Review Date 7/15/2010
Try?
Re-buy?
I'd like to tell you that the bottle of Fort Collins Big Shot Seasonal Ale I'm drinking came from my personal stash, aged with loving care over the eight months or so since it was released last holiday season. I could tell you that, of course, but if I did I'd be lying. That's because I snapped this delightful holiday brew up a few months ago at Sherlock's Wine and Spirits in Kennesaw, GA, where it had somehow gotten lost behind numerous other 22-ounce bottles of assorted brew.
That worked out well for me, of course, since it allowed me to include the brew in my annual Christmas in July beer tasting. Then too, this beer is so well suited to the holiday season, whether you celebrate it in December or July. The frisky snowman featured so prominently on the label, balanced expertly on a snowboard with beer in hand, is certainly cooling me off on a hot July evening. The beer even comes with it's own gift tag. How convenient.
Here's how the brewery describes the beer on the bottle:
"A wonderful winter warmer, this brown ale will leave you wishing the season would never end. The perfect finish to a long day of playing in the Colorado sunshine, or maybe just wishing you had been. "
Wishing the season would never end? Colorado sunshine? Sounds like Christmas in July to me.
Fort Collins Brewery Big Shot Season Ale pours to a chestnut brown color with a light tan head formation and a nose replete with notes of toasted hazelnut. The palate is just so soft and malty, with just a hint of chocolate that along with the nutty-toasty malt makes this one a lot like a chocolate chip cookie in a glass. Hazelnut and toffee appear for good measure, too. A bit of grassy hops balance the whole affair nicely.
This isn't a huge beer, but it is a very pleasant one. Holiday beers tend to lean towards the big side in flavor, alcohol, and body, but in my opinion it's nice to have a tasty session beer like this one, too. Some of the reviews of this beer I read before popping my bottle rated it as just average, though I think that's probably because it doesn't whack you over the head with flavor and alcohol. Beer geeks can have an annoying tendency at times to overlook the sublime glory delicate beers can deliver.
For my part, I love the soft maltiness of Big Shot, and it's a truly delightful brew sipped in July or December.
And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.
*Pricing data accurate at time of review or latest update. For reference only, based on actual price paid by reviewer.
(B)=Bottled
(D)=Draft
