Session Fest - Full Sail Brewery & Tasting Room & Pub

ChainGangGuy

Georgia

4.2/5  rDev +14.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

11 ounce bottle - at Olde Crabapple Bottle Shoppe in Alpharetta, Georgia. Enjoy By: 12/25/11.

Appearance: Pours a clear, amber-tan body with a small, brief, near white head.

Smell: Smells of bread crusts delightfully toasted up to a golden-brown and topped with sweet, wholesome caramel and a few coarsely chopped nuts backed by a note of spicy hops.

Taste: Toasted, grainy bread with a wash of sweet, sugar-induced caramel. Some nuttiness. Zesty, spicy hops with ample bitterness to balance things out nicely. Drying, malty on the back end with a lingering spiciness.

Mouthfeel: Medium-light body. Medium carbonation with some tingle present (that tells you it's working).

Overall: Now, that's a beer I've not had in a long time... a long time. Maybe it's just me, but this one reminds me of the first installment to the LTD series.

Serving type: bottle

10-20-2011 20:20:58 | More by ChainGangGuy

UCLABrewN84

California

3.85/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Best by 12/25/11.

Pours a clear brown with a 1 inch puffy tan head that settles to a film on the top of the beer. Chunky rings of lace line the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt/grains, bread/biscuit, and some caramel notes. Taste is of toasted malt, bread, caramel, and some spicy hop flavors on the finish. There is a mild bitterness that lingers on the palate after each sip. This beer has a higher level of carbonation with a crisp and prickly mouthfeel. Overall, this is a good red lager and a good alternative to spiced Winter beers. This is probably my favorite Session beer from Full Sail to date.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2011 02:00:56 | More by UCLABrewN84

NeroFiddled

Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Full Sail Session Fest
11 oz. "stubby" bottle; clearly marked freshness date.
$1.27 @ State Line Liquors, Elkton, MD

Appearance: Clear, dark copper colored body. Frothy one-finger thick head of off-white. Good retention; decent lacing.

Smell: Surprisingly limited, offering only a bit of maltiness touched by minor, non-descript hops.

Taste: Rich, caramel and toasty maltiness infused with spicy and grassy hops. It's balanced by a solid bitterness, and only a touch of sweetness comes through. Short lingering aftertaste.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied and gently crisp.

Overall: Remarkably drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2011 23:00:02 | More by NeroFiddled

TheManiacalOne

Rhode Island

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a US tumbler pint glass.

A: The beer is a light brown color, with a thin white head that fades quickly and leaves a thin lace on the glass.

S: The aroma contains caramelized malts, lager yeast, some hops and some fruit.

T: The taste starts out bready with lager yeast and a hearty but not too heavy malt character. Then some mildly sweet flavors of caramel and fruit come in. The hops presence is mild but complementary and provides a good balance. The after-taste is slightly bready and slightly sweet.

M: Smooth and crisp, medium body, medium carbonation, finish is slightly sticky.

O: Tasty, goes down easily, not too filling, decent kick, good representation of style, this is solid beer to drink for a while if you’re in the mood for the style.

Serving type: bottle

12-06-2012 00:12:34 | More by TheManiacalOne

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.85/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This is a fairly good amber ale. The carbonation seems a bit too high, in my opinion. Kind of too frothy in the mouth. But the flavor tone is nice enough. Seems to be some spices on there (maybe it's just the mix of malts and hops?), but it's too muddled for me to be able to pick something out precisely. Either way, a pleasant enough ale.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 04:27:49 | More by RblWthACoz

Jason

Massachusetts

3.78/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

11oz brown stubby with a freshness date.

LOOK: Tawny with a slight chill haze, great looking head.

SMELL: Caramel, toasted bread crust, herbal, clean, faint peppercorn, fresh grass.

TASTE: Fresh maltiness, toasty, rustic bread, grainy, clean palate, smooth, spice, fresh herbs, toasty finish.

A pretty kick ass edition to the Session line-up, I was a fan to begin with but to have an option even if it is seasonal is great. Bring on the lagers!!

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 00:40:47 | More by Jason

Billolick

New York

3.68/5  rDev 0%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

11 ounce stubby-twist off cap w/"Naughty/Nice" on it-Best before dating (1-7-12)...

Pours clear auburn amber, medium tan head, showing moderate retentive powers, then leaving a thicker film, collar and respectable slippery lacing.

