Fort Collins Retro Red

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

Poured a dark, yet translucent red with a 1/4 inch head of tan froth. Aroms of bready malt, caramel, brown sugar and dry leaves. Tastes of bready malts, moderate bitter hops, brown sugar sweetness. Mouthfeel was watery but lingering. Overall a good sessionable red.

Jeez, a lot of these Fort Collins beers have a porter/stout appearance. I am not complaining, just making note of it. Looks damn good; dark brown almost black in color. Translucent appearance. Very weak malt aroma, and very weak malt taste, along with a crappy hop flavor at the end. The palate is lame. The only thing good about this beer is the appearance. The palate is really bad. Just a watered down beer that doesn’t have much to offer. The malt almost makes the cut, but unfortunately this beer is just a bad one. Drink something else.

Crushed with Jakebra. Initially it’s very offensive to the nostrils, but after it warms up...it’s still pretty offensive. Flavor has some moderate grassy hops accompanied by what I can only describe as a roasty dishsoap flavor. Jakebra wanted it to be a drainpour. It’s not that bad, but this is not a good amber.

12 oz bottle from a Winter Beer 10 Pack purchased at World Market for me by my wife. Pour is brownish with bright red highlights. Smallish off white head. Moderate lacing. Aroma of grassy sweet caramel malt. Soft and natural. Taste is the burning caramel malt, with some toasted barley notes and floral grassy sweetness to the end. There is also a scotchy dark peaty taste present which adds a nice edge. The finish has just a touch of synthetic honey, detracts some. Palate is medium thin, noticeably carbonated, smooth, easy to drink. Overall an easy sipping beer.

Amber pour, small off-white head. Dash of hops over malt in the nose. Flavor is slightly hoppier than a standard amber. Sharp and tangy with a bittersweet finish. Not bad.

Nice malty aroma with hints of butter toffee and caramel, along with some roasted malt. Flavor was surprisingly chocolate, more like rich milk chocolate than dark. Some hop in the finish, spicy herbal. Mouthfeel was smooth and creamy. A surprisingly good amber ale.

Bottle: Pours a deep ruby/amber with a light tan ring of head. Simple sweet aroma with apparent crystal malt and some caramelized character. Moderate carbonation. Simple flavor- again lots of crystal malt and caramelized sweetness. Perhaps a touch chocolaty as it warms. Moderate toasted barley huskiness. Not much hop character/bitterness. No big off flavors, just very unexciting.

(bottle - 12 oz) Ruby pour with a creamy white head. Good carbonation. Aroma is light and rather malty with a subtle earth and hop note. Flavor is dark and earthy at the beginning mixing with some sweet malts and a very light touch of hops. Some caramel and dark malts at the end. Very well balanced.