Why is Amber Ale so BORING?

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It’s good to see some love for Ambers. I’m particularly fond of North Coast Red Seal. Bell’s Amber is awesome, but we can’t get it in Texas.

If you find Ambers boring, perhaps your palate has been blown out by too many hop bombs. I try to avoid beers that have such intense hop flavor that it buries the malt. Those are the beers I find boring.
 
I think Ambers are an under appreciated style. There are hoppy beer drinkers and malty beer drinkers. Ambers are the middle way of beer styles. Not too hoppy, not too malty, not to crisp, not too fruity... Just middle of the road goodness.
 
If Ambers are the pot roast of the beer world, then cascade hops are the green bean casserole to go with it.

That being said, there's a lot of boring Ambers out there, but there's also been somewhat of a revival with the injection of hops. A couple of the Ambers I have had recently have been excellent, and I couldn't have said that that 4 yrs ago.
 
I'm all in on the ambers, maybe it's because the Midwest seems to have more good ambers?

I feel like I could come off as a jerk if I went with my initial reaction of "there's more to beer than 8% 100 IBU IIPAs" - the malty depth of a good amber is a beautiful thing.
 
I like them. They're sessionable and balanced (although I prefer mine a little on the hoppier side). I made an Anchor Steam clone earlier this year that I could easily keep on hand all the time as a house beer.
 
d3track said:
I'm all in on the ambers, maybe it's because the Midwest seems to have more good ambers?

I feel like I could come off as a jerk if I went with my initial reaction of "there's more to beer than 8% 100 IBU IIPAs" - the malty depth of a good amber is a beautiful thing.
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I've never brewed from a kit, but you might be right. Regarding IIPAs... I like IPAs a lot, but the number of double IPAs I've enjoyed can be counted in the single digits. I enjoy hops a lot, but they're not the ultimate frontier of beer for me.

I've had a lot of good, malty experiences with English ESBs like Fullers, Bombardier, Hobgoblin, and so on. American ESBs are in my experience nothing like that, for exactly the reasons you complain of: they're stupidly hoppy and miss the point.

And yet, none of the ambers I've had have possessed an interesting enough maltiness for me to buy more. That's the trouble I'm having!
 
Kerin said:
I've never brewed from a kit, but you might be right. Regarding IIPAs... I like IPAs a lot, but the number of double IPAs I've enjoyed can be counted in the single digits. I enjoy hops a lot, but they're not the ultimate frontier of beer for me.

I've had a lot of good, malty experiences with English ESBs like Fullers, Bombardier, Hobgoblin, and so on. American ESBs are in my experience nothing like that, for exactly the reasons you complain of: they're stupidly hoppy and miss the point.

And yet, none of the ambers I've had have possessed an interesting enough maltiness for me to buy more. That's the trouble I'm having!
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Sorry I meant Midwest as "between the costs" - not the supply shop
 
I brew an amber ale every 4th brew or so. Love'em as a slight change from pale ales and IPAs (& stouts.) My current favorite recipe is a copper colored rye ale, session(ish) strength and hopped close to an IPA. The extra crystal malt smooths out the hop flavor and the rye gives great head (!)

My wife loves it too!
 
I'm wondering if this Hop revolution that has been going on the past few years, is somewhat destroying a lot of people's palates. I've heard the word boring thrown around a lot lately, basically to describe beers that aren't crazy hop bombs. I'm not saying this is what the OP means, just relaying what I've been hearing on this subject. Especially when I agree, there are some boring Ambers out there, but to lump the whole style this way seems pretty outrageous. I've had plenty of boring IPAs and stouts as well.

One example that pops right to mind is what I heard last night at a monthly tasting I attend. One of the treats we got was the Brewpubs IPA they brew, only we got it straight from the tank, before it was put on tap. It had only been a week since it had been transferred from the fermenter and had a really nice hop aroma to it. A couple of the guys there were commenting on how boring it was. "Only 60 IBU's? Needs more hops, it's boring." When in reality, it was one of the nicest IPAs I've had in a while, why? Because it had a decent little malt finish, but the fresh hop aroma was really distinct. You could almost feel it get into your nose, leaving a hint of a flowery fragrance in there as you drank it.

I know the beer gets pushed through a hopback as it's transferred and I don't know, yeah it definitely didn't punch you in the face with hops, but that's what made it even more interesting to me, you were able to detect the subtle nuances of the hops more that way.

I'm not here to bash anyone, we all drink what we like, because we like it. It should be that way. If you like ultra hoppy beers, then by all means, drink them. I just don't think that you should discount an entire style because it doesn't suit your tastes exactly. Sometimes, the simplicity in a beer and it's ability to not hit you in the face can be the beautiful thing in it.

Sorry for my long winded rant, but it just seems that as much as the IPA is kickstarting a brewing revolution, I can't help but wonder if it's also kind of leaving behind some of the classic styles because they aren't pushing the hop limit to the max. I was seriously blown away by the "boring" comment last night. I just have a feeling that seeing the card and seeing 60 IBUs had already pre-determined for that person that this was a boring beer, not hoppy enough, when in reality, it was full of wonderful hop aroma.
 
