Fat Weasel Ale - Steinhaus Brewing Co.

secondtooth

Indiana

3.06/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a murky golden-amber, with a rich, frothy head. Lace is thin and insubtantial.

Nose is caramel and toasted malts. Simple.

Taste is also very malty, with toasted grain and a touch of fruitiness. I also get some honey and caramel. Seems overall to be too sweet and a tad of balance-wise. Not one I'd return to.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 13:57:42 | More by secondtooth

yesyouam

New York

3.3/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Fat Weasel Ale is a lively golden ale topped with a soft, creamy, white head. It leaves thick sheets of foam on the glass. It has a light aroma of citrus and wood. It has a smooth, medium body with a chalky finish. It has a sweet and sour malt flavor. It's tangy and the bitterness is ample and wooden. I guess this is a Scotch ale.

Serving type: bottle

05-06-2013 01:19:04 | More by yesyouam

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.35/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

12oz bottle, no date. the bottle art makes this stuff seem ominous.

semi-unfiltered, orange-amber ale look, with a thin layer of foam. smell is dusty grain, dark fruit, beef jerky(?), and some numbing hops. taste is similar to malt liquor, but slightly better: fermented apple, slick/sweet malt, touch of bittering hops.

for a malt liquor, this is pretty good stuff. as a 'strong ale' it fails.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2013 06:58:18 | More by jimmah120

Spikester

Oregon

2.15/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1.75 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 2.5

Pours clear blonde amber with one finger of quick vanishing white head. Lots of fine bubble lacing far outlasts the head.
Smell is slightly floral.
Taste is sweet malty something with a good back of bitterness. Hops? Who knows.
Mouthfeel is like a light Barleywine or Malt Liquor. Olde English 800 pops to mind.
Overall pretty disappointing. Bargain priced buzz IMO.
Also says River Trent Brewing Co. Ukiah California.
There actually is some kind of a date stamp below the label but I couldn't read it.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 06:59:19 | More by Spikester

TheMarkE

California

3.5/5  rDev +17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Decent amount of foam and lacing.

Smell: Malts and hops, slightly fruity.

Taste: Nicely balanced between sweet malts and hops. Not too bitter, but enough of a hop presence to give it some flavor.

Mouthfeel: Medium bodied, fairly smooth. Leaves a slight bit of "beer" taste behind, similar to the adjunct brews.

The Verdict: Pretty good brew. Another one of Trader Joe’s line of affordable beers, this one is my favorite so far. Easily worth the $5.99 price, you get a strong 7.1% pale ale. It is labeled River Trent Brewing, but is probably from Mendocino.

Serving type: bottle

02-07-2013 21:35:11 | More by TheMarkE

bnes09

Illinois

2.65/5  rDev -11.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2.5

Pale golden, caramel color and transparent. Weak head after an aggressive pour. Tons of visible bubbles. Descent retention and some lacing.

Bready with honey, fruit and grass notes in the aroma.

Mild biscuit malt character. Dextrin sweetness clashing with a cloying pinesol and soap hop bitterness. Tart aftertaste. Unbalanced.

Light body starts slick and finishes dry. Sharp, soda-like carbonation.

Not good. Just slightly more flavor than BMC products. No adjunct flavors but I would prefer a beer with adjuncts that was balance. Overall, a mess.

Serving type: bottle

12-30-2012 19:05:27 | More by bnes09

kojevergas

California

2.78/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Acquired at Trader Joe's. 7.10% ABV confirmed. "Brewed by River Trent Brewing Company, Ukiah Ca". Curious. 355 ml/12 fl oz brown glass bottle with standard uncustomized pressure cap served into a New Belgium stem-goblet in me gaff in low altitude Los Feliz, Los Angeles, California. Reviewed live. Expectations are low.

Served straight from the refrigerator. Side-poured with standard vigor as no carbonation issues are anticipated.

A: Pours a half finger beige colour head of decent cream and thickness, and bad (maybe 30 second) retention. Body colour is a murky dark peach-copper. No yeast particles are visible. No bubble show.

Sm: Muted orange and tangerine. Banana from the yeast. Bland pale malts. Underwhelming. No yeast or alcohol is detectable.

T: Malty, with some orange fruit-esque notes. Tangerine. Mild floral hopping. A simple, straightforward beer. There's nothing unique or special here. Little balance.

Mf: Smooth, artificial, wet, and overcarbonated. Sharp. Thickness is decent. Suits the flavours okay. Pretty hands-off. Not at all tailored to the flavours.

Dr: Drinkable but underwhelming. It's well priced but I wouldn't get it again. Might be alright on draught. Not worth seeking out. There are some good elements here and the alcohol is well hidden, but it's far from great.

