Calico

Strong Bitter | Year-Round | United States

By Phil Farrell

Judges Rating: 89
Aroma: 21
Appearance: 5
Flavor: 37
Mouthfeel: 8
Overall Impression: 18

A dark red-amber pour is topped by an off-white head that was low but had great retention with small bubbles that laced the glass. The aroma tilts toward complex caramel malt with a touch of resin and grapefruit. The flavor has even more malt character with a well-boiled caramelized sugar complexity. The hop flavor is resiny and very subdued. Bitterness is relatively high but needed to prevent the semidry finish from being sweet. The aftertaste has a lot of hop resin and caramel character that lingers. Like a red IPA in the finish, this is a great example of an American Amber at t he front.