Iron Range Amber Lager - James Page Brewing Company

Dogbrick

Ohio

2/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bottle from Park Lane Liquor in Lancaster, CA, bottle states it is from Minneapolis, MN. The beer pours a glowing orange-amber color with a minimal off-white head that bubbles away to nothing immediately. Lacing is virtually non-existent. Tart fruit and light malt aroma. Medium-bodied with a tart fruit and pungent malt flavor that makes me wonder if this beer predates the Stevens Point ownership. Very little hops are present. The finish is fruity cough medicine. Pass.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2008 20:46:10 | More by Dogbrick

bsp77

Minnesota

2.5/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Serving glass: Poured from bottle into a tall glass.

Appearance: Clear amber with thin off-white head; no lacing.

Smell: Sweet caramel and bready malts. That's it.

Taste: Where is the taste? Light bready malts with the slightest touch of noble hops.

Feel: Moderately high carbonation, very thin, watery body.

Drinkability: I have a hard time believing this is a Vienna. Nothing offensive here, but certainly nothing worth returning to either.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2010 22:30:12 | More by bsp77

beveragecaptain

New Jersey

2.55/5  rDev -23.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

12 ounce bottle. Pours out a dark amber color with a small head. Stale corn and cooked veggie aroma. A little bit of caramel flavor, but mainly this beer has the same cooked veggie flavor as in the aroma. Perhaps a bit of fruitiness. No hop flavor. Mouthfeel is medium. Poor drinkability. I really enjoyed their pale ale, so this beer was a real disappointment. Tastes like macro crap.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2005 02:57:12 | More by beveragecaptain

budgood1

Minnesota

2.63/5  rDev -21%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

pours out a clear amberish/copper colour. medium foamy head dies down to very thin wispy lace. light toasted caramel malts on the nose...smells vienna in style. earth and grass hoppiness is detected also. tastes sort of bockish in nature...one dimensional without a real flavor that sticks out. i can detect the munich malts, but it's thin. in fact the whole mouthfeel seems thin...not watery thin, but flavorless thin. a bit of earthy hoppiness can be found too. i'm sorry to say that jp iron range amber lager is nothing but a crossover beer and nothing more. i'd drink it if it was offered, but i won't be spending my $$$ on this again....good thing it was on sale.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2003 14:13:37 | More by budgood1

cokes

Wisconsin

2.7/5  rDev -18.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Another perfectly amber brew, matching the EPA nearly exactly in color. The head is a fleeting yellowed snow.
The nose is odd more than any thing. It has that rubbery, corn-fed sweetness of a macro, along with a wisp of grain and caramel. Hopping is not noted, scentwise.
From the offset, this is maple-syrup waffles, caramel malt, and prune juice. It dries quite a bit in the middle, with a salted nacho impression (one that leads yet again to macro comparisions). It ends with a few, stray residual sugar that hint at sweet berries, and no associated hop traits.
The structure in generally medium, but the carbonation is uppity and in your grill. It is drinkable, especially as the glass goes along, but this seems much more like an "MGD Dark" than a Vienna Lager.

For a second, after just retrying Page's Voyaguer EPA, I thought the move brought some recipe tweaking. Nope. This is as pesdestrian as ever, and maybe even worse than I remember.

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2005 08:51:00 | More by cokes

jackndan

Illinois

2.73/5  rDev -18%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

James page iron range: twelve ounce bottle. Amber color (duh). Very little head, no lace whatsoever. Sweet, unpleasant cidery taste, way too much cloying malts. Some hops help to clean up the finish. Carmel aftertaste, long after the last swallow. Not worth one’s while.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2003 20:55:44 | More by jackndan

CharlesDarwin

Rhode Island

2.78/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A little hoppy, but not much depth, seems thin. Aroma lacks, but has smooth and malty tones throughout. Excellent complex finish with a sweet aftertaste. Warm. These guys are out of business now, but the Stevens Point Brewery seems to be picking them up, although I haven't seen anything new on the shelves in this label.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2005 21:06:36 | More by CharlesDarwin

MABZ

Nebraska

2.83/5  rDev -15%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Looks good, but it's all downhill from there. Pours to a nice coppery, golden amber color. Plenty clear with a good carbonation supporting a thick white head. Decent retention, and lacing could stand to be a little better.

