Key West Sunset Ale - Florida Beer Company

ale1

Florida

1/5  rDev -66.9%
look: 1 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

After reading the ingredients, and being a homebrewer, hops such as chinook, golden etc.

we found this today in publix super market,
picked up a sixer to try.

with all the fancy packaging this one leaves you going HUH??? read on please

poured into a Guinness pint glass light amber color with a 1.5 finger tall head,with no lacing.
I tried ..i mean i really tried to find any telltale of hops..there isn't any !!!
Much like the Budweiser Amrican ale this stuff is for dead parrots and budweiser fans it's just bad.

A bad aftertaste of rice corn corporate brewer swill,from the bottom of a food trough in some feed lot. It's to bad as it doesn't cost much more to use good Malt, this is not barley malt of any account it'll be sure to give one a headache if not poured down the drain.

Ale it isn',t swill it is.

Serving type: bottle

05-11-2012 21:56:13 | More by ale1

vnylbean

Florida

1.25/5  rDev -58.6%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Not sure how people gave this beer any credibility at all and some really good beers got rated a lot lower than this. Maybe I got some old bottles but I got a lot of them because my grocery store ran a Buy one 6 pack get one free deal (7.99) on this and the key lime version and both were very hard to drink and actually after about 3, it just made my whole body feel like crap like I was drinking Budweiser or cheap swag like that. The beer felt real heavy on the stomach and the taste left very much to be desired. One of the few times I have poured beer down the sink since I bought a case of each. Usually even with average beer the more you drink the easier it is to get down but the more I put down of this beer the more I was ready to quit drinking for the day.

Serving type: bottle

02-04-2011 00:59:35 | More by vnylbean

bluetravlr

Colorado

1.6/5  rDev -47%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Thanks Mark and Joan for bringing this beer back from Florida!

A: Clear, golden-amber coloration. Initial head quickly fades . . . lingers slightly. Good amount of carbonation visible rising to the top of glass.

S: Grassy, mowed-lawn, slightly biscuity with a small amount of roast.

T: Watery with a grassy finish. A touch of grapefruit and caramel in the middle. Lingering bread and grass.

M: Very light body for an amber. Overly carbonated. Lingering grassy resins.

O: Not good at all. I normally do not seek out ambers, but I have had some good ones. This is not one of them. Way too light for an amber. Hopped terribly. Week old lawn clippings and stale bread soaked in water and carbonated.

(This beer did travel to me and was under some stress and high temperatures . . . still, the Jai Alai I received, traveling under the same conditions, was very good)

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2012 03:35:21 | More by bluetravlr

LuthersLager

Michigan

1.75/5  rDev -42.1%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1

I really can't say I didn't like this beer because it tasted like water and everyone drinks water. However, being that it was suppose to be a beer, an Amber beer at that, I found it disappointing... I wonder if they even used hops at all. The scent was very faint, not the malty nostril filled bliss you get from say Bell's Amber. While lacking in taste and smell this beer, like its sibling the Beachside Porter, seems over-carbonation. About the only thing this beer had going for it was the color. The color was a beautiful gold which did remind me of sunset behind Florida's ocean coast, which is exactly where I drank it.

Unless you enjoy gold colored seltzer water I would not recommend this beer. Beers I don't like usually get 0 points for taste but I'll give the Key West Sunset Ale a little credit for not being nasty and a little more credit for its color.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 21:52:25 | More by LuthersLager

PatYoda

Colorado

1.93/5  rDev -36.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

Consumed at Sloppy Joe's in Key West. This is a pretty poor offering.

Smell is very bland with some mild malts. Taste is just as bland. Malts do show up but so does a buttery slickness which becomes rather sickening making me unable to finish my glass. Mouthfeel is nothing special. Just get a mixed drink instead.

Serving type: on-tap

01-10-2006 17:56:51 | More by PatYoda

schubrews

Solomon Islands

1.98/5  rDev -34.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

The beer presents nicely enough, with a lovely copper color and appropriate carbonation. The head dissipates rather quickly without much lace.

