Name: Fat Tire Amber AleBrewer: New Belgium Brewery - Fort Collins, CO
Style: Amber Ale
Alcohol Content:
Review: Tuesday's snow was completely gone by late afternoon. Gotta love radiative heat transfer and those sunny Denver skies. I heard a tip that there was some amazing brewery up near market street, so I strolled up there to find Falling Rock Tap House. Mecca. Over 70 beers on TAP. And they only serve micro brews - double score! I wish I didn't have any place to be the next morning. I attempted to order an Abbey Ale or a Pizza Port brew. They were either a. Sold out or b. $29 per bottle. My next choice was the Fat Tire - New Belgium's flagship beer. The story goes that the owner of New Belgium and his wife did a bike tour of Belgium in order to try some new beers and gain some inspiration. They come up with two brews. They expected Fat Tire to be everyone's second favorite, but it quickly gained notoriety for it's unique flavor. For a Belgian ale, Fat Tire has a foamy head and strong yeasty doughy aroma. This is odd. The flavor is super mild with a strong biscuity flavor. It's not something I would expect from a Belgian ale, but I found myself really enjoying it. The mouthfeel is smooth and mild, and it finishes very cleanly. It's everything I might want in a lighter ale. I don't think Fat Tire really hits the mark on what I would describe as a Belgian Ale, but they really dialed in a drinkable beer with a quality flavor. This is a beer drinker's everyday beer - They just need to relabel this as a specialty ale.
Rating: 3/5 for missing the mark on traditional Belgian flavor, though it probably meets the Brewer's association guideline's for "Other" Belgian Style Ales.
Recommend? YES. Definitely try this beer. It's unique, drinkable, and worth a taste.
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2 comments:
I just had my first Fat Tire Amber Ale out in Mojave, CA and I must say that I was impressed. It was unlike any other amber ale that I have ever had and I'm not sure if that's a positive or negative. Putting the name aside, I thought that the beer itself was quite smooth and quite nutty with a hint of hoppiness. All in all, it was a treat. I was going to recommend it to you but it turns out you had already reviewed it!
Glad you enjoyed it! I think people are split over it. I really like it, but I have a friend who loves beer but doesn't care for it.
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