New Belgium Giddy Up Review

Brewery: New Belgium Brewing | Beer: Giddy Up
Style: American Amber Ale | ABV: 6.0% | IBUs: ~25
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into globe glass

Today, we're taking a look back at a short-lived brew from New Belgium that showed up in their mixed folly packs. Apparently it wasn't a hit, as it was retired just a few short months after its debut.

Designed with no particular style in mind and brewed with lemon peel and sustainable espresso from Brazil, Giddy Up was a strange brew. We're going with American Amber Ale, which seems the closest fit.

Here's how New Belgian describe the finished product:

First whiff is full of sweeet caramel, toffee, latte. Then, a hint of lemon scone flavor from the addition of lemon peel. Body is creamy, resonant of espresso, yet the finish is bright, even a bit frisky. An ale to git along with.

I have to say, it's all very intriguing.

Appearance: A clear and deep rust-colored body with a solid finger of eggshell head. Decent chunky lacing.

Aroma: Roasted malt body with lots of medium-roasted coffee. Not much as far as hops or lemon coming through, but the coffee is brilliant. In a blind smell test, there's an outside chance I'd peg this as coffee, not beer.

Taste: It's still very much all about the coffee in the flavor profile as well. The profile is of mildly bitter coffee flavors firmly in the medium-roasted coffee territory, so don't be expecting a dark-roasted espresso. The backbone is somewhat reminiscent of 1554 (although much weaker) and nicely sweet. There might be a splash of citrus in there, but it's hard to pin down.

Mouthfeel: A smooth, medium body with average carbonation.

Drinkability: Moderate drinkability. The coffee might get somewhat tiring after a while.

Verdict: Giddy Up is somewhat one-dimensional beer, but it does what it does perfectly, having the best recreation of coffee flavors I've ever experienced in a beer. If you're looking for medium-roasted coffee flavors in a beer, you can't go wrong here. It works perfectly as part of a mix-pack, but I'm not convinced I'd be picking up a lot of six-packs.

Grade: B-

Note: While this review is being published in 2010, the tasting notes contained within were taken when the beer was fresh in early 2009.

Saint Arnold Amber Ale Review

Brewery: Saint Arnold Brewing Co. | Beer: Amber Ale
Style: American Amber Ale | ABV: 5.5% | IBUs: 31
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

Well, it took a few years, but I'm finally getting around to reviewing Saint Arnold's flagship brew. First brewed way back in 1994 as the company's first official offering, Saint Arnold Amber Ale has been the top dog ever since.

Released after just six test batches were brewed, the initial version of Amber Ale was actually closer to an India Pale Ale. While that wouldn't be the end of the world in today's beer climate, back in the bleak days of the mid-nineties it was a bit of an obstacle for an uninitiated public. After just three months on the market, the brewers made some changes, and the recipe has stayed the same for the last 15 years.

Cascade hops are employed for bittering, while hop flavoring comes from both Cascade and Liberty varieties. The backbone is built from 2-row pale and Belgian Caravienne malts. Here's how Saint Arnold describe the finished product:

A well balanced, full flavored, amber ale. It has a rich, malty body with a pleasant caramel character derived from a specialty Caravienne malt. A complex hop aroma, with a hint of floral and citrus comes from a combination of Cascades and Liberty hops.

This is a beer I've enjoyed while out and about many times, but I don't think I've ever actually brought a six-pack home. I'm looking forward to taking some time to really see what makes this beer tick, so let's get to it.

Appearance: A slightly hazy, golden-amber body with a bubbly whitish head that recedes quickly and leaves good lacing.

Aroma: Citrusy and herbal hops over a toasty caramel malt base. Much hoppier than the average Amber.

Taste: Lots of juicy fruit and hop flavors. Not quite as hoppy in the mouth, but still probably hoppier than average for the style. Underneath, a sweet and toasty malt backbone. The aftertaste is toasty with a hint of juicy fruit.

Mouthfeel: A smooth, medium body with moderate carbonation. Dries a little in the finish.

Drinkability: Excellent; this would make for a great session beer.

Verdict: Saint Arnold's Amber Ale is a very solid example of the style, and really fits the bill of a brilliant session beer. All of the juicy fruit and hop notes make this a more attractive proposition than most of the Ambers I've tried.

Grade: A-

Budweiser American Ale Review

Brewery: Anheuser-Busch, Inc. | Beer: Budweiser American Ale
Style: American Amber Ale | ABV: 5.1%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

By now, I'm sure you've been exposed to plenty of marketing for Anheuser-Busch's newest beer: Budweiser American Ale. The commercials promise a bold beer dry-hopped with one of the most exalted varieties in the American craft-brew realm: the Cascade. American Ale is an all-malt beer, with caramel malt as the spotlight ingredient. I'm glad to see that Anheuser-Busch went with an all-malt backbone for this beer, it would have been quite a joke if it were loaded up with rice like it's brothers in the Budweiser line.

I do like the fact that they're being honest this time, and packaging this as part of the Budweiser brand, instead of a fake craft-brewery with a heart-warming country scene on their six-pack holders. I actually really like the packaging they went with, I think it fits the image they're striving for. The bottles even feature a pry-off cap, instead of the regular twist-off. I think that's AB's way of adding a touch of class to the beer...

Appearance: Crystal-clear copper body. Pours a good two-finger, frothy head that leaves decent lacing. This presents rather well.

Aroma: Pretty thin. There's some sweet caramel malt and some hints at the advertised Cascade hops, but nothing substantial.

Taste: Once again, very thin. There's an initial burst of caramel malt that fades rapidly. I'm not getting the characteristic Cascade citrus, or really anything out of the hop department at all. There's still that shitty twang and the bizarre metallic taste you get with other AB beers. Not really much in the way of an aftertaste, except a bit of biscuity malt.

