This one has been in my refrigerator for a while now, and I kept putting off sampling it for a variety of reasons. But tonight, I finally decided to pop the top on New Republic Brewing Co.'s Dammit Jim Amber.
I'd love to say it was totally worth the wait, but I can't. I can say that it's not a disappointment, though. This seems to bee a very serviceable amber. It's got a pleasant but unremarkable aroma. The color is beautiful -- nice, sparkling brown with hints of golden honey. It would have been nice if the color made it to the taste.
Again, there's not too much to report about here. It's a solid amber with just a hint of tartness; there may be just a hint of citrus, but I could be wrong. As it warmed, my scanners did detect traces of malt and toffee trying to come to the surface. I think if you were trying to get a young Trekkie to taste a craft beer for the first time, you could definitely do worse than beaming down a tall one of this beer.
And tall one it is – the bottle I bought (probably at a NW Houston Spec's Liquor) is 1 pint 6 ounces. That's a lot of beer, but with an ABV of only 5.6%, even drinking the whole thing probably won't make you too buzzed to operate a shuttle craft (but not your car).
Carbonation is medium (and a little more than I normally get in a simple amber). Mouthfeel is good, if not a little on the dry side for my taste. All in all, a solid beer from the nice folks in College Station, Texas.
My score: 6 out of 10
