Full Sail Nugget Special Red Ale

Brewed by Full Sail Brewing Company
Style: Amber Ale
Hood River, Oregon USA

Chestnut brown color. Full, chewy texture, yet not cloying. Wholesome, rich malts were filled with toast, roast and a bit of burntness. Zingy hops were green and earthy. Bitterness was balanced. Full yet drinkable. Not overly exciting, but a solid beer, especially for such a boring style ("amber" or "red," take your pick).

Courtesy of Degarth. Pours a brownish copper with thin light tan head. The aroma is mild with mostly sweet malts followed by mild spicy to floral hops. The flavor starts lively with sweet malts, some roasted malts and spicy to floral hops.

Bottle from Bottle Barn; Nose of caramel, vanilla, and grain; Copper-red with a big beige head, that thickly laces the glass; flavor of caramel, hop bitterness, and light spices; body and falvor kind of watery, finish is bitter. Decent amber but watery and I was hoping for better.

14-Oct-07 (22 oz bottle: Purchased 07-Jun-07 for $3.83 at Liquid Solutions in Tigard, OR) When I first sampled this new Brewmaster Reserve several months ago on a tasting at BevMo, it was not all that impressive -- it came across as just a hoppy red ale with some rough edges. But here I am with a six-month-old bottle, in better tasting conditions, and I think it’s really at its peak. Once the bottle is opened and the beer tasted, it’s apparent how beautifully crafted Nugget really is. Upon pouring the deep-copper colored, perfectly clear beer into the glass, the tall, light-tan head builds to a good inch in height, then slowly recedes, maintaining a full quarter-inch layer of creamy foam on top of the beer. Malty, moderately caramely nose is enticing, and the modest, dusty hop aroma off to the side adds intrigue and complexity. On the palate, lightly sweet caramely malts present a smooth, welcoming entry point for the beer. Citrusy, gently bitter hops balance the beer with perfection in the evolution, hanging on for more prominence in the finish and adding a bit of dustiness and gentle dryness to the mouthfeel. The beer has wonderful body for an amber/red ale, medium in weight, and shows no thinning whatsoever in the finish. Carbonation is soft and nurturing. The hop bite keeps the mouth refreshed without any lingering roughness. Lacing is patchy, but that head retention is going strong, even now at the end of this session. Nugget may not be flashy, but it’s a pleasure to drink and a worthy entry to the Brewmaster Reserve series. It’s deliciously malty without being heavy or cloying, the hops are in perfect balance, and any rough edges have smoothed out beautifully. All in all, a very impressive effort from the folks in Hood River.

The beer pours from the 22 ounce bottle a clear brownish Red with a substantial off white creamy head that fights a loosing battle against evaporation, with the lacing a velum like sheet on the glass. Nose has a malt sweetness, clean and crisp, with the start nicely malted; sweet and pleasant at front, top is moderate in feel. Finish has a strong acidity with the hops pleasantly spicy, dry aftertaste, another nice beer from a fantastic brewery.

Appearance: Pours a clear, dark amber body with a wispy, off-white head. Smell: Altogether light aroma of dark caramel with notes of grains and citrus. Taste: Sweet dark caramel that’s soon scrubbed away by a moderate bitter and a touch of acidity. Spicy, citrusy hop flavors (though more spice than citrus). Hint of grains. Finishes dry with a tea-like bitterness. Mouthfeel: Medium-bodied. Medium carbonation. Very slight stickiness to the mouthfeel. Drinkability: It’s okay. If you’re looking for a decent amber ale then this will scratch that itch.

Bottle: Deep caramel, reddish hued, large frothy off-white head, clingy lacing, very light carbonation.   Stale wet hop nose, slight barn, a little musty basement.   Soft malts on the tongue, a little mealy, some straw/hay aspects, very very slight caramel, barely noticeable.   Hop profile is minor, but balances well with the soft malts.   Not that terribly big for an Amber, and in fact, seems a little on the lighter side.   Definitely lighter than I was expecting.   Just doesn’t taste Red enough.   Clean at least, but overall a bit too light.   Looked great, smelled okay, tasted a bit better than it smelled.   Meh... nothing makes this stand out.   Sessionable, easy... but fulfilling... nope.   The only good thing I will say about this, is that if you want an Amber Ale that is clean and on the WAY lighter side, this is your brew.   Can anyone say, watered down?

From bomber brought back from WA. Buttery notes with tons of caramel and biscuit malt, toffee. Light hoppiness, but mostly a warming malty comforting aroma. Mild fruity. A bit murky, reddish amber clear, with thin off-white foamy lacing head. Medium watery body with light-medium carbonation. Starts fairly dry, with a bit of caramel and biscuit. Decent hoppy character, mild acidity, with good medium bitter finish and dry bitter after. Doesn’t have all of the sweet and toffee-like maltiness that the nose would have you prepared for. Nice amber ale.