Fort Collins Big Shot

Brewed by Fort Collins Brewery
Style: Brown Ale
Fort Collins, Colorado USA

Serve in Dimpled mug

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(22oz bottle) Medium beige head atop crystal clear amber body. Aroma is moderately sweet, toffee, hazelnut, some floral. Taste is moderately sweet, hazelnut, caramel, light chocolate. Light-medium body, low carbonation.

Bottle sample from beer distributor at Dilly Deli. Poured a clear dark ruby color with a moderate frothy off-white head that was mostly lasting with good lacing. Medium toasted hazelnut malty aroma. Medium body with a dry ground shell texture. Medium bittersweet flavor with a medium sweet finish of moderate duration.

22oz bottle. Poured a medium amber / brown color with an averaged sized off white head. Aromas of toasted malts, caramel, nutty, and some graininess. Tastes of caramel, toasted malts, and nutty.

A deep dark reddish brown ale with a thick receding light moka head. A sweet nutty aroma with vanilla, vinous notes, a bit of mashed peas. In mouth, a good nutty malt, with wooded notes, molasses, and some lactic notes. Rich, earthy and warming. Bought at Half-Time, Summer 2008, tasted Sept. 2008.

Bottle sampled on 1/10/09: Pours a transparent copper amber with a thin-lacing white head. Aroma of lightly sweet caramel malt with some earthy hoppy notes. Body starts lightly sweet and toasty caramely with a mild grainy character before a drier finish. A pretty standard brown ale that could use more nutty flavor.

Bomber. Red and brown clear filtered body. Big toast and charred bread crust and walnut nose. Hoppy but far too starchy and coarse on the palate, tastes like burnt chestnuts, toasted bread, stale bran, and mashy graham crackers. Really, really terrible about halfway through a glass.

My Bottom Line:
Cocoa powder, hazelnuts and caramel dominate the light hop bitterness of this drinkable but somewhat forgettable Brown Ale.

Further Personal Perceptions:
-A veil of foam covers the hazy dull red.
-Carbonation is rather low and the body is lean, providing a gentle, supple mouthfeel.
-That chocolatey sweetness is present from aroma to finish.
-Balance is not really achieved; this is for malty sessions.

Bottle.

22-oz bottle purchased at Coaltrain in Colorado Springs, CO. Pours clear brown with a small, rocky, light brown head, somewhat lasting with fair lacing. Aroma is heavy malt (nutty, chocolate, caramel), light hops (herbs), average yeast (leather, must) with notes of toffee and dates. Medium bodied, sticky texture, average carbonation, and a chalky finish, slightly dry. Long duration, light sweetness, acidity, and bitterness; heavy roasted nuts and grain flavor, slightly charred.

Bottle courtesy of illinismitty. Pours mahogany with a thin tan head. Smells fruity with some tarte hints. Tastes nutty with some fruity touches. Mouthfeel is crisp with some spicy hints on the finish.

Bottle from Capone’s. Deep brown color with 1-finger khaki kead. Aroma is big scotchy malt, nuts, brown sugar, earthy peaty notes, and some X-mas spices. Tastes walnutty, with heavily earthy caramel malt, some nutmeg, piney hops, brown sugar, and molasses hints. Fairly dense palate.