By Kevin Burns, Beer Columnist


1812_ale Sacketts Harbor Brewing Company is located in historic Sacketts Harbor, NY.  The small village was the site of two famous battles in the early 1800s between the United States and Britian. 

In honor of those victories by the U.S. Military, Sacketts Harbor Brewing has named their amber ale War of 1812.  

War of 1812 poured a clear, dark amber color with a finger width of off-white head. The aroma is mostly malts with a bit of nuttiness.

The body is malty up front and the hops show through in the middle as the malts die out. There is a light sweetness there and the beer is decently balanced despite having a thinner mouthfeel. The nuttiness dies out on the finish as the light hop taste continues, leading to a light dryness.

Overall, 1812 has a great name and is a decent beer. The aroma and first impression are both really nice but the beer is a little thin for me.

War of 1812 would pair well with a lighter meat, and the depth of the body would be a little more apparent when throwing in a little spice. 

With the warmer weather approaching, I decided to break out the grill and grill up some chicken sausage with some beer marinated peppers. Combing the two on a pita lead to a fantastic pairing and a very enjoyable dinner.    

Producer: Sacketts Harbor Brewing Company
ABV: 5.2%
Price: $2.15 (12 oz. Bottle)
Rating:  25 (2.5 out of 5 | Average-to-Very Good)