Dark grain bread in the nose with some nuttyness.

Tasty and straight forward offering. More dark bread notes, malty sweetness, a pinch of all spice, a rye note and light dryness in the finish. Ehh....decent litle sessioner...but doesnt really do much for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2011 23:42:15 | More by Billolick

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.65/5  rDev -28%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours chestnut brown with dark orange edges and a 1.5 finger off white head that slowly settles into a lasting ring. Sporadic spots of lacing left behind.

Sweet malt aroma with hints of spicy, earthy hops. Hints of caramel, toffee and biscuit countered by grassy, spiky hops. Not bad smelling, just kind of bland.

Medium bodied with a decent balance of sweet malt and earthy hop notes. Hints of caramel, toffee and hazelnut followed by grassy, spilt hops. There's also a lactic diaceytl presence which is off-putting and slightly sour. Just really odd tasting.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2012 03:10:44 | More by corby112

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.53/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Really pretty reddish hued color to this one, nice thin off white head to it. Aroma was half and half sweet and grassy hopishness. Not bad, a good mix in a red ale.

Smooth taste, with more of the fresh hoppy feel to it, not ipa territory, but substantial enough to make it enjoyable, especially at the price. Easily the best option out of the session beers. But 6.2% = a session beer? I'm ok with that I guess, but its a little close to not being sessionable, but it hides the alcohol. Faint chocolate malt aspect to it. Chalky and nutty sometimes.

If this is an oktoberfest effort, its definitely above average.

Thanks to elrogish & Quinn for breaking these bad boys out during our cabin barleywine trip. Solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 16:20:06 | More by Beerandraiderfan

JohnGalt1

Idaho

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Little grenade bottle poured into my HotD goblet... okay 1/2 inch white head drops very quickly.. but the brew is very pretty deep orange amber/copper... nice... only okay lacing.. but the retention is pretty proper.

Nose shows great toasty malt.. heavy for a "festbier" grassy hops.. but are very pleasant on the West Coast..

Flavor mirrors the nose with a substantial biscuit quality that is hard to walk away from... bready without ever verging on "sweet", instead the malts are pretty dry and have some lite caramel essence... big dry toast....

Very nice from front to back... it is easy to see the folks at Full Sail put some time into this one... nicely done for sure...

Glad I had the chance to try this one early in the release... Thanks Matt!!!

3.5/3.5/4/4/4

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 05:14:13 | More by JohnGalt1

mactrail

California

4.23/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Handsome dark amber in the wine glass. Abundant cap of foam.

Full bodied with plenty of malt. It tastes stronger than it is. Definitely sweet, and more like a golden bock at first taste, but it has a smooth edgy sensation that is more balanced. Such a warm malty flavor that keeps returning with every sip. Sudsy mouthfeel and a nutty, roasty aftertaste. Spicy but mellow.

Hugely drinkable rich lager. A cut way above so many over hopped Reds and over-strong winter brews. I am never disappointed by the numerous brews in the lager style that Full Sail is making. From the 11 oz bottle bought at the Utah Liquor Store in Sugar House.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2012 05:43:48 | More by mactrail

Cyberkedi

Georgia

3.38/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Strong, crisp aroma is mainly malty and has quite a bite to it. I got a mild skunky whiff, but that hardly put me off. It pours a nice clear, dark coppery amber with a thick and fluffy pale tan head that sticks around for a while. Flavor is fairly typical for a lager, except fairly strong and with nary a trace of the skunkiness I detected in the aroma. Maybe I was smelling things? ;) It does have a hoppy, somewhat bitter tone with a hint of something nasty, but it is still decidedly drinkable. Texture has average body and average fizziness. Overall, not great but worth a try. Maybe this sample was from not their best batch.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 18:46:14 | More by Cyberkedi

beertunes

Washington

3.35/5  rDev -9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured into 10oz goblet. Poured a nice coppery-brown color, the beer was clean and clear with no head, retention or lacing.

The beer had nice malts, was a bit sweet and had just a bit of delicate hops. The flavors were the same, nicely even and well balanced.

The body was smooth and even, but a slightly sticky finish was a bit off-putting. Drinkability was very nice, I could easily knock back a few of these. Overall, I think this is my favorite of the Sessions brews (although I do like the Black fairly well). A nice brew that's worth a shot when you see it.

