Full Sail Nugget Special Red Ale

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

Full Sail is one of those brewers who are just so hard to nail down. Sometimes their brews aren’t all that good, other times they are a total suprise. This beer kinda falls there in the middle. Even though it’s in the middle, it was still enjoyable.

The beer pours out a medium copper/reddish color with a nice sized white foam head. Aroma was spicy/herbal apple cider, caramel, with a touch of breadyness. Flavors had notes of some sweet fruits, piney hops, grains, alcohol and herbs. Easy to drink a pint or two. Not sure how much easier a 3rd pint would go down.

22oz bomber-BNice ruby red body with a huge off white head. Aroma of malt, hops, malt, and hops. Taste of the same with a complete blend of the hops and malt. Nice mizture and nice tasting brew.

22 oz. bomber bottle, "Brewmaster Reserve 2007" vintage, sampled in a pint glass. Slightly hazy looking, reddish copper in color, two finger high head of pale tan, bubbly topped, creamy foam. Good head retention and fair amount of sticky lace. A simple, but appealing nose of toasted sweet caramel and earth bready malts, with spicy, leafy, citric hops. Quite balanced smelling, no smell overwhelms the other. The right level of carbonation, ample, but not fizzy. Smooth moderate body with a nice refined feel in the mouth. Malty tastes of toasted caramel, caramelized sugar and grainy bread. I am going to assume that Nugget hops are being utilized from the leafy, herbal spiciness. Orange and lemon citrus flavors as well. Finishes dry and spicy, softly bitter, along with a lingering toasted graininess. A well brewed red ale from Full Sail, quite enjoyable and easy to drink.

On Tap at Hollingsheads, Orange, Ca. Poured a nice amber color, with decent sized head. Plenty of hops in this one, might have been better with a bit less, to focus on the malt, overall a solid brew.

Pours a rich, honey amber color w/ a full, semi creamy froth. Superb head retention w/ thick and latherous residual lacing. Aromas of hopsy flowers amidst a malted leathery buscuit backdrop. Nice! Full nectar w/ creamy residual effers. Big caramel malts promptly balanced by bold hopsy citrus rind. A slight biscuiting is intriguing and very enjoyable. A brew like this, I thought would be sweet but it’s not. There are trace elements of fat caramel but the high profile hop factors in and keeps it in balance pushing the malts into submision. Perfection! The finish is bittered w/ a defined citrus rind component. Not real complex but very filling. I could drink a few of these. Highly recommended.

22 oz. bottle - pours dark amber with a slight, creamy head; a little bitter at first taste, but a nice, heavy amber ale

Aroma is a nice hop scent. Color is a full amber with ok carbonation and a nice head. Taste is malt with a mild bitterness. Starting with a medium body it goes down easy with a malty flavor coming in and hop flavor and bitterness right on top of it. This is a well done beer where the hops and malt seem to come out at the same time.

Clear dark red, creamy tan head. Toasted and caramel malt aroma with some heavy hop notes. Quite tart and a little chalky. Toffee and mild hop flavor. A bit thin in body. Good balancing bitterness. I assume the prominent hop in this ale is Nugget.