Odell - Red Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Odell Red Ale
Odell Brewing Company
800 East Lincoln Avenue
Fort Collins, CO USA
Est. 1989
www.odellbrewing.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 6.5 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Amber ruddy red color.
Hops, hops and more hops smell. Wonderful.
Nice tight foaming two fingered head.
Superb rings of lacing with each sip.
Total immersion of hops with each sip. Malt does show a bit.
Light to medium bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Fresh hops aroma and a hops kick - just right at 50 IBU's.  This was one that eluded me on previous trips to the mountains of Colorado.  I regret only bringing a sixer of this back, but there is hope for me yet.  GABF looms large in September when I will be back...with more.

Time to correct that mistake. Get some, before I bring it all back to the crypt.

Laughing Skull Amber Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer
Laughing Skull Amber Ale
Atlanta Brewing Company
2323 Defoor Hills Rd. NW
Atlanta, Georgia USA
Est. 1993
www.atlantabrewing.com
also see
www.thevortexbarandgrill.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.7 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Amber color.
Malty smell with some hops bitter notes.
Tight, white two finger high head.
Decent amount of lacing on glass.
Medium malty taste up front with hoppy bite at end.
Light to medium mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Ah ha! That crazy eyed skull caught my attention while strolling down the liquor warehouse Memorial Day weekend.  I recognized that logo from a trip I made to Atlanta in the 1990's.  There was a joint called the Vortex that served up hamburgers about two dozen ways, offered around 100 different beers and had a profound amount of whiskeys.  That was it.  A simple formula.  Oh yeah, they had the craziest shit hanging off of the walls and ceilings.

So after a little digging on the internet, I discovered they are still in business with about three establishments now.  The original location is gone; the one where we stood in a line outside in the cold to get one of the 20 tables available.  It was worth the wait.  The food and bar were worth shivering a bit for and it certainly lived up to the hype at that time.

The Vortex is still serving the same type of  food and grog in their newer eclectic atmosphere restaurants.  They even sport the same psycho skull logo.  And much to my delight, there is a menu, a beer menu to be more specific that notes this amber ale is the "house brew". Check it out on page 2 of their "Booze Menu".

I loved them then, and love them more now, for growing in Atlanta and now reaching out with this amber ale.  Long live the Vortex!

Odell - Levity Amber Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Levity Amber Ale
Odell Brewing Company
800 East Lincoln Avenue
Fort Collins, CO USA
Est. 1989
www.odellbrewing.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.1 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Hazy golden yellow, straw like in color.
Citrus zesty tang; grapefruit(?)
Pine scent, strong hop oil scent in the nose.
Minimal head that dissipates rapidly leaving scant lacing.
Light to medium bodied mouth feel; refreshing. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Deja vu? If I didn't know better...this one is eerily like the St. Lupulin, but softer in hops and ABV. It is great on its own and I don't really have more to state about it, except that it was greatly enjoyed.

Try some and you too will rise from the grave. Muaahaahaaahaaa!

Rogue American Amber Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Rogue American Amber Ale
Rogue Ales
2320 OSU Drive
Newport, OR USA
Est.1988
www.rogue.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.6 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Cinnamon orange in color.
Malt taste and aroma with floral scent of hops.
Minimal off-white head with good lacing.
Hoppy punch with each sip.
Medium bodied mouth feel with full hops taste.

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
What an ale. Great spicy sweet hops punch at 53 IBU's. It speaks to you that there's hops but doesn't scream at you. And after all, we're just looking for some peace and quiet around the crypt. Good one to kick back with after a hard day in the trenches. Dig those ditches. Love the hops...Mother earth. Good Mother earth. It feels like an honest days work went into this ale so the proletariat and petit-bourgeois could enjoy it. The capitalist pigs can drink the river water! Ha!

This is a fine amber ale worthy of its working class roots. Just look at the union guy on the label; sleeves rolled up with a solidarity fist pump in the air. You can check out their website and declare your own personal independence in the Rouge-dom. Karl Marx eat you heart out!

Now then, back to Rogue.....I hear they have some "Dead Guy Ale". Gonna' have to get my hands on that! Muahaahaaahaaahaaaaa!

Killian's Irish Red

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Killian's Irish Red
Coors Brewing Company
(MillerCoors)
Golden, CO USA
Est. 1873
www.coors.com

Brain Damage Quotient = 4.98 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 12.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
Amber red color.
Slight sweetness up front, but not overpowering.
Pours with a decent head, but thins after standing.
Light to medium body with a little bit of hops.
Clean, crisp and drinkable. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Just had to have an Irish brew for St. Patrick's day. Upon a closer look though, it appears this may be from the motherland recipe, but it is brewed here in the states. It's red, it's Irish and it's not too bad. You can definitely do worse than this beer. And, for the price and ability to drink more than one? It goes down smooth.

New Belgium Fat Tire Amber Ale

Dead Soldier

Where to Dig Up More About This Beer

Fat Tire Amber Ale
New Belgium Brewing
500 Linden Street
Fort Collins, CO USA
Est. 1991
www.newbelgium.com 

Brain Damage Quotient = 5.2 % ABV
Fluid Oz. = 22.0 

Postmortem Brew Review
True amber coloration.
Nutty maltiness and with hops you can taste.
Rich, frothy head pour with rings and clumps of lacing.
Medium bodied mouth feel. 

Grim Reaper's Eulogy
Ironically, yours truly is reporting "live" from the Rocky Mountains in these upcoming episodes. Oh, I know you hate the droll pun as much as I, but here's my report.

Fat Tire is a brew from these parts that is a local phenomenon. According to the website, the brewery was born from a passion for home brewing. So much passion, that it grew into a business. You can read the passion at their website. You can see it in the labeling. But where it shines best is where you taste it in the brew.

Along with several other brews, this ale is the 'signature' of their craft. Since I'm in town for another day, it will be worth a trip to see their brewing in action. I wonder if we can get some on the east coast? It's good!