Copperhead Ale - Fordham Brewing Company

Omnium

Pennsylvania

3.2/5  rDev -5%
look: 2.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Bottle > Pint Glass
A - Pours a hazy orange color, barely any head, no lacing.
S - Some caramel, toffee, and bready malts, I cant detect any hop aroma in this.
T - Sweeter malt flavor and a little roasty in the finish, very minor though.
M - Medium thin feel, a little sticky.
O - Not really the best try at an Altbier, but not the worst, though its not a beer I'm going to return to.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2013 17:31:47 | More by Omnium

horshack7

Massachusetts

3.45/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Amber in color with head is off white but thins out quick.

Aroma: Bready caramel malts, brown bread. toffee, raisins.

Taste: Quite a malty backbone, caramel malts, twinges of dark bread, toffee, dark fruits. The mouthfeel is chewy with faint molasses notes.

Notes: Good stuff drinkable with a smooth finish. Cheers.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 04:35:33 | More by horshack7

jonb5

United Kingdom (England)

3.53/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Half pint from the Rake, served in a snifter. Bronze colour, hazy, one finger head, retained some lacing. Aroma was malty with notes of rasperry. Tasted malty rasperry and burnt caramel. Charcol like finish. Lively carbonation, smooth texture, medium body. Overall this was quite a well made beer but it seemed more like a weak Dopplebock than an Altbier. Style is best left to brewers in Düsseldorf.

Serving type: on-tap

09-06-2012 14:38:30 | More by jonb5

searsclone

Arizona

2.08/5  rDev -38.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 2

bottle into a pint glass

off white head over a golden amber copper color. nice lace

I get almost zero smell from this. maybe a little honey?

taste is mostly bitter hops. a little caramel after it warms up. not bad, but not much going on.

mouthfeel is good. nice carbonation and creamy. Drinks easy, but the taste and smell are mostly nonexistent.

Overall, I think there must be more to this than what I'm getting from this bottle, but this one fell flat.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2012 01:49:51 | More by searsclone

kylehay2004

Florida

3.08/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Amber brown body with a half finger head and some lacing. Aroma is typical alt with caramel malts and barely. The hops are minimal. Flavor is also malty with cracker and bread notes. The hops turn out to produce a more metallic earthiness. Lighter side of medium body and moderate carbonation. Overall very bland as this style can be at times with metallic notes hurting drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

07-28-2012 22:55:12 | More by kylehay2004

Georgiabeer

Georgia

3/5  rDev -11%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Kudos for taking a stab at an Altbier- not the most common style found here, but unfortunately, not everything works here. Pours a copper color, but it's pretty hazy and has very little head. Smells slightly metallic and quite earthy- but it lacks a snap of hops and seems more esb in style than altbier. There is also a faint grainy sourness in the nose. The taste is surprisingly hollow tasting until the finish where you suddenly get a hit of coppery bitterness and some graininess. I'm not sure if I like that or not. It seems a bit too one dimensional, but the coppery bitterness is long and somewhat intriguing. Could have more depth at the start, and a more integrated finish as well as a snap of hops- which is sorely missing. Strange beer, and an unusual interpretation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 01:09:57 | More by Georgiabeer

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.23/5  rDev -4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Copperhead Ale
Fordham Brewing Company
Style: Altbier
ABV: 5.20 %

LOOK: Copper colored brew with a small head leaving little lace. Showing a fine clarity as well. Lives up to the name "copperhead" by the appearance.

SMELL: American hop variety giving off floral and citrus notes, along with burnt caramel and nutty malt aromas.

TASTE: More like the nose with a firm hoppy punch of orange citrus and pine. Caramel like malts possibly caramunich variety used to get a bit of German influence. Still, ends up drinking like an American pale more than a German lager. Faint toasted malt, complimentary bitterness, a bit thin but agreeable flavor.

FEEL: Medium bodied, moderate carbonation, loose overall feel.

