I bought this bottle at Lucky Stop Liquor on Abbot Kinney and California, the same place I picked up Black Sheep’s Riggwelter for last month’s Session. I don’t really see Alleycat too often, maybe at the Ralph’s on Cloverfield. While it’s not too prevalent, their Great White and Downtown Brown are practically staples around town.
The best thing about this beer is probably it’s label. Isn’t that cat cute? He’s drinking beer in a trash can! Adorable. Kind of like a pirate Heathcliff. Oh wait, I hate Heathcliff. Moving on.
It pours out gorgeous. Look at that creamy head in the top picture. Aroma is not bad, malty and sweet, but this beer loses me after a couple of sips. It has a sort of sour bitterness to it that distracts from the rest of the flavors.
I didn’t go crazy for this beer, it’s not one of my favorite ambers, but it’s definitely still drinkable. Give it a try if you’re curious, but I say instead of Alleycat, pick up a bottle of Lost Coast’s Great White or 8 Ball Stout.
- Appearance: 3/3
- Aroma: 8/12
- Palate: 3/5
- Flavor: 13/20
- Overall: 6.5/10
Rating: 3.35
How in the world did you manage to get a head like that with Alleycat Amber? That is serious skill. I also remember it as being an OK Amber, but really, has there ever been a standard Amber ale that blows you away? They’re either just “good” or lame. I guess you could just apply the saying “it is what it is” to amber ales.
Woah woah woah, don’t knock the ambers. Firestone and Alaskan both blow me away. And my friend Bob brewed up a delicious 8% amber that knocked me on my ass. You can’t write off a whole style.
Double Barrel is a very nice beer, I just feel like as a whole, intrinsically, they don’t have the parts to make it something that can routinely be mind blowing to the majority of people. I’m focusing those statements to standard ambers (5-6% ABV), though when you get something like Winter Yulesmith which they call an imperial red, it can really be a killer brew. I still like ambers enough to have homebrewed a batch last summer which turned out fairly good.
PS- Many thanks for adding my link to your sidebar. Also, after going through some past reviews I came across some Amber/Red’s that I thought we’re amazing- Bear Republic Red Rocket (though kind of a Scottish hybrid), Speakeasy Prohibition, and then just behind those is Levitation and Double Barrel (unfiltered was pretty darn good).
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