The nose doesn't offer much--a slight hint of citrusy hops, and a tiny suggestion of biscuit and malt.

Upon first drinking it, you expect quite a bit more than what is delivered. The extremely thin primary beer taste is a minuscule toastiness and scratch of hops in the finish. However, the primary overall taste might be compared more closely to seltzer water or club soda, with a more beer-like mouthfeel. Weird.

It's disappointing when a beer initially looks this nice, and then lets you down.

I should also say that I've had this beer on draught at the brewery tap room, and it was considerably better, but still not great. I might be willing to accept that I got a bad 6-pack, and that the bottle version could be better, but even at the source it was marginal. Maybe in the heat of the Florida summer, in the brewery with the pasteurizer running on high, an ice cold, super-light beer like this is just what they're looking for.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2008 22:43:48 | More by schubrews

WoodBrew

Illinois

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

Whoa!!!! Maybe I got a bad bottle or something....but Key West Sunset Ale is not very good....at least in my opinion. The color is a cloudy amber with no head and no lacing. There may be a hint of honey in the nose....but really nothing. The taste is very metallic and acidic. I really dont know how to describe this beer. The poor taste ruins the mouthfeel of this beer and I would chose Miller Lite over this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2011 00:33:54 | More by WoodBrew

HiGravShawn

Louisiana

2.17/5  rDev -28.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 1.5

I can't even give this a full review. The look and smell seems okay and malty like it would be light and tasty (although a little too fruity), but in actuality it's harsh and one note. Starts malty, but in a slimy cloying way. Ends with the harsh and tangy after taste that sticks with you in a bad way. The finish is almost like commercial swill, but somehow worse because it follows the malty sweetness. I have to admit though, this is the best Florida Brewing Co brew I have tasted.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2009 23:06:42 | More by HiGravShawn

chickenflea

Florida

2.2/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

A -This beer pours a deep orange and almost completely clear. The medium head dissipates quickly leaving no head and little lacing.

S- The malty aroma is pleasant enough with bready notes on the side. Weirdly it has a green tea smell as well.

T- The taste is bizarre. I don't what they are trying to do here, but it tastes like a soapy lemonade with no sugar. There is a tanic acid bite in the finish. There is very little malt in this beer.

M- This beer has a light crisp mouthfeel with a tight fizzy finish.

O - I tried to like this beer. But with each sip I liked it less and less. Now I have to admit, I won this beer as part of a tasting contest at the local ABC. The prize was a basket of beers. This may be an old single. I will try another one some other day, and revise this rating if necessary. But for now I don't find much to recommend it.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2011 22:01:09 | More by chickenflea

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

2.33/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance: Pours a clear, orangey body with a thin, bubbly white head.

Smell: Ultra faint musty grain aroma. Seriously, folks, there's practically nothing in here.

Taste: Simple, light grainy flavor. Hardly any sweetness and even less bitterness. The finish is slightly sour, but even that is all too fleeting.

Mouthfeel: Thin-bodied. Medium carbonation. Quite watery.

Drinkability: Might be better served and more enjoyed in a sunny, oceanside apartment in Florida.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2007 00:52:20 | More by ChainGangGuy

KajII

North Carolina

2.33/5  rDev -22.8%
look: 2 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

[Best served in a Shaker glass]

The pour was a clear medium amber with a very small (almost none) white fizzy head that was fully diminishing in a matter of seconds, and had virtually no lacing to speak of.

The aroma was extremely mild of a grain malt and a skunky yeast with a very light note of caramel.

The taste was mildly malty with an ever so light touch of caramel early on and then began to possess a slight bitterness but with a watery feel. The flavor faded almost immediately after the swallow leaving nothing behind.

Mouthfeel was very light in body and quite watery in texture with a nice strong fizzy carbonation.

Overall a brew which was extremely light in body, flavor and alcohol, that being said it was very easy to drink and might be enjoyed on a very hot day at the beach...