Serving type: bottle

10-07-2012 23:10:03 | More by beertunes

champ103

Texas

3.63/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Pours a clear reddish/orange color. A two finger white head with good retention forms. Sticky, spiderweb looking lace all the way down the glass.
S: Lager yeast with a big bread/biscuit malt aroma. Dry crackers and some very light grassy hops finishes everything off.
T: Again, big bread/biscuit/cracker like flavor. Very dry up front. Some hops in the middle, and finishes just a tad sweet with some toffee.
M/D: A light to medium body. Maybe just a bit under carbonated for my tastes. Clean and dry though. Certainly to much alcohol to be considered a session (hopefully with anybodys definition) though very easy to drink.

A nice lager. I am a big fan of the other Full Sail "sessions" and this one is enjoyable. Though I think I like the other better. Still, no worries with putting these back. A very nice everyday drinker.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2011 20:44:12 | More by champ103

Reidrover

Oregon

3.53/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

11 oz stubby from a 12 pack. Winco, S.Salem. $9.98 Dark red amber colured ale with a goodly sized, frothy off white head. Fine malty,hay,bready aromas slight hint of lemony hop Malty taste..hint of chocolate and spices..not sure were i get it from but there is a definate peppery spiceiness. OK on the palate..has a rather evident alcohol graininess right at the end..but its not that bad. Nice beer at a good price. Another fine "Session" offering

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 14:28:17 | More by Reidrover

GarthDanielson

New Hampshire

3.88/5  rDev +5.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from the Session pill-bottle into a tumbler pint, the beer is an almost crystal-clear, brown-copper coloring with a slow, steady flow of bubbling and a filmy coating of head. Aromas are rich and malty, with a sweet caramel tang to the normal roasted cereal scents of a lager. Flavors are nutty and spicy, with a caramel backbone and a slight hopping at the end to clean everything from the palate. Tasty brew on a round, smooth, yet crisp body. The aftertaste is a bit resiny and bitter, with a roasted character. The finish dries nicely, leaving the palate clear for more. Very easy brew to drink, and the flavors are spiced and smooth enough to make a very sessionable holiday ale.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 21:31:07 | More by GarthDanielson

Pegasus

Texas

3.5/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Light amber in color with just a hint of haze, topped by a small, dense, and persistent white head. Thin, fine-beaded lacing lies in scattered patches on the glass walls. The carbonation is faint.

Aroma: Moderate roasted and caramel malts, with a mild wave of grapefruit hops.

Taste: Opens with moderate toasted malts, lesser caramel malts, and a decent grapefruit rind hop flavor. As the taste progresses, the hops intensify a bit and assume an earthy note. The toasted malt carries throughout, although it is overshadowed by the hops. Late in the taste there is a brief punch of juniper. Finishes with a mild, lingering herbal bitterness.

Mouth feel: Pleasant, smooth, a touch thin.

Drinkability/notes: Not bad, although I find it unlikely to be a "go to" holiday beer. It seems a bit understated for a holiday beer with an ABV of 6.2%.

Presentation: Packaged in a stubby eleven-ounce brown glass bottle with a twist-off crown, served in a standard Pilsener glass.

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 02:01:49 | More by Pegasus

Rayek

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Session Fest pours a red tinged amber with a fluffy cream cap. The foam slowly falls to a patchy quilt and leaves just a bit of lace.

Some pretty standard Red Lager stuff is going on here. Bittersweet toffee rides on top of a bed of straw. Bitterness is lemony, peppery and mild. The beer is very dry and a touch metallic in the finish.

Of the three Session beers, this is my least favorite. It has a certain generic quality to it that left me a bit flat. However, it is a decent beer. It's just not for me.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 20:23:56 | More by Rayek

Haybeerman

Colorado

3.4/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Amber color with a brown tinge. Poured a coarse 2 finger off-white head with good retention. Decanted lightly. Laced in rings with faint legs running down the glass.

S:Sweet crystal malt; caramel and bread. Faint toast aroma and some grassiness.

T: Sweet and malty up front. Toast and caramel solidify in the middle and carry through to mild, building bitter in the finish..

M: Medium body. Moderate to ample carbonation. Smooth on the palate. Crisp and clean in the finish.

O: Very drinkable. Malty, good feel and balance.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2012 21:48:54 | More by Haybeerman

Beaver13

Colorado

2.23/5  rDev -39.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

11oz bottle, enjoy by 1/29/12. Pours a slightly hazy copper amber with a small rocky off white head that retains well and leaves a little lacing.

