Fat Tire

Is it me or is this beer just not good? I try not to downgrade a craft brew, but a couple weeks ago I took the SWMBO to Applebees. It was a choice between all the BMC beers or Fat Tire. Of course I ordered up the latter and couldn't finish the glass. This was my first time drinking it. A friend brought over a New Belgium Somersault a few months back and I didn't like it either. Although the New Belgium Ranger IPA I absolutely love.

It must be my taste, maybe I'm wierd....

Don't feel bad. Just because you brew and have a taste for well-crafted beers doesn't mean you have to like everything that every craft brewery puts out...

Me, I like fat tire. And their Ranger IPA is one of my favorites as well.

Fat tire tastes like dirt to me.

I'll tell you what, when I spent two years south of San Antonio, I loved when I could find a Fat Tire...mmmm hmmm...

Now that I'm out of that beer wasteland, it's pretty watery.

I don't know, being in Indiana I drink a lot of three floyds pale ales, which I think are amazing. The fat tire, to me, just had an unbalanced hop configuration.Like I said, I couldn't finish the glass and I've been known to drink pure swill at times...

I like fat tire and somersault and blue paddle.

I used to like Fat Tire....(Sam Adams was my "gateway" beer).....your tastes do change...Also when I first had Fat Tire it wasn't available in Indiana so it was "cool" to be able to drink it. Now I think it is a average beer...Smithwicks is the same way to me...I used to love it...now its just ok..

I was just at the New Belgium Brewery today and had some of their Lips of Faith series. Way better then the stuff they always put out. I sampled their sour beers, Click and Clutch. Wow, my first sour and it was mighty fine. I agree Fat tire isn't something I would go out and buy. But I do like what New Belgium is doing.

brewed a clone once never had a fat tire before thought i messed it up because it wasn't very good got to try a fat tire the next day and it tasted the same as my brew was disappointed

I think Fat Tire is an awesome beer. It is malt forward with just enough hop presence to bring it all into focus. Maybe their distributor doesn't take care of it the way they should on long hauls, maybe they were dirty beer lines or it could just not match your taste. I am amazed almost every time I have one.

bbrim said:

I think Fat Tire is an awesome beer. It is malt forward with just enough hop presence to bring it all into focus. Maybe their distributor doesn't take care of it the way they should on long hauls, maybe they were dirty beer lines or it could just not match your taste. I am amazed almost every time I have one.

Click to expand...

I agree. If you literally couldn't finish it, then something went wrong before your lips. It's definitely a good beer and usually unfairly compared to hoppy beers as if hoppy is the standard.

HoosierDaddyBrew said:

I don't know, being in Indiana I drink a lot of three floyds pale ales, which I think are amazing. The fat tire, to me, just had an unbalanced hop configuration.Like I said, I couldn't finish the glass and I've been known to drink pure swill at times...

Click to expand...

I'm not a huge FT fan, but it's OK. We're fortunate to be able to get Three Floyds up here (at least for now). I'm not a huge fan of hoppy beers but I do like Gumballhead. My favorite from there is their Robert the Bruce Scotch Ale.

Jaz

FT can be overrated definitely. It was just recently available in stores in MD, so people went nuts over it. I would definitely drink it over any BMC without question, but I wouldn't lust for it. Now, the New Belgium 1554 is another story. Very tasty, and love the mouthfeel.

Chivo said:

I agree. If you literally couldn't finish it, then something went wrong before your lips. It's definitely a good beer and usually unfairly compared to hoppy beers as if hoppy is the standard.

Click to expand...

That's very possible, not ruling that out one bit.

Jazman said:

I'm not a huge FT fan, but it's OK. We're fortunate to be able to get Three Floyds up here (at least for now). I'm not a huge fan of hoppy beers but I do like Gumballhead. My favorite from there is their Robert the Bruce Scotch Ale.

Jaz

Click to expand...

Gumbalhead is one of my favorite all time beers, although Alpha King comes in at a dead heat.

Fat Tire just has a flavor that seems off to me. I can never put my finger on it but it's in most of New Belgium's beers. Nor really noticeable in things like the Ranger IPA or Mothership Wit. Maybe it's something in the water chemistry that just doesn't work with my pallet. Lots of people love it so good for them.

Also not a fan of FT, but their Hoptoberfest is pretty good (though nothing at all like an Oktoberfest.)

theonetrueruss said:

Fat Tire just has a flavor that seems off to me. I can never put my finger on it but it's in most of New Belgium's beers. Nor really noticeable in things like the Ranger IPA or Mothership Wit. Maybe it's something in the water chemistry that just doesn't work with my pallet. Lots of people love it so good for them.

Click to expand...

That's exactly how I see it. I've only ever had fat tire on tap, but the somersault was bottled. It had that same off taste. I know some people love it, a friend of mine thinks its the best beer ever made. I'm sure there are beers that I hold on a pedestal that others think suck too though.

Fat Tire was my "gateway" beer, and continues to be my go-to. Every time I've had it on tap, however, it's been off, excepting the time I had it at the brewery. I don't know if their field QC sucks or what. From the bottle it's always deliciously toasty-bready, with a nice touch of hops.

I will concede that it is a fairly uneventful beer.

chumpsteak said:

Fat tire tastes like dirt to me.

Click to expand...

this. there's something different in it for sure. just had my first ranger IPA the other day - pretty good.

I will drink FT if it's on a list of choices that include BL, Blue Moon, Stella, etc. It's sorta on the same tier as Sam Adams in my book.

I wouldn't seek it out otherwise.