Avery Redpoint Ale

The Beer: Redpoint Ale
The Brewery: Avery Brewing Company of Boulder, Colorado
The Style: American Amber Ale
ABV: 5.1%

Brewer's Description: Some beer lovers enjoy a rich, malty brew, while others go more for hoppy beers. Our brewmaster likes both - as evidenced by this rich and caramelly amber ale with the distinct flavor and bouquet of Cascade hops. Reaching the perfect balance of crystal malt sweetness and hop bitterness took plenty of time and effort, making Redpoint the perfect beer for toasting your most recent success.

Color: Poured into gator pint glass, transparent deep amber with fluffy white head which leaves generous lacing
Aroma: caramel maltiness up front balanced by citrusy hops
Taste/mouthfeel: medium to low carbonation which allows rich caramelized malts to express themselves. Flavors of toasted bread, brown sugar are present along with some faint nuttiness.
Finish: relatively malty body gives way to a medium-dry hoppy finish. Some minor resin on the tongue. Hops are of the pungent, Pacific NW variety that remind one of grapefruit.

Notes: Purchased at Publix grocery in Tampa, FL. I really enjoyed this beer. It reminds me of an ESB that has had its woody/earthy English hops replaced with punchy American varieties (this is actually how the "American Amber" style came to be developed). At 5.1% abv it's a fantastic session beer. Repoint is very quaffable but still packs ample amounts of flavor on both the malt and hop fronts. Amber ales are, stylistically, more malty (and thus balanced) versions of APAs. This is a stunning, balanced, benchmark example of the style, are you listening Anheuser-Busch?