22 oz bottle from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Always interested to try a new Full Sail brew because I think that they brew some really good quality, simple beers. The nose offers a bright citrus and a touch of alcohol. The pour is a very slightly hazed, pale orange with a frothy head with mid level density. Some lace. The tastes are very fruity upfront. Some nice, sweetish orange and other citrus notes at the front end which turn into more bitter citrus notes (grapefruit) on the back end with...
Notes on beers brewed by
Full Sail Brewery & Tasting Room & Pub
LTD Series – 03
12 oz single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pale blue label this time on the usual, Ltd Series presentation. Pour is a crystal clear, mid-yellow with nice lace and retention. A good sign in a Pils and a pre-requisite for a good lager experience. Nose is light with little to report other than a touch of bitterness. That's OK, at least it's clean. Tastes are importantly crisp, dry and refreshing. As it should be, i.e. simple and straightforward. No off-flavors and although the beer lacks a...
LTD Series – 02
12 oz bottle as a single from Hop City, Atlanta, GA, USA. Amber/Red?? I don't think so. Very attractive, deep golden body with a tight, white head and some lace. Carbonation is kept to a minimum, ale style. Mouthfeel is a little viscous with the alcohol popping through both in the taste and in the slightly slick feel in the mouth. A touch of caramel and definitely some honey. Some hop bitterness mingles with a fruity backdrop. Some malts come through as well, and there is plenty of sweetness...
LTD Series – 01
12 oz single from Total Wine at Perimeter in Atlanta, GA, USA. Nice looking, clear dark amber pour with some creamy head and lace. The head drops away fairly quickly but still produces a creamy film and collar. Looks solid. Good clarity in the body. Nose has a light hop note but not much else. The tastes are pretty much solidly in line with the style. Drying malts with a touch of bitterness in the finish. A good, rich and creamy mouthfeel to the beer too and the sweet, dry and bitter...
Full Sail Pale Ale
12 oz single with a different (updated?) label, $1.35 from Green's, Atlanta, GA, USA. Simple pour, with a pale golden pour, low carbonation and only a small amount of head and lace. Floral, sweet light nose without much hint of hops. Identical touch in the taste with a slightly strange aftertaste of sweet biscuit malts and light fruit. Just as I expected, a very light, easy drinking, uncomplicated beer that Full Sail is pretty good at producing. Nothing spectacular but pretty solid. Take the...
Full Sail IPA
12 oz single. Very standard but nevertheless attractive, American IPA pour. Mid-orange body with a touch of haze but eh body is pretty clear. Pitted, rocky head that is NOT huge but is well formed; sticky lace - nice looking "pint". Some soapy, IPA notes but ultimately this is quite sweet both in the nose and the taste. Mild tangerine and some simple, orange peel bitterness in the back end. Yep, a nice, simple, tasty brew with solid attributes and tasty (ALMOST) sessionability. Tidy.
Full Sail Wassail
2008 version. 12oz bottle from Total Wine at Perimeter, Atlanta, GA, USA. Pour is a dark, garnet body with an ivory head and plenty of sticky lace. Good looking. Nose is very bland. Lacks anything other than a little malt. Disappointing. Tastes are essentially that of a slightly acidic, malt based English ale. Lacks any kind of Winter Warmer spice as far as I can tell. Don't get me wrong, this is a pretty tasty, simple, ESB type ale with an easy drinkability and a nice mellow mouthfeel....
Full Sail Amber
Full Sail is a relatively new entrant (last few months) to the Atlanta market and I got to pick this one up as a single at Green's on Ponce, Atlanta, GA, USA. 12 oz bottle, nice, clean presentation across the range. Lovely chestnut brown/mahogany clarity on the pour with a small but well retained head and some lovely lace - exactly what I am looking for in an Amber. Nose, tastes and mouthfeel link very nicely to deliver a pretty good example of the style. Simple balance with some caramel malts...
Session Lager
11oz stubbie from Fresh Market as a part of their $8.99 mixed sixer. A recent entry to the ATL/GA market with the new wave of Full Sail beers. I like the stubbie presentation - old school and no pretence. Pour has golden (better than macro) color that has serious depth. Good carbonation, decent head nice clarity. Looks solid. Some vegetal nature in the nose, but it drinks MUCH cleaner than the nose would suggest. Simple, clean corn-like taste. Finish is clean. Tidy beer. Expect little and...
Wreck The Halls
Big thanks go out to russpowell for the chance to sample this one. 22 oz bomber, red label that is very different to the one in the picture in the BA db (perhaps it changes annually?). Pour is a dark, cloudy orange with a nice, noisy, creamy, dense head. Lace is apparent, but not to the extent that the head leads one to believe. Head fades quickly. Nice, mild orange peel nose with some mild sinus clearing hops. Medicinal like bitterness meets the tongue at first, and then slips into that...