The aroma is sweet toasted malts with some vegetal notes.

The flavor is sweet toasted malts with some balancing bitterness in the finish. I get some off plasticky notes. The mouthfeel is medium bodied with smooth carbonation.

Overall, I didn't really care for it. Some off notes and I don't care for toasted ambers like Fat Tire.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2012 02:22:33 | More by Beaver13

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.63/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Samuel Smith pint glass on 12/21/11

Enjoy by: 01/07/12

Faded and dulled tobacco brown; it's clear for the most part, though. Two and a half finger head drops to a 1/4th inch that seems incline to stay around. Patches of lace try but fail to catch.

Aromas of baked bread, caramel, yeast, dust, nuts and earthy/grass hops in decline; the balance is smooth between the lot. The flavor profile has some similarities but finds snappier fruit tones mingling with the bread and caramel. A subtle hoppy nudge marks the finish. Thinner than medium body with steady, rippling carbonation that moves the beer without agitating the feel. Finishes with a mild grittiness.

Overall impression - an easy drinking beer with no shortage of pleasant subtleties.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2011 02:42:35 | More by Ryan011235

elNopalero

Texas

3.15/5  rDev -14.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This pours a burnt sienna color. Malty molasses aromas, lightly hopped. Light, bitter, but not really all that enjoyable. Thin finish. The malt profile is out of alignment. It doesn’t hold up to warming—the spices/flavoring goes out of balance and comes off harshly. At least the stubby bottle is cute.

Serving type: bottle

11-23-2011 08:53:47 | More by elNopalero

morebeergood

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I've had this stubby bottle in my fridge for a while, and I have been meaning to drink since Xmas 2011. Poured into a standard pint glass. Dark amber body. Not much head, and no lacing. Not very impressive to look at. Smell had faint hints of holiday spices. Taste was only slightly above average. Some orange peel, ginger, toasted malt, and cherry. Mouthfeel was somewhat thin, and slightly bitter at the end. The abv of over 6% was not really noticeable. I wouldn't consider this a session beer, as I wouldn't see myself drinking multiple bottles of this.

Serving type: bottle

01-26-2012 04:46:50 | More by morebeergood

Docer

Washington

3.6/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Appearance: (3.0)
- Pours a clear dark copper brew.. quickly dissipating white foamy head.. leaves some light dust and a small ring in the glass. Overall a simple look.

Smell: (3.5)
- First thing that hits the nose is Full Sails traditional yeast aroma.. a grainy, bready, earthy dry malt. A touch of light caramel sweetness, spice, and molasses. Earthy grassy hops, and a light pine flare.

Taste: (4.0)
- Wonderful Full Sail character.. they do brew a one-of-a-kind character-filled beer. Great grainy and bready malt, big meaty yeast, light spice to balance.. perhaps some sweet caramel, molasses, and allspice.. but light enough to only balance the beer, and creat a solid flavor. Light bitter grassy hops, and not too much at all in the aroma department. Very solid flavor.

Mouth Feel: (3.5)
- Light to medium bodied brew which is bubbly, and typical of Full Sails brewing yeast. Not overly creamy, though there is a slight thickness to this session beer. It's a touch dry which I like, and rather chewy which is a standard for them.

Overall: (3.0)
- It's a solid drinker. A sessionable beer? Perhaps for the cool holiday's yes, but I can see this recipe as more of a marketing ploy. If it were bottled in 6-packs and sold for more, I doubt it would do as well as it is as a new session series. The flavor is very good, but the rest falls short. I am more keen to the likes of their latest imperial IPA, because that beer didn't taste like the rest of theirs. This one does.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2011 04:03:30 | More by Docer

rowew

Colorado

3.6/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Presentation: 11 oz stubby bottle in 12 packs, enjoy by date clearly marked. Green and blue color scheme.

Appearance: Dark reddish amber color, average sized head with good retention.

Smell: Sweet malt, just a slight hint of roast.

Taste: Again, definitely malt dominated - but this has a nice combination of malt flavor with a bit of roast, and a slight bitter in the finish.

Overall impression: Another drinkable offering in the Session line .. this is not the most exciting beer out there, but it's a solid amber that I wouldn't mind having a few of.

Serving type: bottle

11-01-2011 23:10:51 | More by rowew