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Bitter American

California
United States
21st Amendment Brewery Bitter American
Judges Ratings 
1 Review
92
Aroma:
23 / 24
Flavor:
36 / 40
Appearance:
5 / 6
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20
Description 

Our Bitter American session ale is about to hit your good beer bars and stores, coming in at 4.4% ABV, 42 IBUs, with full hoppy flavors that you would find in an India Pale Ale. We use this amazing malt, Golden Promise, from Simpson’s out of the UK that gives this beer a nice malt complexity without adding too much sweetness. This is our late winter seasonal offering from January through March a time when we are all enjoying the big beers of this season; sometimes you need a moment of clarity in the sea of strong beers.

Beverage Profile
ABV: 
4.4%
IBUs: 
42
Served at: 
45 - 52°
Judges Review 
BC Review's picture
Judges Rating:
92
Aroma:
23 / 24
Appearance:
5 / 6
Flavor:
36 / 40
Mouthfeel:
9 / 10
Overall Impression:
19 / 20

Just off of San Francisco’s scenic Embarcadero, 21st Amendment Brewery has been turning out California-themed iconic beer styles for over a decade. Its contract-brewed entry into the “session beer” market, Bitter American expresses much more character than one would expect from a beer of only 4.4 percent ABV. Awash with hints of cherry, peaches, hyssop, and Meyer lemon zest, the aroma is decidedly hop-driven, with a delicate malt underpinning. The big, fruity aroma caught Lee by surprise, but he savored the “West Coast aromas of resiny pine, fresh grass, and orange marmalade.” He found himself wishing for a touch more cracker or biscuit-like malt. Pete found the low, grainy malt presence “pleasant, but just a tad underdone,” and he enjoyed the deftly woven notes of Bing cherries, ripe peach, and fresh pine needles. Ringed by a low collar of velvety, pure white bubbles, this pale yellow brew throws just the slightest hint of a chill haze. With assertive bitterness and gobs of hop flavor, this beer walks a fine line, showing just enough malt sweetness to keep the hops in line. Tim pushed down through the initial hop assault to reveal “big jammy flavors of peach and apricot” riding over a faintly cracker-like malt base, with a woody, pine aftertaste. A can of Bitter American is proof positive that a proper session beer can pack a ton of flavor into a small package.

Brewery Introduction

In 2000, Nico Freccia and Shaun O’Sullivan founded the 21st Amendment Brewery in San Francisco’s historic South Park neighborhood. The popular brewpub is now at the heart of the new city center, just south of the financial district and only two blocks from the San Francisco Giants baseball park... Read More

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