A Journey Back in Time With Columbus Amber Ale

The moment I saw the label on the bottle, my brain transported me back in time to when Christopher Columbus crossed the Atlantic Ocean. I imagined myself standing next to him on the ship's deck and discussing life topics while embarked on a voyage towards new horizons. I imagined the spinning sensation in my head - a result of the delightful ale that I was drinking, amplified by the swinging motion of the ship. ½

"Do you need help?" a honeyed voice pulled me out of my fantasies. "I don't think so" I answered without bothering to look at where the voice came from. Instead, I checked ratebeer on my phone to discover that this brew had a rating of 86%. I grabbed a couple of bottles with trembling hands and went to the counter to pay.

"This beer is orgANIc." the same voice that apparently belonged to a cute-looking brunette. The strong accentuation of "ANI" irritated me to the point that I decided to use my "interaction killing"-skills - "I know, I usually read the labels." My answer ended all further conversation, but I couldn't care less: all I could think about at that moment was Columbus and his endless voyages.

Columbus Organic Amber Ale ~ Brewed by Brouwerij 'T IJ in the Netherlands ~ 330 ml ~ ~ 2.2€ ~ Alc/Vol 9%

Color and Aroma
Columbus pours amber in color with a thick, dirty-white head. The head is relatively long-lasting and leaves a nice lacing on the glass. The aroma is quite heavy, and the first thing that comes to my mind is sourdough bread. Holy crap, that smell makes me hungry, and instead of Columbus, I started imagining slices of warm fermented bread with butter. Apart from the yeast, there are also some notes of malt, and that's pretty much all I can smell.

Taste
The taste is another thing that catches me by surprise as it has nothing to do with sourdough bread. It starts off sweet, then gradually turns bitter, and the bitterness then fades into a spicy aftertaste, which makes for a pleasant warmth in my throat. The alcohol is well-pronounced, and the carbonation is good (medium).

Verdict
Columbus is the first Dutch craft that I drink, and I have to tell you - it's weird but not in a bad way! It's relatively cheap, it's strong enough to make your head spin for a few minutes, and it's orgANIc. Although it's not spectacular by any means, there's nothing not to like about it. I am rating it with almost 4 out of 5 stars.

What do you guys think about organic beers?

Cheers and have a fabulous Saturday!
Dan