Denny said:
All I can say is that I don't necessarily equate "boring" beer with a lack of hops.
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I don't think everyone does. And I know there are plenty on here, you included, who have plenty more experience than I do to judge a beer and determine weather or not it's boring. This thread just triggered in my head last night when I heard "boring" and lack of hops put together. Just thought I'd add that to the discussion.

Just seems odd to label an entire style boring. If nothing else, maybe it's the simple fact that with the IPAs flooding the market as they have, breweries are focused on the next big IPA, rather then trying to come out with the next great Amber Ale.
 
As I've said in this thread at least once, I'm not saying that boring = lack of hops. I'm saying that ambers are boring, and that I'm saying that as a guy who loves Ordinary Bitter and would probably not mind if that was the only kind of beer available.

I agree that it's odd to label an entire style boring... that's why I posted asking why. I've had many styles of amber and never enjoyed one, which strikes me as very odd.
 
I cannot say I have had an "interesting" amber ale, they do seem very one note to me as a style. I wouldn't say it is due to the hop explosion either as I tend not to be a hop head and more toward the funky/farmhouse end of the spectrum. I feel like the style lends itself to thin/watery not very malty yet not very hoppy beer that leaves me searching for anything to cling to but left with nothing in the end.
 
You find ambers boring because you have hopped on (excuse the pun) the IPA bandwagon and have dulled your taste buds to the point where you can no longer appreciate a beer under 40 IBUs. Many of the classic American amber ales would be considered a balanced beer, which means it doesn't taste overly sweet or overly bitter. It really comes down to preference, some people like really bitter beers, some people don't, there is no right or wrong in this case and one beer is not more interesting than the other, it is just a different taste.

There are some hopped up American amber/red ales. One that was already mentioned, Bear Republics Red Rocket is one of my favorites. Maybe a hoppier amber will change you mind. India Red Ales are one of my favorites and was my most recent brew.
 
Kerin said:
As I've said in this thread at least once, I'm not saying that boring = lack of hops. I'm saying that ambers are boring, and that I'm saying that as a guy who loves Ordinary Bitter and would probably not mind if that was the only kind of beer available.

I agree that it's odd to label an entire style boring... that's why I posted asking why. I've had many styles of amber and never enjoyed one, which strikes me as very odd.
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Maybe you don't like Ambers. Maybe it's like watching golf on TV, a lot people find it fascinating, I find it terribly boring, yet I enjoy golfing.
 
austinb said:
You find ambers boring because you have hopped on (excuse the pun) the IPA bandwagon and have dulled your taste buds to the point where you can no longer appreciate a beer under 40 IBUs.
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For the third time, dude, this is not the case. I love low-hopped beers. My house ale is a 25-IBU ordinary bitter.
 
I LOVE a good amber or red. Not every beer is for every person though. Drink what ya like
 
Red and imperial Reds are my favorite. Try one of these sometime OP.
Tröegs Hopback Amber Ale
 
I, for one, love Fat Tire. And I love Bell's Amber (and it is available at virtually every store near me).

I think a lot of people that are into craft beer are into big flavors that really stand out, and aren't as interested in more subtlety. If you like big, hoppy IPAs, rich chocolatey/coffeeish Porters and Stouts, fruity Belgians, tart lambics and wild ales, you might just not find the subtlety of Fat Tire very interesting.

I somehow convinced my non-beer drinking dad (like, he's not a non-craft-beer drinker. he just doesn't drink beer) to try a Fat Tire. He was blown away by it and referred to it as 'hoppy.' I didn't say anything about how it isn't really hoppy, because it was just his way of showing some appreciation for my passion for beer. But then I poured one for myself, took a sip, and realized there is a nice hop balance to the malty biscuityness of the beer.

I had a very similar experience when having a Bell's Amber with a friend that has since gotten into homebrewing. His impression was that Bell's Amber was almost too hoppy for him (he's a big fan of porters and stouts). I tasted it and thought to myself that there actually was more hop character than I had previously noticed.

Of course, the OP says that he really likes Standard/Ordinary Bitters, so the argument that he just likes big, in your face flavors obviously doesn't hold up. However, a good Bitter has a distinct flavor profile that I view as being less subtle or ambiguous than an Amber like Fat Tire.

So, as an analogy. Think of an art museum with each room featuring a different color scheme. I think it would be a fair guess that a room that is mostly bright, vibrant blues would be more popular than a room that is mostly muted shades of brown.

I think a beer that presents either a distinct contrast with other beers or at least an easily defined identity is what a lot of craft beer drinkers are looking for. Subtle flavors just often don't catch people's attention.
 
I like to think I have a (relatively) refined palette for beer, and that I like subtle beers. The ambers I've had just taste sweet, and not in a particularly malty way. It's perfectly possible that I've only had bad ones (though as I mentioned, I have enjoyed a number of American red ales which is evidently the same style.)

