The New Holland Brewing Company is no stranger to me. I’ve had the pleasure of enjoying a few different brews by them and have even reviewed their Mad Hatter IPA here on Passion Beer. I got my hands on a bottle of their Sundog Amber Ale, a Red Ale at 5.25% ABV.

Starting off in my usual manner, I poured this one into my pint glass at sundown this evening. The color of this beer complimented the hues in the sky as the sun set. Great deep (and clear) brown and amber tones dominated the glass but crisp glows of burnt orange came through in the light. I had a really tiny off-white/brownish head with almost no carbonation bubbles.

The nose of this beer was immediately full of a fresh caramel malt. Subtle hints of dried prune came through later. This was all finished by a hint of bitterness from the hoppy notes interlaced throughout.

The taste was in the ballpark of what I expected but it was a bit unusual. As strange as it may sound, the finish was the first thing I felt I needed to react and comment about. It had a strange funk to it. It was musky, sticky and hoppy; not at all what I expected. Taking another sip revealed the initial flavors I overlooked on my first sip. I did get the immediate caramel malt with some damp citrus notes and a nice spice. The mouthful was gentle, medium in body with a slight carbonation.

I actually enjoyed this beer as it warmed and the flavors really shined a bit more. This definitely isn’t a bad Red Ale but there are better ones out there. Highly sessionable on a nice Spring or Summer evening with gradual warming but don’t let it go too long.

Overall: 7/10