Skeleton Park Amber 6.6

Skeleton Park Amber 6.6 is—you guessed it—a 6.6% alcohol amber ale. It comes from Kingston, Ontario and is brewed by Skeleton Park Brewery as a part of their Heritage Series.

The beer was murky, ruddy, and covered in a creamy but short lived head. It had a mild bakery aroma with bread notes and a malt-driven quality. More robust than the nose, Amber 6.6’s flavour is slightly sweet, built against a substantial malt and bread backdrop.

For an amber ale, I thought that the strength was excellent. The flavour was pleasant, though there was a a notable hops shortage evident at the back end. My first brush with a beer from Skeleton Park, Amber 6.6 had me thinking about my next trip to Kingston.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

The Waubuno

Instead of a lengthy description about the beer within, the 650mL bottle of The Waubuno opted for six paragraphs on the history of the eponymous side-wheeled steam ship that wrecked somewhere on Georgian Bay in 1879--appropriate for the sixth beer in the Midland Beer Works' "Legends of the Bay" series, but vaguely frustrating if you're a beer geek hoping to learn about the sauce you just brought home. There were some facts to be gleaned from the bottle though. The beer contains 5% alcohol, is brewed for Tiny, Ontario's Midland Beer Works by the folks at Hockley Valley Brewing Co., and that it contains "[a]romatic malts and choice hops, blended with great care to create 'The Perfect Balance'". However, no indication even of the style, which I'm going to call an amber ale.

The Waubuno (beer not boat) was a brassy amber brew, and poured with a thick off-white head. It had a nose that merged metallic and caramel malt notes. As to flavour, malt, bread, and caramel all had their places at the table. As well, there was a seat for hops at the kiddie table.

While both the historical copy on my bottle of The Waubuno and the beer itself held my interest, in the end, it was the story of the ship lost and the prospect of a ghostly captain guarding the wreck that proved more captivating. The beer was easy to drink and tasted nice, but it was a tad too sweet and not particularly memorable. A fine ale, sure, but just that.

Rating: 7.0 out of 10.

Hockley Amber

Hockley Amber is brewed by the Hockley Valley Brewing Co., out of Orangeville, Ontario. It contains a somewhat unimpressive 4.2% alcohol and comes in 473mL cans.  The can boldly states "Clean, crisp, light body. This is great beer." The can also has a recipe for "Cathy's Amber Battered Fish" which is a cool idea and sounds tasty.

Billed as "Canadian Amber Ale", Hockley Amber pours a mostly clear amber colour, crowned with a thick cream head. It has a mild, toasty malt aroma. The flavour is dominated by a full malt profile. There's also a bit of brown sugar sweetness. The beer is pretty toasty and finishes with a respectable dollop of English ale bitterness.

I don't entirely agree with Hockley Valley's characterization of this beer as crisp and light-bodied. It's clean, sure, but I would have called it malty and full-bodied for a beer with so little alcohol.  A great beer?  I'd be inclined to call it pretty good.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.  It'd be an 8 if it had a bit more booze.

Dos Equis Ambar

Cerveceria Cuauhtemoc Moctezuma of Monterray, Mexico, makes Dos Equis Ambar, a fine, well-balanced amber brew. It's sold in 355mL bottles and contains 4.6% alcohol. It pours a clear amber colour with an off-white head and moderate carbonation.

D.E.A. has a fairly malty aroma. It has pleasing notes of caramel. Flavour-wise, it has a malty, caramel body with just a hint of bitterness to tie it all together.  It's a nice, even-keeled brew that should appeal to a wide variety of beer drinkers. It's suitable for all occasions.  Still, a bit more booze wouldn't go amiss.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10.