from the great white north

It's still a little strange to me that the import store has beer, and some of the more well-known craft brands - Anchor, Samuel Adams, Flying Dog all make appearances.  OK, Budweiser's in there too.  And a couple of Canadian contenders, like Clancy's Amber Ale.  Ale always sounds about right this time of year, so why not?

There's a puff of beery smell as soon as the cap comes off, but no other fanfare and it dissipates rapidly.  It's awfully light and clear for an amber ale, and on the heady side.  The beer in the glass smells more heavily perfumed than when it's just in the bottle, and sweeter.  More like most amber ales, I guess.  The taste is sweet, although not too much, and it's a simple, uncomplicated sweetness.  No touches of cinnamon or citrus, no bitterness hiding in the background.  I find it a little syrupy, and not something I would prefer to have all on its own.  Some spicy pretzels sound really nice right now, actually.  To the import store!

Supplier: Taste of America
Price: €1.95