The smell is alright, if not a bit plain. Mostly pale malt with only a slight hint of specialty malt providing a light caramel sweetness and some biscuity aroma. Quite lightly hopped. Just a bit of green apple and some vegetal aromas.

The taste is the weakest link. Sweet up front with a fairly strong green apple off-flavor. Slight burnt biscuit and caramel flavor, even nutty. Vegetal aftertaste with a tiny bit of herbal hops. Maybe DMS is the culprit here.

The mouthfeel is fairly dry and crisp. The body is light. None too drinkable, though. I'm glad I only got a single.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2007 07:06:59 | More by MABZ

ADR

Pennsylvania

2.95/5  rDev -11.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

The most available Page product, usually available on Northwest Airlines. Very malt dominated to my tastes but lacking in aroma. Nice color and decent head. Nice sweetness in mid sip but needs more hoppiness for me. Decent, but the Burly Brown is better.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2002 11:10:32 | More by ADR

TheBierBand

Ohio

3/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Got as part of a mixed 12 pack.

Poured into my pint glass to produce a loose 3/4" head of off white foam that quickly disappeared leaving no lace behind. The beer was a orange/red color.

The aroma was hardly there. I could barely pack up a light malty character and little else.

The taste was rather light too. Not much going on that would separate this from a typical macro lager... perhaps just a touch more flavor... just malt with some caramel sweetness.

Mouthfeel: Average.... right down the line.... too thin for my taste.... not rich in any way.

Drinkability: Safe... Nothing objectionable. Just average.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2007 07:22:13 | More by TheBierBand

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Served out of a can on a Northwest Airlines flight. Pours a brownish/orange with a big head and good lacing. Muted nose with an almost metallic hint to it. Taste is sweet and smooth with just barely a slight bitter end. Flavor doesn’t stay too long, but it doesn’t drop off immediately either. Towards the end you seem to notice some flaws in it’s degree of smoothness which brings down the drinkability.

Serving type: can

12-30-2007 15:07:44 | More by RblWthACoz

happygnome

Minnesota

3/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

a: pours a nice copper orage color with about a qaurter inch of head that dissapears fast leaving a slight hint of lacing around the edge of the glass
s: caramely malts, biscuity with nice piny floral hops
t: biscuity caramely flavor nice piny hop bitterness
m: medium to light bodied beer with a little carbonation

overall, i dont know if ill buy this again but its not too bad

Serving type: on-tap

03-24-2008 20:43:29 | More by happygnome

Mark

California

3.05/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Not a bad beer at all really just nothing special. A decent Vienna style lager that I had with some Mexican food at a family gathering. I would buy it again though probably not regularly

Serving type: bottle

06-24-2001 00:06:15 | More by Mark

Chugmonkey

Wisconsin

3.05/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

I've had this in cans, bottles, and on tap. Nice orange color, light off white head. Always seems a fuzz low on the carbonation. It has a slight sweetness where the maltiness should be. Could use more hop bitterness to balance the malt and whatever that sweetness is. I like ambers to be more hoppy in flavor also. Drinkable, you can knock back quite a few, a little filling from that sweetness.
Overall just an average Amber.

Serving type: can

06-26-2008 15:31:31 | More by Chugmonkey

Bighuge

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This clear amber beer throws out a hefty white head that is well retained. Nice malty aroma tainted with some slight spicy hop notes. Taste is a nice blend of hops and malt, but nothing above the norm. Some vienna malt notes are noticeable. Some munich malt notes as well if I'm not mistaken. Noble hops make their presence slightly throughout the beer. This medium bodied beer is drinkable, but not one of my favorites. Pretty average.

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2002 15:41:21 | More by Bighuge

mnstorm99

Minnesota

3.1/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

I used to drink alot of this beer, I always enjoyed it. But it isn't as good as I remember it. I am not sure if that has something to do with Point brewing it now or the fact that my tastes have evolved. Not much head retention here without much lacing. Aroma is pretty much non-exsistant. Flavor is ok quite malty with a touch of a genaric hop flavor. This beer is still an extremely drinkable session beer, but it isn't one that I am going to reach for unless the selection is weak.