C

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 05:58:11 | More by kojevergas

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.23/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium golden amber with a fine, thin, off-white head with good retention and light lacing. Mild aroma of sweet malt and a hint of hops, kind of pleasant, but very attenuated. Flavor is sweet malt that seems artificially over sweetened. Develops a hop bitterness with no herbal hop flavors, finishing with a slightly harsh hop bitterness. The flavor wasn't bad, but seemed unbalanced. Medium bodied with a hint of creaminess, approaches a quite nice mouth feel. An unusual ale that I had no problem finishing, but will probably not visit again. This bottle brewed by "River Trent Brewery" for Trader Joe's, so it is likely made by a diffferent brewery than the "Steinhaus" beers. Not remarkable enough to open a new listing for this.

Serving type: bottle

11-12-2012 04:20:53 | More by LiquidAmber

beertunes

Washington

3.13/5  rDev +5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Another TJ's bargain grab. Strong Ale? Seemed more like a typical Pale to me, but, whatever. Poured into 9oz Pilsener glass. Poured a lightly hazy medium gold with less than 1/2 of off-white head that had good retention and lacing.

The aroma was an even blend of malts and hops, nothing stood out, kinda bland. On the tongue, there was some light citrus and pine hops on top of the gently grainy malt. The beer was decently balanced.

The body was nicely medium-light. Drinkability was OK, it was quickly, and forgotten almost as quickly. Overall, nothing special, but an OK bargain buy.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 02:42:43 | More by beertunes

tjsdomer2

Illinois

3.73/5  rDev +25.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Appearance: Thin-bodied brown in color. A bit of fizzy carbonation and some foam and lacing.

Smell: Some strong fruit, and that's about it. A pleasant smell that I'm guessing hides the alcohol.

Taste/Mouthfeel: Fruity malt initially, followed by a bitter IPA-like hoppiness.

Overall Drinkability: Not an amazing beer, but it hits some nice flavor notes that provides a good balance.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 18:24:06 | More by tjsdomer2

barczar

Kentucky

2.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a slightly hazy light copper color with a solid half inch cram head that lingers.

Aroma is dominated by sweet caramel malt, with an underlying note of grapefruit and a hint of dankness. Slightly skunky hops are subtle.

Flavor is overly sweet, slightly malty, with toffee, corn sugar adjunct, and a slightly grapefruit pith underpinning leading into a lightly bitter finish. There's almost a fusel alcohol taste.

Body is syrupy, with moderate carbonation and slight astringency. Alcohol warmth is substantial.

Overall, a very sweet beer lacking the malt complexity of most strong ales, and lacking the hop flavor and bitterness to prevent it from being cloying.

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 07:25:09 | More by barczar

BostonHops

Massachusetts

2.98/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

pours a slightly hazy dull golden yellow while yielding a foamy 3/4" head. so-so retention and a bit of patchy lacing evident. nose is decidedly 'meh'. very subdued with some graininess and muted malt characters.

flavor isn't much of an improvement. more flavorful than the aroma with grain and sweet malt, a touch of hops in the background. slightly astringent. it's not terrible, but rather, underwhelming. medium bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall, not too impressed. it's drinkable enough - nothing you'll run to the bathroom expelling - just average. not a bad value at Trader Joe's.

(originally reviewed: 07-20-2011)

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2012 21:53:23 | More by BostonHops

UCLABrewN84

California

2.85/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a murky honey orange with a 1 inch foamy tan head that settles to a film on top of the beer. Foamy streaks of lace form around the glass on the drink down. Smell is of toasted malt and sugar. Taste is of toasted malt, burnt sugar, and some medicinal and herbal flavors on the finish. There is a weird and somewhat harsh bitterness on the palate that lingers after each sip. This beer has a lower level of carbonation with a slightly crisp and medium bodied mouthfeel. Overall, this is a pretty average beer with a weird finish but I am glad I finally tried this one.

Serving type: bottle

05-16-2012 04:17:33 | More by UCLABrewN84

brewcore

South Carolina

2.8/5  rDev -6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured from a bottle into a tulip glass.

A: Yields a one finger creamy white head with great retention. Copper in color. Excellemt lacing. A really attractive beer.

S: Candied fruits. Slightly spicy. Very faint hops.

T: Like the nose, candied, spiced fruits. Dates, apricots. Quite sweet all the way through. Lingering sweetness. Very, very slight hop bitterness in the front but I had to search for it.

M: Thin for a 7% beer. Light to moderate carbonation.

O: I had high expectations from the appearance, but I was let down in pretty much every other aspect. Way too candy-like in the sweetness. Possibly a good gateway beer for people who dislike hops.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2012 00:49:58 | More by brewcore

kylehay2004

Florida

3.05/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: half finger head with tons of circumferential lacing on a cloudy deep gold and amber body.

