Amber Ales are somewhat
similar to Pale Ales made in
Great Britain. Some are
labelled as Ale, others as Special to distinguish them from standard
lager beers. They are top-fermenting beers
with an amber colour obtained by using a coloured or caramelised malt.
They
are slightly hopped with soft aromatic hops, a yeast taste, and a spicy
and soft savour. Their spicy taste is often derived from the yeasts
used, but sometimes spices are actually added. The
alcohol content is slightly higher than in pils.
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An amber beer is always filtered and pasteurized. It contains an
average 5% to 7% of alcohol. It is a pleasant easy drinking
beer that
you must drink cold, and preferably on draught rather than from a
bottle!
When the pils arrived in Belgium before WWII, the local brewers
replicated by manufacturing a
beer of high fermentation but clearer and paler than the traditional
Belgian beers, and of a lower strength.
The amber style of beer quickly became very popular in Belgium.
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