Capitol City Amber Waves Ale

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

A clear copper coloured pour with a huge bubbly white head. Unlike most ambers, the hops are the predominant aroma here. Malt aroma is grainy. Flavour is very dry, slightly sweet, but not well balanced. Was very hard to finish this one.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 6

this was brought back from a recent trip. a slightly above average amber ale, which is always nice. good balance between caramel malt and some flowery hops. nothing too complicated, but tasty enough.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 8 | Mouthfeel: 8 | Flavor: 9 | Overall: 8

This is a truly great beer. Capitol City has several, so when I'm in the area, I never know which one I'll try. Nice color, exceptional flavor and a smooth finish.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

Clear, almost metallic copper body with a creamy head that sheets the glass. The aroma is a bit of caramel malt and some piney hops. The flavor is pretty mellow in the malt department, but the hops come across a little hot.

Aroma: 9 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 7 | Overall: 7

Draught at Capitol City, Downtown, DC. Clear amber colour with a slim white head. Good lacing. Hoppy and sweet aroma. Nice floral hops in the taste, medium bodied - drinkable stuff. The name is misleading, but it’s a good hoppy beer.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 7 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Pouered a copper color. Ok head lacing was perfect. Flavor was carmel malts way hoppy and bitter. The hops overwelmed the beer. should have been better balanced.

Aroma: 6 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 5 | Flavor: 5 | Overall: 5

I was surprised to see this advertised as an Amber Ale, I thought it tasted and smelled more like a decent pale ale, lot’s of hops and more of the same sickly sweetness I have come to expect from Capitol City brewing. Although decent when compared to other Capitol City offerings, it was not enjoyable.

Aroma: 7 | Appearance: 6 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 6

Poured an average amber-copper color with a normal head (it was there, but didn't astound). The lacing was excellent, though. The flavor was somewhat caramel-like, but the floral and slightly grassy finish was hoppy and bitter. Not enough balance for me.

Aroma: 8 | Appearance: 7 | Mouthfeel: 6 | Flavor: 6 | Overall: 7

On-tap at the Capitol Hill location, after a long day of doing the sites up and down The Mall.

Had a pint of this straight away, as soon as we got seated at the brewpub. It quenched a dire thirst, at first, but later certian flaws showed up in this beers, IMO.

Notably, the hop profile seemed just a bit too assertive for it's own good. I don't mind hoppy Ambers, mind you, but this beer's "intense floral hop character" really did seem to go a bit beyond what was neccesary. If I didn't know better, I'd say that this Amber was actually hoppier than the Pale Ale I had later....

Overally-assertive hop characteristics aside, this beer was just "okay" in my book. The malt profile (what little you can detect through the mask of raw hoppiness) seemed a little on the plain side of things.

None of these faults threw the drinkability off too much -- but I knew it would be my first and last time I'd go there. Can really use some "softening" to round out it's many hard & angular edges in the mouthfeel.

An "okay" beer, that did clear away the dust of The Mall from my throat. But nothing that I would give an enthusiastic thumbs up to or anything....
//TB