I finally got around to sampling the new Leinenkugel Classic Amber. Leinenkugel is not a beer I would normally pick up from the shelves at my local candy store. The name sounds so European that you would never guess that it is made in Wisconsin. (German in origin if you want to look it up)
The beer pours a nice amber color with a white head and some head retention. While Leinenkugel is a subsidiary of Miller/Coors, the linking of the two companies appears to be primarily for marketing reasons, not brewing technique. But, any beer marketing the fact that it is 100% malt tells me they normally add adjuncts… let’s see what it tastes like.
The beer does have some hop aroma and a light kick of hops on the tongue. Overall the beer is light and tasty. It does have a distinct flavor that I can’t quite put my hands on… something like an export; perhaps it is the water.
I have two bottles to review so I invited my lovely wife to have one and gave her a blind taste test directly against one of her favorite brands, Hook & Ladder. In order to make this an apples-to-apples comparison I had to put Hook & Ladder’s Golden Ale up against it, not their Ember Amber because the Ember is a much richer beer. (my personal favorite from Hook & Ladder)
They matched up quite well, very close in style. I thought the Leinenkugel was a bit crisper with a slightly more hop bite. My wife agreed but didn’t like the lingering aftertaste as much. She enjoyed the “more rounded” (as she put it) Golden Ale better. We both agreed in the end that both beers are best served as a lighter refreshing beer paired with tangy, smoky or spicy fare. German potato salad comes to mind.
Leinenkugel has been brewing in Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin since 1867 by the Leinenkugel Brewing Company. Their new Classic Amber is made from two and six row barley and four varieties of hops. (Cluster, Cascade, Mt. Hood & Hallertau) They have several other styles in their portfolio: Original, Light, Honey Weiss, Sunset Wheat, Red, Creamy Dark, Berry Weiss, Oktoberfest, Apple Spice, Big Butt Doppelbock and Summer Shandy.