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2012 15:43:49 | More by KajII

errantnight

California

2.35/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

Pours a copper amber hue with a couple fingers of lacing, no real retention or lacing to speak of. Aroma is caramel malt with a very faint hint of hops on the perimeter. On the palate this has a simple caramel forward flavor that is snapped off by an off-putting, almost lactic twang, that shuts out hops or any sort of finish. This was barely drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

08-10-2010 04:12:20 | More by errantnight

GallowsThief

Florida

2.35/5  rDev -22.2%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

On tap at Bonnet Creek resort Disney World.

A – Poured out a light brown to shades of orange. Maybe a half finger of stark white head. No lacing to speak of at all.

S – Almost no smell at all. Maybe a touch of fruit?

T – Very heavy sweet in my opinion with a lot of fruit and a good deal of honey. Caramel malt as well. Not much else.

M – Medium, bit on creamy side with ample carbonation.

O – Just not for me. This came across as very sweet. It was hard to finish but honestly after a all day Disney trip with the kids I would have poured anything down.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2011 03:05:50 | More by GallowsThief

adam42381

Florida

2.38/5  rDev -21.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Review from notes at World of Beer - Fort Myers on 10/8/11.

Poured on draft into a shaker pint glass.

Appearance: Pours a medium golden caramel with a 1 finger snow white head. Minimal lacing. Doesn't look like an amber/red ale.

Smell: Sweet berries and apricot. Not a lot going on here.

Taste: Tart fruitiness and sweet berries with a touch of a flavor I would compare to the aroma of a urinal cake up front followed by a little sweet malt in the middle before ending with a light touch of hops at the finish. Aftertaste is dry and light.

Mouthfeel: Light-to-medium-bodied with a good amount of carbonation.

Drinkability: Low drinkability. I wouldn't want another.

Overall: Poor beer overall. This has nothing in common with any amber/red ales I'm familiar with. It's like a poorly made version of Magic Hat #9. Avoid.

Serving type: on-tap

10-09-2011 14:39:37 | More by adam42381

northyorksammy

Ontario (Canada)

2.48/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Bottle sampled at the brewery. Some lace, nothing else to look at or smell. Aggressive carbonation. Malt job, macro beer, or as we would call it back here buck-a-beer basic. Boring, hard to beleve they brew Abbey brews here, but that's what quality control can do.

Serving type: bottle

02-22-2009 03:00:31 | More by northyorksammy

garuda

Pennsylvania

2.48/5  rDev -17.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

A - deep amber, white head that has some retention and minimal lacing.

S/T - Similar and simple with caramelly sweet malts, a bit of grain husk, and a touch of hop bitterness in the finish. Turns a bit sweet by the end.

M - Medium body, very high carbonation, finishes messy, with a load of sweet stickiness still coating the mouth.

O - Had it once, and didn't get get it again, even in the craft beer wasteland that is Key West.

Serving type: on-tap

05-19-2011 13:20:33 | More by garuda

Phyl21ca

Quebec (Canada)

2.5/5  rDev -17.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Bottle courtesy of Unclemattie: Poured a clear light amber with an average foamy head with OK retention but no lacing. Aroma of medium-sweet malt with a light touch of bitter hops. Taste is mostly based upon some medium-sweet malt and finish is slightly bitter. Body is about average with some OK carbonation. I guess this one is OK but nothing really to write home about.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2008 18:11:23 | More by Phyl21ca

PorterLambic

Florida

2.58/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours a nice orange-amber color with a relatively small head that quickly drops to 1/2" then a film.
Smell is almost non-existent, just a light hint of malt.
Taste is malty, a light indistinct fruitiness, and a hoppiness that increases as the beer warms.
Mouthfeel is lightly effervescent with a bitter bite that increases as it warms.
Drinkability is not very high, unless you want an IPA masquerading as a tropical ale. Entirely too hoppy for the style, not enough fruitiness for it to be "tropical". Flavor is one dimensional.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2004 19:15:39 | More by PorterLambic

shirfan

New York

2.58/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Clear golden-orange with a blink-and-miss it head, Sunset Ale has a fairly unique aroma. Somewhere between oktoberfest style malts and a strawberry milkshake. Slightly alarming.