Mouthfeel: A watery light body, with smooth carbonation. Very poor.

Drinkability: With hardly any flavor and a thin body, this goes back only slightly slower than water. Thing is, you probably won't be ordering a second anyway.

Verdict: Fool me twice, shame on me. American Ale is just another bland Anheuser-Busch beer. While it might be the best of the line, that really doesn't count for anything. If all you drink is Bud Light and you're looking for something a little more daring, you really can't go wrong with American Ale as a stepping stone. However, if you're already solidly in the craft-beer world, this is nothing but a novelty.

Grade: D

New Belgium Fat Tire Review

Brewery: New Belgium Brewing | Beer: Fat Tire
Style: American Amber Ale | ABV: 5.2%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

Fat Tire, an American Amber Ale, is the flagship brew of Colorado's New Belgium Brewery. New Belgium's founder, Jeff Lebesch, took a bicycle trip through Belgium back in 1989. As he made his way through the villages, he fell in love with the Belgian style of brewing. Upon arriving home to Fort Collins, be took to the basement and came up with two beers: Fat Tire and Abbey Belgian Ale. Fat Tire was named after his steed during the bicycle trip, and became his new brewery's best-known creation.

One of New Belgium's key philosophies is making their beer as sustainable as possible. The company used green design ideas while designing the brewery, treats their own waste-water on-site, is powered exclusively by either methane derived from waste-water treatment or wind power, and donates one percent of its revenues to help fund environmental non-profits. These guys really walk-the-walk when it comes to being green and they should be congratulated for it. If only more breweries and companies were as committed to the future as New Belgium, the world would be a better place.

In the interest of full disclosure, I feel it fair to inform you that Fat Tire was one of the biggest "gateway beers" during my journey into the world of craft-brewing and I have quite a soft spot for it. On a somewhat less relevant note, my absolute favorite neon beer sign of all time is the classic Fat Tire bicycle. I was lucky enough to be able to buy one from a local swap meet when I graduated from college way back in 2007. All of that being said, I'm confident that I can deliver a fair assessment of the beer. I hope.

Appearance: Clear, copper-orange body with a two-finger, off-white head that easily rises above the edge of the glass. Lacing is brilliant and really lasts.

Aroma: Fat Tire has always been a bit thin on the nose. What you can detect is sweet, biscuity malt and a whiff of citrus.

Taste: Lightly-roasted, sweet, biscuity malt is the center-piece of Fat tire. A subdued, earthly hop-bitterness helps to balance the malt. Occasional shades of booze at the finish. The biscuity malt endures in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, somewhat creamy, and medium-bodied. Carbonation is moderate, in keeping with the style.

Drinkability: I know for a fact that one can drink a twelve pack in the course of an evening. I guess that says it all really.

Verdict: Fat tire is a nicely balanced, biscuity Amber Ale. Securely above average, but certainly not the most exciting beer in the New Belgium stable. A terrific "gateway beer," If there's ever been one. I owe this beer a lot.

Grade: A-

Breckenridge Avalanche Ale Review

Brewery: Breckenridge Brewery | Beer: Avalanche Ale
Style: American Amber Ale | ABV: 5.4%
Serving Method: 12 oz. bottle poured into pint glass

Breckenridge Brewery is a small outfit founded in 1990 by Richard Squire in (surprise) Breckenridge, Colorado. A bottling operation followed in 1996 and today churns out 30,000 barrels a year. I picked up a six-pack of their flagship brew based on its slick packaging and Colorado origin expecting another complex amber ale from the Centennial State.

Appearance: Clear amber color (as you would expect) with ruby tones and a thin head that evaporates quickly

Aroma: Grainy light malt with toffee, caramel and citrus undertones

Taste: Very thin and watery, grainy and somewhat malty with a non-hoppy bitterness

Mouthfeel: Flat, thin and watery

Drinkability: I probably wouldn’t be ordering another one of these

Verdict: Pretty weak stuff. It almost seems like a fake craft-brew, I keep looking for a hidden Anheuser-Busch logo somewhere. Bland, flat, and rather soulless, Breckenridge Avalanche is forgettable in every sense.

Grade: D

Independence Austin Amber Ale Review

Brewery: Independence Brewing Co. | Beer: Austin Amber Ale
Style: American Amber Ale | ABV: 4.9% | IBUs: 14
Serving Method: 12oz. bottle poured into pint glass

This is Independence Brewing Co.'s flagship beer: an Amber Ale that draws heavily on the company's Austin appeal. The label design is brilliant, basing itself on the city's famous Greetings From Austin mural on South First Street. I've seen Independence's offerings increasingly in my local shops over the last year and I could resist this beer (or is it the label?) no longer.

Or maybe I nicked a six-pack from the one of the brewery's high-ups at my dad's 50th birthday party a few months ago and I'm just getting around to trying it out—it's a mystery. I love both Amber Ales and Austin, so expectations are somewhat high for this beer.

Appearance: Huge foamy head on top of a thick golden-brown body.

Aroma: Citrusy and malty with hints of light hops.

Taste: Very much an Amber Ale with a malty taste with subtle hop undertone.

Mouthfeel: Moderately fizzy and sharp with a clean finish.

Drinkability: Very easy to drink, I can see drinking this beer outside throughout a long summer's day.

Verdict: Not a bad attempt—it's surely no Fat Tire, but a very tasty and drinkable Amber Ale none-the-less. I'm delighted that both this company and this beer hold up to the lofty expectations its brilliant design ignited in me.

Grade: B+