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Beer Reviews

Mile Rock Amber Ale

Harbor City Brewing Company
Port Washington, WI
USA

Style: Amber Ale

Eddie’s Rating:
   (Recommended)


Comments:
Harbor City Brewing in Port Washington, Wisconsin puts out some solid if unspectacular beers. Keeping squarely in that vein is their Mile Rock Amber Ale, a drinkable but ultimately unremarkable American Amber.

It pours a light amber, almost too light, maybe closer to a pale ale than you'd like. My pour sported a very nice head, though, which hung around throughout the drink.

I like my ambers maltier than a sumbitch, but my nose wasn't in for any pleasant surprises. There was a hint of that wonderful old-school sweetness, but it plays second fiddle to some of the strong yeastiness you normally get from dryer alts/ambers/reds.

Tastewise, the road didn't fork any. Not nearly as malty as I yearned for, but that aforementioned resilient head kept things interesting. Instead of that sweet backwash we all dream about, I got a mild but distinct tinny aftertaste, more than a little reminiscent of a Fat Tire (take or leave that as a compliment as you see fit).

But I'm not saying this ain't a drinkable ale. Just don't get set for the ride of your life. It's lighter in body than most others of its ilk, so you could easily sit at your favorite bar and down a sextet of these without having to do windsprints in between. And, no, the earth won't have moved, but you won't have much of a rue on, either, afterward. So what the Hell. Give it a try.

Reviewed by Eddie Glick on August 17, 2006.

Drinkin’ And Thinkin’

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