Last Monday was the first “nice” day around here since about early February. The sun was out, the ground was dry and snow/mud were at a minimal.
That’s why we decided to keep the good vibes going by grabbing a beer at Tandy’s (we were hoping to sit outside but settled for a seat at the subterranean, indoor bar instead).
Most of the options on tap, sadly, we had already tried – except for one: Fat Tire from New Belgium.
Apparently this is supposed to be an amber ale, though the glass we got looked shockingly, well, non-amber. If you look at the photo above, you can clearly see right through the beer, so we’re not sure if Fat Tire has changed things up or what, but we drank it either way.
Red or not, this is a good beer. It’s very light – like Bud Light light – and crisp. That said, it is still packed with flavor (unlike the aforementioned commercial beer).
It has a hoppy, almost herbal smell, but the taste is milder than the scent. The taste is close to floral, though I wouldn’t call this a “flavored beer” by any means. I also found it surprisingly easy to drink for a beer with 5.2 percent alcohol by volume.
Despite the somewhat high alcohol content and the strong smell, this is a smooth drinker with little to no aftertaste. You don’t have to be a seasoned beer aficionado to enjoy this one.
As the weather continues to warm up, keep Fat Tire on your list of “Beers to Try on a Nice Day.”
