New England Atlantic Amber

Review Date 3/18/1997 By John Staradumsky

  Style: California Common   Brewery: New England   Country: USA   State: Connecticut   $ Per OZ:N/A   ABV: N/A

The New England Brewing Company of Norwalk, Ct, began operations in 1989 under the direction of owners Marcia and Richard King. Since that time, they have continually put forth an excellent line of beers, and recently opened a brewpub in Norwalk.

On 8-9-1995 I wrote about this beer:

I hail from RI, so it's not difficult to get beers from this brewery fresh. The New England Atlantic Amber is an excellent steam-style beer, no Anchor, but a fruity, malty brew nonetheless. It must be drunk fresh, or it starts to take on an unpleasant grassy character. Fortunately, it is date-coded.

New England Atlantic Amber is said to be in the California Common style. Indeed, it is somewhat similar to Anchor Steam, though with enough idiosyncratic nuances to justify it as a great beer in it’s own right. The beer is dark orange in color, with a fruity/hoppy, slightly phenolic nose. The palate is loaded with robust (crystal?) malt character, followed by an assertive fruitiness that is appropriate for the style. A bitter hop finish rounds out this exceptional brew. Impressive!