitered, with tiny carbonation bubbles racing to the surface.

S: toasty sweet malts. caramel and brown sugar. not getting much hops with this one.

T: sweet, tangy malt with hops used more for balance rather than flavor. finishes with a bitter linger, caused more from some roasted malt rather than hops. if this is in fact unfiltered, not getting much from the yeast here. this one is all malt.

M: a solid medium body made up entirely of malt. good carbonation.

D: if im looking for a sweet brew, i could drink one of these. otherwise, not really gonna be craving one of these.

granted i like my reds much hoppier than this, i still feel like this brew is far too one dimensional. in my opinion this recipe could use some tweaking in the hop department.

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2011 23:48:31 | More by Jimmys

jman42

New Jersey

3.73/5  rDev +4.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Poured a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass

A = Very nice looking red color with a nice light brown head. Lacing was pretty apparent

S = Nice malt aroma, barely noticeable hops

T = Nice malty taste. Again, hops were not overly apparent. Bit of a bitter after taste

M = Average

D = A nice red ale (unless you're looking for a hoppy one). Seems to look better than it drinks though. Still, I'd recommend to friends who aren't hopheads.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2010 23:18:21 | More by jman42

tigg924

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev -16.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: minimal head, hazy, dark amber in color, high carbonation

Smell: toasted malt and some pine hops

Taste: caramel, toasted malt and some pine hops

Mouthfeel: medium bodied, medium carbonation, sweet with a slightly bitter backbone

Drinkability: A decent amber that could use a bit more hops. Not bad, but nothing that really jumps out and makes me want another either.

Serving type: bottle

12-01-2010 16:37:29 | More by tigg924

taigor

New York

3.8/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into mug glass.

A - Poured slightly hazy amber red color with light head that dissipated very quickly leaving almost no lacing at all.

S - Strong smell of malts and caramel with citrus hints.

T - Very sweet to start, malts and caramel with brown sugar followed by slight hoppy bitterness and a dry finish.

M - Light bodied with medium carbonation.

D - Very simple and enjoyable red ale. Would recommend it but dont go out of the way to get it.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2010 18:50:25 | More by taigor

jsanford

Georgia

3.63/5  rDev +1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Extra received from THECPJ. Thanks! Poured into a pint glass.

A - Pours a slightly hazy amber with a thin white head that quickly recedes to a ring.
S - Strong caramel malt with a bit of pine and citrus.
T - More sweet caramel malt with a faint nuttiness. Earthy hops provide some balance, but the malt dominates.
M - Medium-light bodied with crisp carbonation.
D - Pretty quaffable. Tasty, if a bit bland.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2010 21:07:18 | More by jsanford

woosterbill

Connecticut

3.28/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle, courtesy of a non-BA rugby teammate of mine, into a Duvel tulip.

A: A fairly rough, careless pour produces a perfect two-finger head of tight tan foam above a clear dark amber body. Average retention and some spotty lacing. Maybe not as lace-heavy as I'd like, but a great looking beer nonetheless.

S: Fairly light aroma of slightly toasty caramel malt. Maybe a little nutty as well. Quite restrained, but entirely inoffensive.

T: Follows the nose precisely in its lack of complexity, although it does deliver considerably more intensity. This is actually a bit of a problem for me, as there aren't nearly enough hops to balance out the single-minded maltiness of this beer. The flavor isn't bad at all, but it gets remarkably cloying for a sub-5% brew. What bitterness there is seems to come from the lightly toasted edge of the up-front malts; on the finish, there's nothing but malt sweetness. A little out of whack, but not too bad.

M: Light-to-medium body with a moderate dose of sharp carbonation. About what I expected, and decently lively, but not terribly pleasant.

D: For the style, it's pretty good. For the nigh-sessionable ABV, it really isn't. I've had many 6% beers that were easier to quaff.

Notes: This tastes right on the borderline between an amber ale and an ESB, which apparently it used to be called. I'm not sure which designation does it more justice, actually. It's not really hoppy enough for either, which is a disappointment. Still, not a bad one to try if you're into beers that pack a good deal of flavor into a low-ABV package.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2010 01:46:24 | More by woosterbill

rfgetz

New Jersey

3.83/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a clear amber color with minimal cap of white head. Scent is of weak carmel malts with a decent fresh pine and citrus hop note. Taste is a little better than scent dictates, decent light carmel matls combine with piney and citrus hops to form a decent, uncomplicated beer. Lighter side of medium bodied, moderately high carbonation. A decent beer, unspectacular yet drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2010 15:38:37 | More by rfgetz