Bought a single 12 oz bottle on a whim one evening for about $1.69. I’ve always seen it sitting there on the shelf at Ralph’s, but for some reason I had never tried it before. Boy was I missing out. The verdict on Alaskan Amber: DEE-licious.

The beer pours a deep mahogany color. Off-white fizzy head that is mostly diminishing. It has a very unique aroma, sweet and hoppy, with a hint of cherry. With such a sweet sugary aroma, I didn’t expect the taste to match the smell as much as it did.

I didn’t know I liked beer that tastes this sweet. The cherries were waiting for me up front, with a hint of amaretto backing them up. This stuff goes down easy, with a slightly malty aftertaste. Alaskan’s got a light body, the beer is a bit thin, but that can be easily forgiven.

After such a great impression, Alaskan Amber really stuck in my head. Just a couple days ago, I realized they have this on tap at FO. Highly recommended. You will want to have more than one.

• Appearance: 2/3
• Aroma: 11/12
• Palate: 3/5
• Flavor: 18/20
• Overall: 9/10

Rating: 4.3