OVERALL: A pretty decent beverage from Fordham brewing, nicely hopped and easy drinking. Would be a good beer to enjoy alongside a summer BBQ.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 17:37:50 | More by Stinkypuss

chodinheaven

Maryland

3.6/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Slight chill haze to this nearly clear, dare I say copper colored beer. Sea foamy off white head starts at about 1 finger and dissapates somewhat slowly to a patchy sheet. A few nice lines of lacing around the glass. Rounded aromas of caramel and biscuit, slightly toasted. Mild fruitiness. Not a whole lot going on aromatically, but whats there is pleasant.

Taste is a bit fuller than its aroma with more fruits coming out, letting the toastiness of the malt recede a bit. Still respectably toasty with a good bit of grainy caramel and bready malt. The fruitiness comes through over top it, combining with a floral and citrusy hop character that suits the ale just fine. Nothing crazy about the hops, but they do a good job in creating a balanced little beer. They also combine with a medium carbonation to create a bit of excitement on the palate. The hops actually even finish up a bit on the earthy side, just there in the finish and aftertaste a bit. A little thin in the mouthfeel but the carbonation makes up for it a touch. It ends up taking away from the beer a bit unfortunately, especially because the flavors are nice and rounded with a great balance.

Close to a good beer, but it settles for solid with a few things holding back, such as the lack of aromatics and the thinner body. That said, its light and refreshing and I'm enjoying the drinkability. Not a bad beer at all. Now just get rid of the twist off caps...

Serving type: bottle

07-03-2012 07:01:52 | More by chodinheaven

huxcrunner

New York

3.25/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

a- clear copper brown color with about two fingers of off-whitish head no major lacing in the glass average retention

s-aroma is light nothing really shining through shilght hop aroma

t-taste is clean and hoppy bitterness is in good balance jjust letting you know that is there keeping the malts in check

m- average feel not great strengths or weakness

0- overall this is a pretty good beer just tried it on a vacation looking to expand the repertoire and mission accomplished worth a try

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2012 01:00:27 | More by huxcrunner

BeerImmediately

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On draft, on a whim ... only draft selection at the Courtyard in Newark, DE.

Poured w/short off-white head over a clear copper-to-amber colored body. Decent amount of carbonation flowing up with a touch of lacing.

Aromas are pretty nice - lots of wheat bread, caramel and toffee sweetness. Smells richer than the ABV would suggest.

Pretty thin on the palate, with floral hoppy qualities I was not expecting. But the malts continued well enough, with some toffee and wheat (maybe rye) bread. MF was pretty nice for the style and ABV... above avg.

Not one that I would seek out for a case or sixtel, but it's better than most standard offerings.

Serving type: on-tap

03-06-2012 02:05:41 | More by BeerImmediately

chilly460

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A - Clear copper body with a short white head. Dissipates quickly, speckling of lace on the sides.

S - Sweet malts, maybe some toffee, but very faint.

T - Basic sweet malts here, not as much depth to say they're caramel malts. A bit of earthy hops on the end.

M - Medium bodied, nice smooth beer

O - Nice easy drinking session beer, no surprises

Serving type: bottle

01-11-2012 19:14:19 | More by chilly460

Crossmd

Virginia

2.88/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured probably 42 degrees Fahrenheit into a Stella stemglass. No born date.

Pours a lucid copper color with a pillowy and retentive off-white head that leaves sudsy lacing that sticks along the inside of the glass.

Smells of light molasses, a dry spice or pepper and some caramel breads. Lightly projected- wafting.

Tastes of a light red falling through a watery structure. Drinkability is the focus here, but does so with a good degree of rounded malt flavor. Not a tremendous amount of punch or even character- it often doesn't really have a great sense of what it wants to be, but absolutely a potential food beer, think barbecue or hot wings. finish is slightly nutty, dry, with decent longevity if not a lot of strength.

