Ballast Point California Amber
A rich, copper ale with a case full of gold medals.
Our California Amber takes its inspiration from traditional English ESBs. Four types of malts give it a bold complexity, and our proprietary yeast strain lends it a fruity, madeira-like richness. However, it’s the American hops that give this ale a distinct bite and floral aroma that have earned it just about every major beer medal.
Our California Amber takes its inspiration from traditional English ESBs. Four types of malts give it a bold complexity, and our proprietary yeast strain lends it a fruity, madeira-like richness. However, it’s the American hops that give this ale a distinct bite and floral aroma that have earned it just about every major beer medal.
3.5
832 reviews
San Diego, United States
Community reviews
Dégustée au Mondial de la Bière de Montréal 2008 (De mes notes papiers). .
Amber color, medium sized beige head. Sweet aromas of caramel, honey, ripe fruit, raisins and candy sugar. Sweet taste of candy sugar, honey, dried fruit, peaches and nuts. Sweet finish.
Schönes Kupfer im Glas, in der Nase Karamell und etwas Frucht. Im Trunk malzig, Karamell, dunkle Beeren, dann leicht bitter, hinten holzig, trotzdem mit einer gewissen Süffigkeit - ausgezeichnetes Amber mit schöner Komplexität. Kastenbier!
Lighter mahogany color with a big pillowy head of creamy off white foam. Has a kaleidoscope of characteristics that are earthy, floral, perfectly balanced caramel richness, and pleasantly dry with hardly any bite at all. A very full and yet soft amber ale.
Fra fad på bryggeriet duft lidt karamel malt malt sød smag maltet frisk citrus lidt rugbrød karakter
清新爽口，香氣十足
amber color; caramel malt and floral hop aroma; caramel malt with piney, floral hops; bready, caramel malt notes
Draft Taproom 6/1/17. Pours red. Somewhat fruity aroma, along with citrus and caramel. Flavor is cardboard, roasted malt, caramel. Kinda bland, IMO.
Nicely not overhopped like crazy. My taste buds would like still a bit less hops, but it seems perfectly brewed to what their going for. Clearly, since this beer wins a lot of awards. Ballast pt SD.
355ml bottle at True Bearing Alehouse, Xiamen. Pours clear red brown with an off white head. Aroma of hops with toffee and malt. Some sweetness with a bitter finish.
Pours translucent copper, medium cream head and sticky lacing. Aroma of ripe fruits, dates and caramel. Smooth to the palate, with strong fruits, dates, caramel, toffee, with a long dry-bitter finish. Softly carbonated, absolutely tasty and enjoyable, great session ale.
Clear, amber-red colored, small beige head. Aroma is of malt and some caramel, orange hard candy, fruity and some floral notes. Taste is medium sweet malt, caramel, biscuit, some orange candy, some fruity and floral hops, medium bitterness. Medium bodied, soft carbonation, oily. Most of the hops gave up by this time...
From Beergium. In Teku glass. After dinner. Full of delicious toffee toasted notes. It demonstrates that this isnt a style I dislike but a style with lots of bad examples around
A 12 fl oz bottle with a Julian bottled on date of 16321, meaning that it was bottled on 16th November 2016. Poured into a Lost Abbey teku glass. It poured a clear dark copper colour with an orange-reddish hue and a slightly less than two finger cream head that had great retention and left some nice lacing. Aroma were a touch light but there’s caramel malt and pine with hints of fruit and herbs. Taste is exactly what I expected from the aroma with sweet caramel malt, toffee, pine and fruit with a bitter finish. Medium to light bodied with moderate carbonation. Overall a decent amber ale that I’d drink again, but not sure I’d want to pay for it.
