Price: $8.99/6-pk at Total Wine

Region: Greensboro, North Carolina

Style: Amber Ale

ABV: 4.9%

Sight: clear copper

Smell: cat kibble, nutty

Taste: toasty, walnut, dry

Overall: This has happened to me before with an amber ale, but something about this smells EXACTLY like the inside of a cat food bag.  Some people may not want to admit it because it doesn’t sound very appetizing, and its not a scent you’re “supposed” to smell in a beer, but I promise you, it’s there.  It’s not horribly upsetting, and it’s backed up by a toasted almond note, so I could think of worse things.  The saving grace is that once you actually taste it, the kibble aroma doesn’t carry through to the palate.  Flavor-wise, this is simplistic and straightforward.  Its crisp, earthy hop presence keeps it dry, and it tastes of roasted walnut.  It might be a little too simple for me.  It’s tight and quaffable, but it didn’t change my life.  I think there are other amber ales out there at that price point with a little more complexity that have a little more fun expressing the malt.  That being said, I never do this, but if I had to rate this beer, I’d probably put it around an 80 and send you to Highland Gaelic instead.