Mouthfeel is relatively unsupportive with a masking over-effervescence.

Overall, not regrettable, but not created with intention.

76.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 23:44:56 | More by Crossmd

andrewjraab

Michigan

3.28/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

This was part of my Beer of the Month Club I got for Christmas from my wife.

A - Nice Copper tone as the name would suggest. It poured a nice 3 fingers of creamy thick head. Not much lacing, not much retention.

S - Not much standing out here.

T - Nice malty taste, but not much hop character.

O - I thought this was overall a pretty average beer and nothing really stood out to me. It was enjoyable, but not explosive.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 02:19:13 | More by andrewjraab

marlinsfan4

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A solid beer from the Fordham mixed 12 pack. I believe the only other 'altbeir' I've tried is Long Trail's, and it's a style I've grown to really like. While I don't think it's on that level, it's a tasty beer that's smooth and tasty. The initial mouthfeel is a bit astringent, but it's well balanced with some nice caramel malts to go with the hops. Nothing too special, but a good addition to a mixed pack and a tasty brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2012 03:17:59 | More by marlinsfan4

DrinkSlurm

Connecticut

3.6/5  rDev +6.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from bottle into pint glass.
Pours a nutty brown clear with little head, but some lacing is present on glass.
There isnt much aroma...some malty caramel but slight metallic aroma.
Taste is of malty bready caramel...very light and thin. With actually more hops than I would have thought for this type of beer, but I like it. Its simple, but good. A really nice session brew for sure.
This is my second brew from Fordham, and although they havent wow'ed me, based on oher reviews, they have exceeded my expectations. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

12-29-2011 23:48:46 | More by DrinkSlurm

kojevergas

California

2.93/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12 oz brown glass bottle with standard pressure cap served into Ni'ce Chouffe stemware in low altitude Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are moderate.

A: Pours a half finger head of fair cream, decent thickness, and pretty good retention. Colour is a semitransparent copper.

Sm: Light hops, malt, barley, etc. Standard fare. Surprisingly, yeasty notes dominate. I do like it, but it's certainly unconventional. A moderate strength aroma.

T: Light malt and barley with some very light potential nutty notes and fairly heavy yeast reigning. Decently balanced. Built okay. It's too simple and uninspired to really be remarkable.

Mf: Smooth and wet, but entirely too thick. Sort of suits the flavours.

Dr: Decently drinkable, but largely forgettable. There's nothing special here for beer fanatics, but it's a pleasant little beer. I could session it pretty readily. I'd try it on draught at the right price.

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 10:05:53 | More by kojevergas

Tschnab

New York

2.98/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

A- an orange copper color, a nice white foam that starts a finger high soon dissipates to an active film of carbonation.

s- sweet malt, carmel, bread, light fruit.

t- it pretty much tastes like malt with no hops, no citrus, no balance. very carbonated, I will say it drinks quite easy.

o- not a great altbier, pretty much just a malty beer with not much else going on.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 15:35:06 | More by Tschnab

corylew

Oregon

2.23/5  rDev -33.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours hazy brown with a soft white head that quickly disappears.

Smells like cheap beer. Plain and simple. Adjunct-y with esters. Mainly smells like CO2.

Taste.. well there isn't much. I taste carbonation, a hint of sweet malt, but mainly cheap beer and carbonation.

Mouthfeel is fizzy. I'm sure the carbonation level isn't off, but the lack of other taste in this beer means that's the main flavor I get.

Overall "not impressed" sums it up well. Looks like someone with a lot of money tired tapping into the craft beer market to get some cash and cut as many corners as possible.

EDIT: Wait a second. This is supposed be an altbier? Would have never guessed...

Serving type: bottle

11-08-2011 02:36:03 | More by corylew

ckollias

Maryland

3.43/5  rDev +1.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Enjoyed this beer at Carrol's Creek in Annapolis, MD out of pint glass.

