Fat Tire...

There have been a lot of post recently about Fat Tire. I love it, and AHS clone comes really close to it. Recently however I had a surprise from Fat Tire. A buddy lost a bet and owed me a 6-pack, so I said I wanted Fat Tire. He had tried my AHS clone and liked it, so he pick up a sixer for himself as well.
So, I got home and popped the top and WHAT??? it did not taste like fat tire at all. It was very hoppy and tasted like their 2 Below. Now, I like the 2 Below, and drank the sixer, but it made me wonder about their QA program, or lack of. The next day my buddy says it tasted nothing like my beer and he didn't care for it. Then he tells me he had a female friend over, he asked her if she wanted one and she said "yes, I love fat tire". So he gives her one and she taste it and says it doesn't taste like fat tire.
Anyone else have a simular experience?

New Belgium I have found does have a bit of variability in their beers, as do most micros I drink, I notices that 2-below changed a lot (wish it was still around) but I haven't really had a Fat Tire in a long time, just got way to many skunked cases and pints of the stuff, now i can't drink it.

"new belgium" pft, none of their beers are true belgian styles. their 1554 is alright, i guess, but definitely NOT a fan of their fat tire.

DeathBrewer said:

"new belgium" pft, none of their beers are true belgian styles. their 1554 is alright, i guess, but definitely NOT a fan of their fat tire.

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what other ones have you tried? I'd say Abbey and Trippel are pretty true to style, their Saison was damn good too

i tried the trippel, wasn't too fond.

i guess i could try their abbey (it's a dubbel, right?) i'll grab one tonight, but i think i'm just not a fan of the hops or the yeast they use or something. some taste that's in all of them that is pretty much meh.

can't find the abbey or the saison, goldarnit. i tried the trippel again and i still feel the same way. i think it's the hops.

Saison is a seasonal beer in the fall I think. I wouldn't bother with Sprinboard, their spring seasonal, tastes bad...

The flavor of Fat Tire changes a lot. Sometimes there are subtle changes and other times there are dramatic. The latest definitely is closer to the new 2below.

may have something to do with hop supplies, who knows...

i dunno. i always get that same taste, for the last few years. it's, like, their trademark hops or something. anyone got a clone recipe and how well does it match up?

i'd like to see what to avoid in my brew.

I picked up a whole case when I was in Colorado last time and ended up giving almost every one of them away. I thought it was me. I'm glad to hear that other's have had that experience also.

It had that stale cardboard taste you associate with oxygenated beer.

At any rate, I'm with you. I'm through with them.

I didn't want to be a naysayer but I gave it a try a few months ago as I was assembling my bottle collection. The least of my favorites. Can't put my finger on it but I didn't care for it.

That and the bottles ended up sucking. Those labels are epoxied on and the bottles are shorter than normal.

Don't know what the hubbub is...

I too, enjoy the AHS Fat Tire clone. I have heard from more than one person it tastes like Fat Tire did a few years ago before they ramped up production. What you get today is, as previous post attest, a very inconsistent product.

At least what I brew is tasty!:rockin: