Fort Collins Big Shot

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

(Sample Date: 7/12/2009 Source:Other) Bottle by and shared with Butters. Caramelized sugar with hints of dark fruits in aroma. Slightly cloudy dark amber brown. Dark sugar, hints of dark fruit and some nutty woodiness, earthy hops with hints of spice. Finish is dry with very light residual bitterness. Another solid Fort Collins beer.

22 oz. bottle. Shared with Gabe. Pours a light beige, long lasting tiny bubbled head, with fairly extensive lacing. over a clear coppery amber (SRM 12-13) body....nose is light coffee, light chocolate, bit of caramel/toffee.....taste is medium roasted malts, with light coffee, cocoa, bit of nuttiness, finishing with a light to medium hop bitterness.....mouth feel is medium, carbonation slightly high. This is a pleasant, thoroughly drinkable, but not particularly outstanding example of a Brown Ale.

22 ounce bomber - $5.49 at Hop City in Atlanta, Georgia. Appearance: Pours out a remarkably clear, garnet-hued body with a frothy, downright sudsy, ivory-colored head. Smell: Simple aroma of toasted nuts with small, meager, not particularly inspiring notes of cocoa, fruit, and earthiness. Well, the snowboarding snowman on the label seems to be having fun. At least somebody is, I suppose. Taste: Robust nuttiness with a teeny hint of toast and cocoa. Thin drizzle of sweet dark syrup. There’s a hint of earthy spiciness from English hops and no more than a low degree of imparted bitterness. Light touch of golden raisin fruitiness. Earthy, dry maltiness on the finish. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. If nothing else, it’s at least got a nice, smooth mouthfeel. Drinkability: For awhile, I was politely excusing these less-than-festive, dubiously titled winter releases in the spirit of giving during the holidays. But now, I’m starting to just become annoyed and disappointed with them. Big Shot is a fine, standard brown ale, but doesn’t invoke any thoughts of the season beyond it’s label and name.

22oz bottle. clear amber with a medium sized, frothy beige head. fruity aroma with a hint of sweet caramel nuttiness. kind of bitter flavor with barely any nuttiness. not really what i was hoping for. a good deal of peachy, floral hops in here though.

Pours copper-brown with a big fluffy beige head, fine and lasting lacing. Toasty, toffee, nutty, and slightly smoky aroma. Thin, velvety, crisp body. Flavors of toffee, hazelnut, toast, and spice with some citrus and grass notes in the finish. Well balanced and drinkable.

Clear brown pour with an off-white head of decent size and good retention. Excellent lacing. Aroma consists of chocolate, coffee, caramel and hazelnut. Flavors of chocolate, nuts, caramel and dried dark fruit. More complex than I expected! Flavors drop off around mid-palate, something needs to come forward at the finish. Medium body, moderate carbonation, very little alcohol warmth. A nice brown, and an excellent example of the style!

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.