Taste: a medium-light dose of caramel malt and *very* faint leafy hops. Seemingly meant to appeal to timid macro-accustomed palates. And there's that damnable "I was brewed with Florida tap water" funk..a mild kiss of vegetation and salt that doesn't belong, which turns light-but-drinkable into ehhhh.

I can almost taste what seems to have been attempted... a light but malty refresher...it just doesn't quite deliver.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2006 21:12:23 | More by shirfan

OWSLEY069

Pennsylvania

2.58/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Pours a clean orange-ish to copper color with a small off white head. In the aroma, sweet malt and hints of gingerbread. In the taste, sweet malt, a small hop and a small grassiness. A small bite and medium bodied mouthfeel, with a small dry to clean aftertaste. The name sells this beer, ok but nothing to exciting.

Serving type: on-tap

10-18-2010 18:30:29 | More by OWSLEY069

lordofthewiens

Maine

2.58/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

We were visiting Florida and my mother in law picked up a 6 pack of this beer for me, because she knew I like to sample local beers. At least her heart was in the right place.

The beer was an amber color with just a film of head.

Not much aroma. Mostly grain, maybe a little caramel.

Not much taste either. A hint of caramel and a hint of hops.

Light-bodied. It did quench my thirst, but then again, so does water.

Serving type: bottle

02-08-2012 12:23:03 | More by lordofthewiens

argock

Virginia

2.63/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from 12oz brown bottle into a clear stemmed glass wine goblet. Freshness date 10299 for Oct 28 2010. 6-pack purchased at Publix (Orlando, FL) for $7.19.

A: Clear amber with thin cap of ivory head with no lacing.

S: Grainy, honey-like malt sweetness with nothing else

T: Flavor is the same -- honeyish grain with a bit of biscuit and minimal grassy hops flavors in the finish

M: Smooth with some biting carbonation, light-medium body

D: Way to sugary sweet with almost no hops presence. Skip it, even at that price.

Serving type: bottle

02-06-2011 02:25:27 | More by argock

atomicbeer

New Mexico

2.64/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Beer of the Conch Republic: an American Amber Ale with 2-row and caramel malts and First Gold, Chinook, and Mount Hood hops. Pours a dark amber with a thin white head. Caramel and sweet corn flakes under a fresh floral grass aroma. A sweet caramel flavor dominates backed by floral grassy hops and corn taste. Seems too carbonated. Kind of meh, a below average amber ale.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 19:51:38 | More by atomicbeer

rhoadsrage

Illinois

2.68/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

(Served in an American pint glass)

A- This beer pours a deep orange body that is crystal clear showing off a big carbonation of big bubbles. There is a thin wisp of head that fades to a ring around the edge.

S- The smell is very light with a hint of pale malt and a green noble hop note. The smell is very dry with a light sulfur note.

T- This beer has a thin taste with a bitter noble hop with a bitter grapefruit hint to it. There is a carbonic acid bite in the finish. There is very little malt in this beer. There is a light almost sulfur note in the finish also.

M- This beer has a light crisp mouthfeel with a tight fizz finish.

D- This beer has really little depth to the hops and no malt flavors to balance it or support it. This has more qualities of a light adjunct lager than an APA.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2006 23:34:06 | More by rhoadsrage

mdfb79

New York

2.7/5  rDev -10.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a tulip.

a - Pours a nice reddish-amber color with one inch of fluffy white head and moderate carbonation evident.

s - Smells of bready malts, caramel malts, and light citrus and fruit. Kind of weak and not that enjoyable.

t - Tastes of caramel malts, citrus, and fruity malts. A tiny bit of bitterness/tang which is odd.

m - Medium body and moderate carbonation. Pretty smooth.

d - Pretty easy to drink but I don't think I'd want to drink it again. I thought the smell was a little weak and the taste had some weird bitterness to it that was not enjoyable. Wouldn't look to have again.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2010 21:22:02 | More by mdfb79