Serving type: on-tap

09-27-2007 16:50:18 | More by mnstorm99

Gump

Minnesota

3.15/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

James Page
Iron Range Amber - bottle

A simple lager. Pours simple, looks simple, tastes simple.
Clear, light amber color with good carbonation and adequate head.
Nothing in this beer stood out to catch my senses. It was neither spectacular, nor offensive.
In Minnesota, you might find this beer offered at weddings, or other open bars, and it's a fine choice for the masses. But I need something more.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2003 02:33:22 | More by Gump

terrabyte

Wisconsin

3.15/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a crystal clear, light-amber brown color. Medium sized white head, with waves of lacing.

Aroma contains a bit of caramel and pine nut. Normally I'd say the aroma was way below average, but compared to the wheat beer I just had by this brewer, I'd say this is almost pleasant.

Flavor is similar to the aroma. There is a little more hops, and a little more bitterness, and just a hint of caramel and nut flavors to make this stand out a little bit more from the James Page Brewing Sample Box it came from.

Mouthful is light and lends towards a decent drinkability.

Drinkability is ok. I like the nuttiness, but as with most ambers, I'm not impressed enough to seek this out.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2007 16:35:50 | More by terrabyte

objectivemonkey

Minnesota

3.18/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a clear amber with decent beginning head, ok lacing, decent. Aroma is light, slightly fruity and sweet caramel malts, meh. Taste is a little funky, slight sweet caramel malts, a bit grainy, hops are weak and hardly there, Mouth is decent enough, carbonation decent. All in all, weak, decent and ok are words used too often here. Just, meh.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2006 02:34:21 | More by objectivemonkey

elmore

Ohio

3.18/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bought this as a single at Market Place in Hayward, WI on recent trip. Poured a hazy amber into a snifter. Nice 1.5 finger white head with decent retention. Almost no lacing.

Smells primarily of sweet malts. Taste the same. Mostly light malts with maybe a trace of hops in the aftertaste. No detectable alcohol. ABV not listed, but would be surprised if it was greater than 5.0%.

Thick chewy mouthfeel. Moderate carbonation. Unbalanced maltiness doesn't make me want to drink more.

Kind of a boring one dimensional beer. Nothing that would make me want to try it again.

Serving type: bottle

01-22-2008 03:29:39 | More by elmore

ZAP

Minnesota

3.2/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours an orangish-gold with no head....mouthfeel is low on carbonation and oversweet for this style...smell is good...big time bockish malt on the nostrils...taste is average at best...too sweet, and an odd sweet flavor..there are some spicy hops on the finish, but they don't work well with the malt....not a good complement(the hops to the malt)...overall I wouldn't buy this one again, but would drink it if someone offered to me out of their fridge.....

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2002 21:38:27 | More by ZAP

gatornation

Minnesota

3.28/5  rDev -1.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

pours a clear amber color with some lacing..it has a bready malty smell with some spice..the taste is thin with some hop/spice and malt a little grassy taste but not memorable. the mouth feel is thin and light .this is not one ill buy but one to try i guess

Serving type: bottle

11-14-2009 20:36:43 | More by gatornation

feloniousmonk

Minnesota

3.33/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

on tap at Acadia Cafe...

Clear coppery/amber color, with no head at all.

Aroma, sweet, amlty, light graininess, minimal hops.

Grainy on the palate, as well, but overall clean and smooth. Light bodied, but not thin, flavor, and it's not a bad one, remains sip after sip, gulp after gulp. Not bad at all.
A tasty little lager, when you're not in the mood for anything more challenging.
Good crossover brew, for the less adventurous.

Serving type: on-tap

10-06-2005 00:09:46 | More by feloniousmonk

colts9016

Idaho

3.33/5  rDev 0%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Amber red hue thin white head and some carbonation.
Nose Caramelized burnt malt smell wheat and a hint of yeast
Taste: Flat hints of bread wheat yeast and malty with hints of citrus and esters.
Overall not to bad but not great. The mouth feel is kinda mouth coating but slightly powdery.

Serving type: bottle

12-12-2008 20:25:49 | More by colts9016

dnichols

Washington

3.35/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I poured a 12 ounce bottle into a pint glass.

A: It poured a clear amber body with a moderate one finger off-white white head that receded fast.

S: It had a smooth and refreshing odor of lightly toasted malts with hints of nuts, smoke and apples.

T: It had a sweet and smoky front with hints of nuts and apples and pears. It hid the alcohol well.

M: It was light bodied with plenty of carbonation and a clean finish.

D: It is a good session beer with a low ABV, light body and balanced and non-obtrusive flavors.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2008 15:53:30 | More by dnichols