Grand River Brewing Plowman’s Ale American Amber / Red Ale at 4.7% ABV (C$4.97 at NLC Stavanger, 500 ml, no bottle date or best before, acquired 29-Apr-2016, reviewed 20-May-2016)
Appearance: clear medium amber with one finger of creamy ivory head diminishing gradually to a thin cap, patchy lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel/toffee malt, pine, toast, citrus zest, earth. (7/10) Taste: moderate-low sweet, moderate bitter. (7/10) Medium body, moderate-soft carbonation, off-dry slightly sticky lingering bitter finish. (4/5)
Well, that’s a bit of a surprise: it looks like an amber, but the aromas include a decent hop character in addition to the malt. Moreover, although the taste has some malt elements, it’s not sweet at all, and the bitterness is quite pronounced. I find it hard to believe that it’s only 35 IBU, actually, and can definitely taste the super-alpha hops. The bitterness really sticks around in the slightly sticky finish, lingering and growing. An amber I actually like – who’d’a thunk it? (15/20)
7.5/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
