Fort Collins Big Shot

Back log rating. Pours mahogany with an off white head. Nutty and lightly roasted malt aroma. Flavor of tea, spice, caramel, and nuts. Not exciting enough to write down any more than this.

22oz bottle. Pours a murky, red-orange body with a finger width, tan head that dissipates quickly and leaves a good amount of creamy lacing. Aroma is fat and heavy caramels. Chocolate, hazelnut, a light coffee roast, thick toffees, and a hint of alcohol and brown sugar. Very rich and thick aroma. Flavor is more the same. Thick and heavy caramels up front, a light toast to a fat toffee, some powdery cocoa, and lots of hazelnut. Finishes rich and smooth with just a hint of warmth, but no real alcohol taste. A bit of a charred feel on my tongue after a bit of a dry finish. Long, rich caramel, some cocoa, a light toast, and lots of nuts in the aftertaste. Full bodied and extremely creamy. Overall, I like this. This is a big brown ale all-around. Rich and thick, with a nice powdery cocoa and a light toast. Hardly any hop bitterness, but a really nice balance and tasty. Good one.

Sampled at Bruegala 2009. Orange-red with an average-sized off-white head. Heavy caramel nose with underlying brown sugar and surprisingly hot alcohol for such a moderate ABV. Moderately sweet flavor with powdered cocoa finish.

Poured an amber color with a large light-brown head that left excellent lacing on the galss. The aroma was good with a nice caramel, coffee and light grape sweetness. Flavor had a smooth Munich malt lots of caramel and a light nutty note. The brew had a nice heavy body to support the flavors with a creamy and lively feeling to it. Overall a good brew and a trends toward the side of the heavy spectrum for a brown ale.

Bomber into pint glass. Slightly hazy nut brown color with a nice creamy offwhite head. Aroma is of coffee, roasted nuts and malt, butterscotch, and vanilla. An aroma that really reminds me of fall and early winter. Flavor is the same bit a bit thin and watery in the middle, but with a nice smooth flavorful finish. A bit of bittering hops in noticeable in there too. Medium body with medium carbonation. Overall: nothing outstanding, but a solid example of an underappreciated style.

This was probably the most tolerable of the other brown ales I’ve tried. The abv was pretty present from beginning to end but not overwhelming. Got those malts that gave a little sweetness but didn’t dominate the beer and some good bitter bite. A good beer to knock some burgers down.

Bottle thanks to Butters on 07/12/2009. Somewhat hazy brown body with a medium frothy tan head. Sweet chocolate and caramel aroma with a touch of spice. Sweet caramel and chocolate flavor with a touch of pepper. Medium full body with moderate carbonation.

Noogfest High 5. Sample from a bottle thanks to Butters. Dark red-orange and a thin off white head. Aroma is apples, malty, spices. Taste is fruity, caramel, toffee.