A: Cooper ale with a white-finger head that lingers for awhile and leaves a persistent lace.

S: Faint caramel and sweetness aromas.

T: Very crisp clean caramel sweet brew. Has a nice malt background and enough hops to balance it out.

M: Medium body and mild carbonation

D: Solid beer but nothing really special. It was well balanced and easily drinkable.

Serving type: on-tap

10-12-2011 03:10:22 | More by ckollias

PhillyStyle

Georgia

2.93/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

On-tap at the Ram's Head Tavern, BWI airport:

The beer appeared a light copper color with a thin head and no lacing to mention. The aroma was kind of weak, but mainly grainy. The taste of the beer was average, seemed more like an ESB than anything else. The beer had a medium feel to it and it seemed slightly under-carbonated. Overall, not a beer that I would go back for.

Serving type: on-tap

08-31-2011 17:55:03 | More by PhillyStyle

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Color is a nice old penny copper, with a creamy eggshell white head building. It even sticks around for a while.
The smell has caramel notes to it and promises sweetness.
Tasting the beer those sweet caramel notes and some brown sugar take charge, like expected, but will be balanced in the middle very nicely by a gentle selection of hops. There is even a hint of dark fruit in there. At the end some malty notes take charge in the finish.
A surprisingly nice and drinkable beer. Great as a Tab beer and very well balanced.
Great job!

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2011 03:18:57 | More by Hopfenpeter

Rifugium

Pennsylvania

1.05/5  rDev -68.8%
look: 2 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

First had: on tap at Ram's Head Live, Baltimore, MD

This was a watered down mess. I couldn't even get through one cup (served in plastic cups there, by the way, which is better than a pint glass in a way--specifically, the cup that fell on me from the balcony only got me wet instead of giving me head trauma).

Poured hazy copper with little to no head. Some caramel and stale nuts in the aroma. Taste of basic malts, with some bitterness and an unpleasant aftertaste. Thin, watery, and pretty much undrinkable to me.

Serving type: on-tap

05-05-2011 11:24:17 | More by Rifugium

CuriousMonk

Virginia

3.4/5  rDev +0.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On draught at Washington Nationals Park. The beer is amber with a medium thin and foamy light beige head that dissipates steadily. Spotty lacing on the cup. Sweet malty aroma with just a bit of hops. Medium body with flavors of sweet malt and hops plus a hint of nuts. The finish is clean and malty with some sweetness left over. Average overall, and if I knew this was an Altbier when I ordered it I would have been disappointed, but as far as beers go that one can find in an MLB ballpark, I was satisfied.

Serving type: on-tap

02-07-2011 19:54:54 | More by CuriousMonk

Thorpe429

Illinois

2.05/5  rDev -39.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Reviewed from notes.

Pours a light copper color with a slight light tan head. The nose is some pale malt, earthy hops, and an astringent bitterness. Astringency coninues in the flavor and takes over. Badly bitter feel in the wrong way. Not a good beer and I would not have this again.

Serving type: bottle

11-11-2010 13:20:42 | More by Thorpe429

BurpingtonDC

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev +14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Fordham Copperhead Ale is one of my go to beers when I want a flavorful, easy-drinking beer. Goes down nicely and is great with food. It's plentiful where I come from and you can also get it on tap at the famous Ram's Head Tavern in Annapolis, MD, located next door to the Fordham brew pub.

A - A deep, coppery color with foamy/creamy head that fades after a few minutes.

S - Aroma is pretty much restricted to a carmel scent

T - Very drinkable. An German Altbier with that tastes to me like an typical English style ale. Nicely finishes with a significant amount of hoppy goodness. I find this ale to be pretty well-balanced between hop and malt.

M - A significant hoppy after taste.

D - The hoppiness leaves a pleasant, bitter after taste that plays nicely with the carmely, sweetness, and the level of alcohol makes this ale a balanced everyday ale.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2010 23:07:13 | More by BurpingtonDC