Vetusta
Okay, I am going to start by picking nits. This is not an English Ale. Simply because there are no Amber Ales in Europe, and this is way too dark to be the obviously loving homage to English Pale Ale and English Summer Ale that it is. The latter in particular is what I thought of immediately when I first drank this. Refreshing, thirst quenching, muted floral hops supporting a sweet aftertaste and a stone-fruit tinged malt flavor. However, it is much darker than would be allowed in either of the English styles, and the brewers say Amber Ale, so American Amber Ale it is, at least for evaluation below.
That nomenclature argument out of the way, let’s move on to the beer itself.
Style Guidelines
- Color: Copper (15 SRM)
- Standard: Amber to reddish-brown (8-18(16-36 EBC) SRM)
- Clarity: Clear, no haze
- Standard: Chill haze is acceptable at low temperatures
- Perceived Malt Aroma & Flavor: High malt flavor, medium caramel
- Standard: Medium-high to high maltiness with low to medium caramel character
- Perceived Hop Aroma & Flavor: Medium-low hop flavor
- Standard: Low to medium-low, exhibiting a wide range of attributes
- Perceived Bitterness: Medium bitterness (30 IBUs)
- Standard: Medium to medium-high (25-45 IBUs)
- Fermentation Characteristics: Bubble gum ester flavors
- Standard: Fruity esters, if present, are low. Diacetyl is usually absent in these beers but may be present at very low levels.
- Body: Medium
- Standard: Medium to medium-high
Tasting Notes
Fuggles + Golding = British pub smell, to me at least. Slight mint and grass aromas giving way to some earthy floral smells and tastes. Lot’s of big malt flavors here, as is European tradition, but with the dark amber color and slightly higher carbonation typical of American Amber Ale.
