I’m often seeking out my platonic ideal of an American amber ale—malty with plenty of caramel for a gentle sweetness, moderate hopping, some chewy body—and I found a couple last fall that caught my attention. I thought it would be interesting to review them both concurrently in a bit of a face-off to see which drank better; so (in the spirit of catching up on reviews) here we have two ambers:

Grand Teton Brewing Teton Ale

Grand Teton Brewing, located in Victor, Idaho, was founded in 1988—then located in Wyoming and originally known as Otto Brothers Brewing. The brewery takes credit for reintroducing the concept of the growler to American beer, in 1989. In 1998, the company built its Idaho brewery, and the name changed to Grand Teton in 2000.

Teton Ale is Grand Teton’s flagship beer, as well as its longest-running one:

Originally brewed in 1988 this is our longest standing beer. A classic American style Amber with a rich copper color and smooth finish. After all these years Teton Amber is still a brewery favorite.

It’s an easy-drinking 4.7% ABV. The description from Untappd offers some details:

Our Amber Ale is a full bodied, American-style amber with a rich copper color which comes from the roasted Amber and Munich malts. We use Cascade and Hallertauer Magnum hops to achieve the unique, fresh flavor and smooth finish that is long and complex on the palate.

Appearance: Amber colored, almost brown, with a creamy off-white head and decent clarity.

Smell: Toasty, caramel malts with a touch of roast; dark-toasted bread. Earthy hops with a little bit of resin, a little bit of grapefruit.

Taste: Toasty and dry with a grassy bitterness. Still has that light touch of roasted malt (maybe black malt) I can smell, and firm hopping gives a bitterness while complementing the bready notes. It runs a little too roasty/bitter to my liking for an amber, but that’s not a flaw.

Mouthfeel: Medium to medium-light body, well attenuated for a fairly dry finish with some lingering bitterness.

Overall: Decent and competently brewed, thought I’d like more caramel notes and a bit more body.

Barrel Mountain Brewing Ash Cloud Amber

Barrel Mountain Brewing is located in Battle Ground, Washington, and opened up in 2015. The brewery offers a fairly standard line-up of styles, including its amber, named after the ash cloud that formed after nearby Mt. St. Helens erupted in 1980. The description says:

A complex malt character that remains dry enough to be highly drinkable. Flavors and aromas of toast, biscuit, and a hint of coffee and chocolate.

The site also notes that it’s brewed with 2-row, Munich, Carapils, Victory, crystal 60, crystal120, and chocolate malts, and hopped with both Cascade and Willamette hops. It’s 5.5% ABV with 20 IBUs.

Appearance: Brown color, with good clarity, and a deep amber when held to the light. Light tan head with good legs.

Smell: Nutty malts, with a touch of caramel, bread crust, brown sugar syrup. Low, mildly citrusy hops.

Taste: Nutty/nutshell malts with some roastiness and just a touch of astringency, and a light malt extract syrup “twang” (sometimes described as ballpoint pen ink). Herbal hops with low bitterness. Caramel and a touch of toffee.

Mouthfeel: Medium body but it feels a bit thin. There’s a mild bit of astringency in the finish.

Overall: It’s just “okay,” an average effort, but it’s not wow me.

Conclusion

Neither of these beers triggered that “platonic ideal” notion in my head, with Teton Ale bringing some more bitterness and dry roast while Ash Cloud Amber offering good aroma but a bit lagging in flavor and mouthfeel. Teton Ale definitely feels like the more dialed-in of the two recipes, which makes sense considering the brewery’s longevity.

The winner: Teton Ale, to my drinking preferences.