I'm not ruling out some unpleasant, secret bias, but I'm doing my best to go into each beer with a clear conscience and an inquisitive state of mind. :)

I'm going to attempt to acquire some Fat Tire and a couple other beers recommended in this thread. We'll see where it goes.
 
I just brewed an amber taking a suggestion from Randy Mosher's radical brewing book. I toasted 2 pounds of field corn and added it to the mash. I will then be putting an ounce of chipotle in the secondary. I am hoping it is a success. At least it is not your typical amber.
 
Clonefan94 said:
I don't think everyone does. And I know there are plenty on here, you included, who have plenty more experience than I do to judge a beer and determine weather or not it's boring. This thread just triggered in my head last night when I heard "boring" and lack of hops put together. Just thought I'd add that to the discussion.

Just seems odd to label an entire style boring. If nothing else, maybe it's the simple fact that with the IPAs flooding the market as they have, breweries are focused on the next big IPA, rather then trying to come out with the next great Amber Ale.
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Just keep in mind that it's all subjective. There are styles I find boring, too, but it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with hops. Just my opinion and that doesn't mean it's right for anyone but me.
 
Try the Stillwater collaborative called Holland Oats. Its a belgian amber and very different from any amber I have had. Not saying it was the greatest beer but I enjoyed it. Getting past its prime too so find it soon if you can. I have had some great ambers over the past year and not all are hoppy.
 
I like hops. I like my ambers - hoppy! I tried most every style - of the styles i prefer - in the excellent "brewing with style" book initially as written but eventually, before moving on to my own recipes, I started doubling the hops on most and much preferred the beers like that.

The beauty of brewing your own is finding
 
.. what you like, right? I truly don't get why people tend towards kits when formulating your own recipes is so much fun. I like my ambers like my IPAs but with a little more sweetness and a touch of light roast. Frankly I've never had a commercial amber I liked more than my versions, which is of course part of why I brew...

FWIW and YMMV etc
Steve da sleeve
 
and some light chocolate - British pale or German 300ish SRM - makes my ambers rock BTW.

PS sorry for bridging posts, I keep hitting send accidentally on this damnable tiny phone...!
 
This is more anecdotal, but my experience with other homebrewers and American ambers is not positive. I judged Ambers last weekend and out of the 7-8 Ambers in our flight, only one scored above a 30 (I think it was 31). We didn't advance a single one to the mini-BOS (APAs and American browns). The rest were in the mid to low 20's. A couple were below 20. The first competition I ever judged, I was also also assigned to ambers and we couldn't score one above a 30. I'm not sure why people can't seem to brew one without it being filled with off-flavors - I suspect it's a style that new brewers go to. Before anyone jumps all over me, I've brewed several ambers that have scored well and medaled. It's not a hard category to brew.
 
Darwin18 said:
This is more anecdotal, but my experience with other homebrewers and American ambers is not positive. I judged Ambers last weekend and out of the 7-8 Ambers in our flight, only one scored above a 30 (I think it was 31). We didn't advance a single one to the mini-BOS (APAs and American browns). The rest were in the mid to low 20's. A couple were below 20. The first competition I ever judged, I was also also assigned to ambers and we couldn't score one above a 30. I'm not sure why people can't seem to brew one without it being filled with off-flavors - I suspect it's a style that new brewers go to. Before anyone jumps all over me, I've brewed several ambers that have scored well and medaled. It's not a hard category to brew.
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What were the biggest issues?
Too much hopping? Too little? Too bitter? Too cloying? Not malty enough? Not caramelly?

Or are we just talking straight off-flavors? Which off-flavors were common?
 
progmac said:
What were the biggest issues?
Too much hopping? Too little? Too bitter? Too cloying? Not malty enough? Not caramelly?

Or are we just talking straight off-flavors? Which off-flavors were common?
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Most of the issues are simply straight off-flavors, either derived from poor fermentation techniques or sanitation issues. I recall that the one amber that I scored above a 30 was overly hopped for the style and a bit harsh on the finish but didn't actually have the major flaws that I saw with the other ambers.
 
Denny said:
Keep in mind that's just an opinion. I find a lot of BS in that article.
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Yeah definitely just an opinion. But I like the point it makes about focusing too much hops and not as much on all the other fantastic qualities of brews.
 
paliessmann said:
Yeah definitely just an opinion. But I like the point it makes about focusing too much hops and not as much on all the other fantastic qualities of brews.
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Yeah, but the article makes it sound like there's nothing BUT hoppy beers out there. One thing is misses completely, as an example, is the stunning rise of sour beers. It's easy to find something to ***** about if you limit your view to one thing.
 
Darwin18 said:
Most of the issues are simply straight off-flavors, either derived from poor fermentation techniques or sanitation issues. I recall that the one amber that I scored above a 30 was overly hopped for the style and a bit harsh on the finish but didn't actually have the major flaws that I saw with the other ambers.
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I'd love for someone like yourself to review mine. I'm real curious what it would get scorewise - I find it delicious and I believe true to style. Of course it came out of BCS, so its Jamil's (not the red rocket), only I ended up with an OG a few points higher.
 

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