Key West Sunset Ale

Brewed by Florida Beer Company
Style: Golden Ale/Blond Ale
Melbourne, Florida USA

Bottle. Aromas of straw and grass predominate, but there is definitely a vinegar smell in the background. head is fizzy, white with no lacing and is mostly diminishing. Color is sparkling clear light copper. Flavor is acidic start to finish with a sourness upfront and lightly bitter in the finish. Palate is light, watery and has a fizzy carbonation. It finishes fairly dry. Semi-refreshing but the tart aspect drops the the rating off somewhat.

tap. had in FT Myers Florida on tap at Cabaskas...good drink. the atmosphere certainly added to my enjoyment of this beer.

Draught, pretty much everywhere in the Keys. Copper colored, with a sweet, doughy nose. Taste is unremarkable; very lightly hopped. Inoffensive, less than average ale. Usually defaulted to Sam Adam’s Lager, generally also on draught everywhere Sunset Ale was.

Bottle. Golden color, small head. Malty aroma, some metal and grass. Malty, somewhat roasted flavor. Fruity and with some grassy hops.

12oz Bottle: My first breakfast beer! Truth, after my real breakfast at Blue Heaven in Key West I was walking down the main drag and found a roadside window offering an assortment of pale lagers and this. 10:30AM and down the hatch. The colour oddly matches the label with a coppery red/orange and it actually offered a tiny bit of head. Aroma was hard to discern in a plastic cup, but I did pick out a bit of a metallic sourness. The flavour was alright, somewhat sour and lactic but not upsetting at all. Average at best, but it’s a rating!

April 2006 - Thanks to eaglefan538 for this one...it checks off another state and adds a beercap to my fridge. Unfortunately, that’s about all I can say good about this one. The beer looked okay, I guess...coppery-red pour with smallish head...cloudy. The aroma and flavor were awful. Brett noted a "twang"...well, to me, it was more than that, but I don’t dig it either. The flavor tried to be a nice malty with some hops present, but an awful sour finish to the beer that just didn’t belong. The aroma had a cabbage-like aroma to it as well. Not good. I ALMOST poured it...ALMOST. ;)

Bottle courtesy of Unclemattie: Poured a clear light amber with an average foamy head with OK retention but no lacing. Aroma of medium-sweet malt with a light touch of bitter hops. Taste is mostly based upon some medium-sweet malt and finish is slightly bitter. Body is about average with some OK carbonation. I guess this one is OK but nothing really to write home about.

[898-20071203] 355mL. Malty grain aroma holds hints of toasted hops. Clear, dark red amber body with a quick foamy off-white head. Malty grains flavour has a bit of sweet yeast. Medium body has an underlying mild bitterness. Interesting balance of smooth malt.