Rock Bottom Fire Chief Ale

Brewed by Rock Bottom Corporate Office
Style: Amber Ale
Louisville, Colorado USA

Bright copper color, with a shy white head, flowery oily hops nose, with a slight buttery aroma follows through on a medium-bodied palate with a toasted caramel malt, with an orange fruity flowery hops character, leading towards a balancing spicy citrus hop bittering finish.

On tap @ Indy. Medium off white head. Dark copper color. Yeast and roasted nut aroma. Same for flavor with just a hint of citrus. Bitter finish.

On tap as the KoP location. Poured a darker and cloudy orange color with a smaller sized off white head. Aromas of citrus and light caramel. Tastes of pretty much the same. Has a ’generic’ hoppiness to it. Thinner body.

@ Braintree MA location. Ok nose, sweet. Caramel, Little yeasty nuttiness. Clean reddish orange color, ok head that faded quickly to a ring. Minor lacing. Sweet bitter flavor. Like aroma with some citrusy grapefruity addition. Medium body, watery mouthfeel, bitter finish. It’s ok. Waitress said it was a mix from recipes of the locals North Star amber and Improper hoppah

Fresh hop and malt nose, amber color, low sticky head. Sweet malty front, light, with a broad bitter. Medium body and an OK balance. One of the better ones, which isn’t saying much.

South Denver location - brought home a growler. Comment on the beer itself first. I believe each Rock Bottom location has the liberty to brew whatever they want for the annual Fire Chief beer. The head brewmaster happened to be enjoying the fruits of his labors at the bar when I came in to get my growler filled. He explained that this year he chose to do an Alt because the Fire Chief beer should usually be red in color, he wanted to try something a little different, and he has a particular passion for German styles. I’m new to Alts, and I really like this one. After reading the style guidelines this one fits the style really well. The brewer also noted that this had been cold conditioning for 6 weeks. They had it labeled as Fire Chief #2. So, pours a really nice, really clear deep red amber with a smallish off-white head. Head dissipates kind of quickly to a layer of foam and leaves a little lacing. Aroma is nice - some spiciness, probably from the noble hops and a little bit of yeast character. Also a little bit of carmel malt sweetness. Flavor is really nicely balanced. A good healthy amount of bitterness, balanced by some sweet, carmelly malt with a slightly spicy finish. Mouthfeel is light to medium, but on the lighter side. Nice amt. of carbonation and a really nice smooth finish. An easy drinker. I really like this beer, and it has gotten me excited to explore the style.

Sampled at RB in Chicago: Deep red color, medium head. Malty nose - medium. Nice medium hoppy taste - that lasts medium long. Also red currant taste.

Served as a clear, medium "Red" (thin mahogany/copper-brown) with a creamy, cream-colored head. Hoppy aroma with sour milk and gym socks, with grapefruit that contributes but fades. A smooth, mid-bodied, nutty brew with lemon and a peppery finish. I was happy to contribute to a good cause, but reverted back to RB’s <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Beer/rock-bottom-brow Bear to session with.

<font size=-4>On tap at <a href=http://www.ratebeer.com/Place/illinois/chicag Bottom, Chicago, IL 60610<font size=-1>