Friday, October 23, 2009

115. Fort Collins Kidd Black Lager

Our first beer from Fort Collins Brewery in Fort Collins, CO.

Kidd opens with a roasted chocolate nose and low levels of coffee aroma. The deep rich dark brown hue of the beer reveals orange and red highlights with a minimal tan head. Beginning with a roasted malt flavor, Kidd’s middle has bitter chocolate and coffee flavors. There are also some burnt notes in the middle, which detract from the profile and don’t mesh as well with the lighter lager body. It closes with dryness and light bitterness; the mainly clean finish also has a light sulfur flavor with lingering chocolate flavors—the finish is well done. Light to medium bodied with a creamy mouthfeel, Kidd is both thick and light at the same time—the chocolate gives it some substance even while leaving the beer light on the tongue. The carbonation is a bit light overall; some of the wateriness comes from not enough carbonation or bite in the beer. A good beer overall; the opening and closing flavors are excellent, but the burnt notes in the middle jar the overall flavor profile and the carbonation is too light for the style.

From the bottle: “A hint of smoked malt compliments the chocolate malt in this surprisingly light bodied Schwarzbier. Experience Kidd’s intriguing aroma and complex flavor as you enjoy this remarkable style of beer.”

From the Fort Collins website: “Schwarzbier was crafted to taste much lighter that it looks. Chocolate malt lends Kidd its color while German Tettnang hops create the minimal bitterness of this brew. We’ve added a dash of smoked malt to make our Schwarzbier slightly more complex.”

ABV: 4.5%
IBU: 23-ish

(10/23/2009)

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