Draft Half Pint at White Horse, Parsons Green, London in Aug 2010 - As "Ballast Point Calico Amber Ale" - Deep Reddish Amber in colour. Aromatic; malty and floral notes. Very Malty; toffee, caramel, toasty malts, vanilla, hint of chocolate. Fruity; citrus-orange and grapefruit. Hoppy; spicy peppery hops. Sweet malty fruity throughout leading to a dry bitter finish. Nice beer! (2010-08)
A delicious, rich ESB with notes of Madeira, fruitcake and dried fruit. Good bitter finish with earthy, woody hints. Highly drinkable!
Tap, The Session Room, Ann Arbor, MI. Copper amber. Metallic caramel aroma. Sweet. Some spice. Medium finsih.
On tap at 40 Brews. It poured a amber color with a white head. The aroma was of caramel malts, fruit and citrus hops. The taste was similar to the aroma with more caramel malts, fruits and hops. Decent.
This is the perfect amber beer. If you were ever a fan of the temporary Rubberneck Red by Martin House Brewery. then you’re going to love this beer.
Ballast Point’s California Amber is a very good example of, well, the California Amber. This is a more hopped up version of a favorite American style. Sexy pour. Copper-amber color with a long-lasting tan head. Some caramel malt and piney Northwestern American hop aromas. Toffee, fruit, nut, and earthy hop flavors. Medium-bodied. Despite the extra hops, the finish is quick and clean. While it is a West Coast ale, I feel like a lot of folks could drink this without a problem. A great beer for a long drinking session.
Bottle, 355 ml from Beergium. Shared with JFK10000 and Josip. Pours amber with medium off-white head. Hoppy fruity aroma. Malty, some light caramel, bit nutty. Easy drinkable. Nice bitter finish. Medium bodied. Quite good.
Calico. Draft. Dark red body, bit uneven light brown head. Aroma of malts, dark bread. The taste is fresh, with nice butter and sweet notes.
Bottle at home. Pours a clear amber color with a medium sized off white head. The aroma and flavor have toasted grainy malts, caramel, mild floral nose, light fruits, herbs, decent enough amber.
Bottle from Total Wine in Gainesville VA
Aroma: caramel, floral, dark fruits
Appearance: clear amber with an off-white head
Taste: medium sweetness, medium bitterness,
Palate: medium body, creamy, average carbonation, long finish,
Tasty
Bottled @ Babajan. Deep ruby amber, creamy dense head, good lacing. Sweet malty and resinous aroma, butterscotch, rye bread and grains. Soft carbonated, smooth and mid-dry mouthfeel. Earthy and resinous taste, caramel, woody, dank and leafy. Crisp finish with pleasant pine bitterness.
Pours a clear, light chestnut brown, with a nice fizzy head. Big malt, yeast aroma. Taste is light toasted malt foundation with a light, herbal, spicy hop finish - starts slightly grain sweet, shifts to a dry, faintly peppery hop note, and finishes with a lingering sweet touch to the tongue. Palate is light and refreshing on the tongue, no cloying sweetness. Overall, a top tier amber - a grown-up amber. Beautiful balance of sweet and bitter, while holding to the amber character.
Color is red amber. Aroma is malty. Taste follows. Strong malt with hints of spicy hops. Mouthfeel is light but lingers.
*12 oz bottle into pint glass
Bottle at home, as "Calico Amber Ale". Aroma is bready malt, caramel, resinous hops, biscuit, toffee, soft fruity notes. Flavour is moderate sweet and bitter. Body is medium. Smooth and refined Amber Ale, it drinks so well, quality stuff.
This is an excellent Amber. Our room is mostly caramel toffee toasted malt and a little hop. Color is a deep Amber and has a nice long lasting thick creamy head. Taste is where it really shines with toasted malt Sweetness in the background and some hop bitterness in front balanced with Just Right carbonation. Finish is outstanding I could drink a ton of this.
Flaska @ Bishops Arms, Karlstad. Klar bärnstensfärgad med ett tjockt smutsvitt skum. Dofter och smaker av rostad malt, karamell, torkad frukt, citrus och blomster. Avslutas med en lätt beska. Rund och mjuk munkänsla.