Call it a case of being spoiled by "real" premium beer recently but I am going to call shenanigans on Fat Tire Amber. It is not the beer of legend that many speak of.
Last night I walked into the beer store and saw a huge display welcoming Fat Tire back to the Twin Cities market. My of my beer loving friends (and other experts) rate this beer as one of the finest America has to offer. For quite some time now you would have to drive a ways to get this Fort Collins, CO specialty. I had the good fortune to sample this beer when I was backpacking in Colorado back in 1999. I remember it being good but that that was at a time in my life when "cold" equaled good enough to my beer pallet. (On several occasions "warm" was OK too)
Since this beer is a new feature at the store, I decided to pick up 22 ounces of this brew. Strike one...a 22 oz bottle runs $4.50. For those of you who don't regularly buy beers in the "fun size" this is a bit on the high side. A similar size Becks is about 3 bucks, a Heineken is the same, a "Tall Boy" of Bud, Miller or PBR is about $2 in most places. I have spent upwards of $6 per bottle, but only on a select few beers. (Delerium, Rouge and some barley wines)
Strike Two...Flavor. I found this beer to be overly hoppy. This would be fine in an IPA or EPA but this is an Amber. Generally, I would expect an Amber to be a bit sweeter at first and then finish with a bit of hops. This was just hopped up all over. It was not enjoyable.
I adjusted to the flavor and accepted it for what it was, but I can safely say I don't need to do this again. I think the legend got the best of me on this one. If I had not heard any of the build up I probably would have said this beer is OK. The fact that so many have billed this as a "don't miss opportunity" made it hard to pass up. In hindsight I should have reached one slot to the left and grabbed a PBR.
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3 comments:
Hak, my old man informed me Leinie's is test marketing an IPA with something like 8.5% alochol. Not sure if they have a market in the Twin Cities, but the Great Dane in Madison carries it. You must inquire and give it a try.
Leinies and IPA!? Sounds great, I am going to start researching..
Andy, you are a fool. Fat Tire not only mates flavor with alcohol, its label and stylin' leave me smilin'.
I remember that '99 sample in the Levy cabin in CO and also remember "cold" being the aspect I valued most. Of course, we were 20. Now we are older, wiser, and some of us have developed a more sophisticated palate.
Some of us.
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