Review: Amsterdam Big Wheel Deluxe Amber Ale

One of my friends was a big fan of Amsterdam Brewing for quite a few years now, so much so that that's all he would drink for a long period of time, but I never got to try any of their beer because it was simply not available in Manitoba.. that is.. until now!

Amsterdam's popular Big Wheel Deluxe Amber Ale is now in Manitoba in 473ml cans, so it's time to try a beer I've been wanting to try for years now!

Appearance: Pours a standard honey-amber brown, clear, minimal amount of snow white foam, looks like your average amber ale in every sense... lol.

Aroma: Quite interesting.. first thing that pops out is a decent amount of floral hops, much more aromatic than most amber ales you see at the liquor store (See: Sleeman). Following the hops is a roasted caramel maltiness, quite sweet, yet slightly roasty. Quite a flavourful and sweet aroma coming off of the Big Wheel.

Taste: The floral hops are more minimised in the flavour. Instead, it's a slightly roasty caramel sweet amber with very light hoppiness. A bit of grassiness in there, slightly creamy to the palate, and lightly bitter. Not much to describe here, but for an amber ale, very decent, easily a beer I'd drink at a pub.

Overall Thoughts: While the aroma is a nice floral hoppiness, it doesn't show up in the flavour, instead giving a sweet caramel amber with a bit of grassiness to it. Quite a solid amber ale honestly, sure better than the ambers by Molbatts/Sleeman. A good summertime beer and I could drink this around the fire without worrying about getting too woozy after a few. It has 5% ABV and costs just under $3 before tax for a 473ml can.

amsterdambeer.com/beers/big-wheel/