Homestead Tenpenny Amber Ale (6/10)

Homestead Brewing Company is located in Heath, Ohio, in Licking County.  They produce several beers, including a porter, lager, IPA, pale ale, pilsner, and Tenpenny Amber Ale.  Their web site provides the following description of the beer:  “Our house Amber Ale, Tenpenny Ale balances sweet, caramel malt with a mildly bitter, fragrant hop nose.  Underneath those flavors lurks a powerhouse yeast that contributes the classic ale ester profile rather than the too clean flavors in modern beer.”

It pours a coppery amber color with a bit more than finger-thick off-white head that seems to last a long time.
The aroma is lightly hoppy and malty.
The flavor starts out hoppy (not overwhelmingly so but it’s definitely the dominant flavor) and then gives way to malty sweetness. It finishes with a combination of roasted grain bitterness and hops.  I’d describe it overall as being something like a less-hoppy IPA, perhaps along the lines of a Rogue Dead Guy Ale (which is also a 35 IBU beer, to give you a basis for comparison).

Rate Beer and Beer Advocate do not have enough reviews of the beer yet to offer their own rating.  For that reason, I’m going to give you two ratings.  The first rating is my official, overall rating of 6 out of 10.  This rating takes into account my own dislike of hop-forward beers.  The second is an unofficial rating, intended for those who enjoy IPAs and hoppier brews. You’ll likely find this to be an 8 or 9 out of 10, depending on how much bitterness you like in a beer. 

I purchased this bottle at Crafted Drafts for $5.19.  I haven’t seen the brewery’s products at other area retailers recently, so I can’t tell you where else you might find it.

Flavor Profile:
Sweet, Malty, Dry, Bitter, or Sour: Bitter
Spice Level:  None
Hops Level: Medium
Dominant Flavors: hops, malt
ABV:  5.4%
IBU:  35
My Rating: 6/10