I made a round trip to the bar to pick up three beers for our wrap and tap show. With drink tickets in hand it’s equivalent to a free beer round going down, which just so happens to be my favourite kind of round. And when it comes to the show, those in the know know that I am nothing if not predictable. Always keen to check out the local talent, and a self professed amber man, that’s right, I love me an amber. Lo and behold, or just behold for that matter, a local feature was an amber ale named Round Trip. Local Raincity suds, amber, and free. Lots of boxes checked here. Sounds like the start of a super suds sampling, maybe, perhaps, possibly. One can hope.
The only caramel last night.
A clear amber pour, devoid of head, a bubble or two but that’s it that’s all. Some fruit on the nose to go with the malt, no smell of caramel? First taste has a watery mouthfeel. It’s flat mild malt and fruit, a pale ale? Label check, says its an amber. Taste buds say pale ale. Disappointed, but counting on a caramel evolution, which unfortunately never happened. Shades of caramel among the flat fruit stylings, is this an amber wannabe or an imposter? A slight ale crisp on the finish.
An amber in name and colour only, maybe it was on that red truck too long? After high hopes for an amber I was disappointed, disenchanted and disinclined to deign this super suds status. What we have here is an interesting and different but ultimately not compelling pale ale.
When it comes to an amber, this was a pale by comparison. It was free so it had that going for it.
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