This week, we finish up our Amber series with Abita Amber Ale
News
A Manatee County, Florida man is in jail after deputies say he stabbed his three roommates late Friday night. A witness told deputies that the offender and the victims were drinking beer when he left to go to the bathroom. When he returned, he saw the stabbing. The offender fled the scene on foot, but he was found about 500 yards away passed out. Apparently he was upset with the brand of beer two of the victims bought. Luckily, all three victims had non-life threatening injuries. What I really want to know is what beer were they arguing over.
Abita Brewing Amber
- Tonight’s beer comes from a brewery that we haven’t really had a chance to talk to much about, and that is Abita Brewing Company, from Abita Springs, Louisiana, 30 miles north of New Orleans.
- The first began brewing in 1986 and is the oldest crafter brewery in the south east. It today produce over 80,000 barrels a year.
- They use spring water from the Abita springs to brew there beer.
- As I step into the beer geek in me with this next comment, Abita was one of the first breweries in the country to use a Merlin system for brewing which is a more energy efficient way to boil the wort.
- Their flagship beer, either the Purple Haze or the Turbo Dog, are both pretty widely available, and if I am counting right are available in 35 states.
- Tonights beer, the Amber, is actually not an amber ale at all, it is instead a munich style lager. It was the first beer sold by the brewery in 1986.
- Weighing in at 4.5% ABV, it is a rather straight forward beer in alochol content, one you would typically expect to be a session style beer.
- The pour is a light amber with a big creamy head that sticks around for a few minutes.
- The smell is a sharper hop smell, and it looks like it is going to have good carbonation as well.
- The taste is slightly sweet, slightly sour, and subtle hoppy. I guess I would compare this beer more to a malty pilsner.
Next Week
Who knows whats next. I am thinking that we may do a few shows on porters or stouts, maybe specifically Irish beers.
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