AVBC Beer of the Month Vol.1: Boont Amber Ale

“It’s about panache, not punch,” according to AVBC’s head brewer, Fal Allen.

It’s a line that looks rehearsed on paper, but comes spontaneously from Fal. He’s talking, of course, about the british-style pale ale that put Anderson Valley Brewing Company on the map 32 years ago.

At the time the craft beer movement was just getting started. Boont Amber was the first non-lager many American beer drinkers had ever tasted, Fal included. You could call it a gateway beer, but you’d also have to concede that many have been hanging around the gate ever since.

In many ways the Boont Amber symbolizes Anderson Valley’s approach to beer making. It’s balanced, eschewing hoppy bombast for more subtle flavors. The combination of low and high-roasted crystal malts give the beer its complexity, layering vanilla and caramel notes. The mellow blend of mount hood and cascade whole flower hops provides aromatics that don’t over-power, making for an ideal food beer.

It’s also timeless, with the recipe having changed very little since the first batch was served in the taphouse three-plus decades ago. In a 2020 San Francisco Chronicle reader/editor poll of Northern California beers, the Boont Amber finished first, earning a place in the Chronicle’s “Beer Hall of Fame.”

“I wish I could take credit for the Chronicle recognition, but the truth is we’ve had 32 years to make it better, and we can’t,” says Fal.

As the craft beer trends come back around from big hoppy IPAs, the Boont Amber is here waiting. For many beer drinkers it never left.

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