Harbour Brewing Co Amber Ale
Harbour Brewing Amber Ale (500ml, 4.4% ABV)
In recent years, prompted by the American craft beer boom, the fashion has been for hops, hops and more hops. Not that I have any problem with that – a hoppy beer is a wonderful thing – but outside the realm of stouts and porters, the humble malted barley often has to take a back seat.
Not so with Harbour’s Amber Ale.
The hops are definitely t
here – an orange and honey character that also comes through in the aroma – but there’s equal billing for the malt, which gives the beer a bready, biscuity flavour. Historically, beer was often referred to as liquid bread, and Harbour’s Amber Ale reminds me of nothing so much as a freshly baked loaf, drizzled with honey.
Smooth mouthfeel and a late dryness round off a subtle and laid-back beer.
I had a crack at a Cornish legend in my review of Driftwood Spars’ Bolster’s Blood. Judging by Harbour’s website I’m not the only one – each of their beers features a Cornish folk tale, the only difference being that theirs are probably a bit more … ahem, authentic than mine. In this case it was the ber that
It’s also clear that when they’re not brewing, half the team are out surfing. Is this beer for cool people? I reckon it might be …
Written by Richard Salsbury