Amber Ale is Grand Teton Brewing Company’s signature beer, first brewed in 1989 as Teton Ale and renamed Amber Ale in 2014. It comes from Victor, Idaho, at the foot of the Teton Range, and it has been the brewery’s longest standing beer for more than three decades. Our notes listed it at 5.5% ABV and 30 IBU; the verified figures are 5.3% ABV and 24 IBU. This is a full-bodied, American-style amber built on a blend of malts, and it is the kind of beer that has survived this long because it does its job without fuss.

The basics

• Brewery: Grand Teton Brewing Company (Victor, ID)
• Style: American Amber / Red Ale
• ABV: 5.3%
• IBU: 24

What to expect

Amber Ale pours a rich copper color with a creamy off-white head, the color coming from roasted Amber and Munich malts in the grain bill. The malt list runs deep: 2-row Pilsner, German Light Munich, British Medium Crystal, German Carafoam, Belgian Special B, and pale wheat malts, and that blend gives the beer its malty sweet, caramel-forward flavor. Expect toasted bread and caramel up front, a smooth medium body, and a gentle hop presence that balances the sweetness without pushing bitterness forward. It finishes clean and a little malty, and at 5.3% it drinks like an easygoing amber that works with food or on its own. This is a classic American amber, brewed the way the style was meant to taste before it fell out of fashion.

Our rating

7.9/10

Rated by Nick (7.9). Nick gave this one a 7.9, and we think that is a strong and deserved score. Amber Ale is not flashy, and it never tries to be. It is a well-built, malt-driven amber with real depth from its grain bill and a clean finish that invites another pour. In a market full of hazy IPAs and pastry stouts, a classic done this well stands out, and this is one of the better ambers we have reviewed.