Snark Double Team, Part II: Karl Strauss Amber Lager Review

Amber Lager
Karl Strauss Brewing Company, San Diego, CA
http://www.karlstrauss.com/

Karl Strauss Amber Lager at a Glance:
Style: Amber Lager
Appearance: Clear, deep copper
Aroma: Caramel malts
Taste: Toasted malts
Verdict: Boring but very drinkable

When we left off after part I of the Snark Double team, Brian was busy hating his Sam Adams Summer Ale and was eager to try something else. I offered him Old English and Mickey's, but he picked Karl Strauss Amber Lager instead. Yuppie.

I cracked open two bottles and poured one for Brian and one for myself. The color of the beer was exactly what you'd hope for from an amber lager. I'll leave it up to your imagination. The head was cream colored and the bubbles were tightly packed, which retreated to form a lasting ring around the glass.

The aroma was caramel malt and only the tiniest hint of hops.

"It tastes like toasty," Brian announced after enjoying his first sip. "It reminds me of Fat Tire."
The flavor was toasted malt up front with a lingering, mild  bitterness after the swallow. It reminded me of Fat Tire Ale too, a bit, but a worse Fat Tire. The mouth feel was thin and watery, but not inappropriate for a lager.

Karl Strauss Amber Lager

The final word? Karl Strauss Amber lager is a boring but completely drinkable beer. It is a good candidate for those seeking to expand their horizons beyond piss yellow macro lagers, but a beer aficionado will find little here to excite him or her. Brian announced, "I don't need a super exciting beer." When you are Brian a boring beer will do you just fine. My life isn't that exciting; I need my beer to be.

-Ryan

Style: Amber Lager
ABV: 4.2%
Availability: Southern California

Other beers that may interest you:
Trader Joe's Bohemian Lager
Harp Premium Lager

Mammoth Brewing Company IPA 395 Review: A Beer Worth Nearly Dying Four Times For

IPA 395
Mammoth Brewing Company, Mammoth Lakes, CA
http://www.mammothbrewingco.com/

Mammoth Brewing Co IPA 395 at a Glance:
Style: American IPA
Appearance: Amber with tan head
Aroma: Spicy hops and sweet malt
Taste: Balanced hoppy bitterness and sweet, caramel malt
Verdict: One of the best IPAs we've had

Jesse recently survived an epic adventure through the high Sierras, exploring a snow-shrouded Yosemite in late June, stumbling upon a black bear and her cub while hiking, almost getting ambushed by a meth head intent on a felony or two, nearly succumbing to a rock slide in the dead of night, and spending the night in the eastern Sierras in his car, which is tiny and "not good for sleeping or sex. I've tried both."

All that sounds like fun, but the real highlight was the beer. Jesse returned from his odyssey, or Jessyssey in this case, with 2 gallons of beer enjoyment like I've seldom experienced. I was the lucky recipient of one 1/2-gallon growler. I chose the IPA 395.

Not the bear that nearly ate Jesse--a friendlier and more delicious one.

Mammoth describes the IPA 395 as a double IPA, but it lacks the bitterness of most doubles. Instead, this beer greets you with an incredible bouquet of spices, hops, and sweet malt. It poured with an amber color and a perfect tan head. The IPA 395 was not really all that bitter on the tongue, which allowed a lot of caramel malt to come through the hops. It was really well balanced and entirely enjoyable. I kept pouring until all 64 ounces were in my belly. I didn't share a drop with anyone.

Would I drive 332 miles and brave bears, meth addicts, rock slides, and bitter cold? No, but I'd gladly send Jesse again.

Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale Review: Chrsitmas in June

Yesterday Santa visited in the form of a single Celebration Ale left over from Christmas. I'll skip the long review since you won't be able to purchase the beer until the late fall, but I love this beer. I could drink it all year long. The closest beer Sierra Nevada offers year round is the Torpedo. Torpedo is just as freshly hopped but not quite as spicy. I love both!