Sawed off

The label of Left Hand's amber ale, Sawtooth, is a burst of colour but the excitement pretty much ends there. It presents as more of a dark gold colour than properly amber, though pleasingly clear. The aroma is all about the crystal malt with barely a trace of any hops, and it's a similar story on tasting: I get some pleasant marzipan and biscuit elements which, coupled with the cleanness, make it seem more like a Vienna lager than an American amber ale. Searching hard for the hops there is perhaps a tiny hint of peach, and a slight metallic hit on the end but otherwise this is all about the malt.

It's not a bad beer: one of those that is technically proficient and workmanlike and will certainly have its fans. Its job is as a local session beer close to its place of origin, however. As an intercontinental speciality it doesn't really stand up.