S: full nose with a subtle bitter and wet sock hop like aroma. breads and grains as well.

T: lots of bread and grains with some malt in the background. a mildly sour lemon note in the finish.

M: fuller body than I expected. moderate carbonation. Unfortunately there is a slightly sour lingering aftertaste.

Overall: Lots of "almosts" for this one. The flavor up front is good but forgoten by the sour finish. The fuller body is erased by the off-putting aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2012 21:50:32 | More by kylehay2004

Hopdaemon39

Massachusetts

2.6/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a pint glass- pours a clear golden yellow color with minimal head, slight retention and pretty nice lacing.

Smells cheap- pale malt dominates but the simplicity and dullness are of a caliber not whiffed except in adjuncts. I also get a bit of hops (smells like Hallertau).

Taste is even more disturbing- pale malts, a little citrus, and a little hop dryness are all overshadowed by a tart/dirty yeast taste that again reminds me of an adjunct lager. Finishes semi-sweet/semi-dry.

Mouthfeel is tolerable- medium light body with moderate carbonation. Cannot cover up the taste. What is in this brew? Perhaps its namesake... Do not buy.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2012 21:22:03 | More by Hopdaemon39

jneiswender

Massachusetts

3/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I had this beer as part of a Trader Joe's grab bag. Served cool in a pint glass from the bottle. Nothing on the label tells me what to expect here. Pours gold body, with a white head. Smelly like fruit stone, some grain. Tastes like a sticke alt bier here. malty with that fruit stone taste to subdue the sweetness. Very unidimensional. Not alot here. Not a bad beer, but just nothing to write home about.

Serving type: bottle

12-21-2011 00:50:08 | More by jneiswender

bashiba

Iowa

2.17/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Poured a slightly hazy light amber color with a thin white ring of head.

The smell is light and bready. Very faint.

The flavor is very blah, a light bit of crackery flat malt flavor and not much else, a little bit of residual sweetness.

The mouthfeel is sort of syrupy.

Wow what a boring and tasteless beer, its hard to get a

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2011 21:39:47 | More by bashiba

Minkybut

Virginia

2.58/5  rDev -13.4%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

I poured this beer into my tumbler at 50 degrees. The beer poured a cloudy beer with a very nice white poofy head. I had great expectations. However the beer had a yeasty smell that was okay with me but that sour taste that came with it was terrible. Not for me and I will not buy again.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 21:12:05 | More by Minkybut

Eriktheipaman

Virginia

2.83/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I would agree with "mactrail" the most on this one in calling it a Malt Liquor. The description seems spot on and keep in mind I've never had a Malt Liquor I've really enjoyed. I guess they should put the style on the bottle.

Pours slightly hazy gold/yellow.

The smell is of a little bit of piney hops, malt, and alcohol believe it or not.

The taste is bitter on the front, with another hit of bitterness on the back, and followed up by a lingering bready note. You can also pick up on some alcohol through out the whole drink.

I suggest avoiding this one. It is drinkable but no need to waste your money, Trader Joes has other much better options for the same price. It is also weird how much alcohol is detectible for only being 7%.

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2011 23:48:28 | More by Eriktheipaman

DIM

Pennsylvania

2.28/5  rDev -23.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 2

a: This was a pale, mostly clear pale golden color. It poured with a small, fizzy cap.

s: A corny kind of sweetness with possibly a hint of fruit. As it warmed I found some band-aid aromas and a mild herbal note.

t: Sweet malts that tasted vaguely corny and not much else. The finish was kind of medicinal.

m: Wet and fizzy.

o: Six bucks for a sixer sounds great, but a couple of more dollars would make a world of difference. Not worth it imo.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2011 19:57:42 | More by DIM

1Adam12

Indiana

2.85/5  rDev -4.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Golden color with a huge head that leaves very nice sticky lacing. Smells like yeast and alcohol. Thats really about it. Taste is similar, but fortunately tastes better than the smell. Maybe a slight fruitiness and some hops. ABV is very noticeable. Light mouthfeel. Lightly carbonated. Overall, this tastes like a stronger version of something from AB. No depth, really no flavors except the 2 previously mentioned. But...It'll getcha drunk!

Serving type: bottle

08-19-2011 20:17:44 | More by 1Adam12

AEArider

Arizona

3.3/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a light amber with a head that built, then lasted, leaving a pretty good amount of lacing. The smell is bready, with a bit of fruit, and even in the smell the abv becomes apparent. In the taste, the only thing seeming to stand out was the alcohol, which is undeniable going down. The sweetness is pretty upfront with the alcohol, with bitterness making its way near the end. Slick mouthfeel. Not entirely sure what to make of the abv. . . but with the price tag, a few of these would make an elite replacement for the ubiquitous 40 oz. . .

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2011 05:24:46 | More by AEArider

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

2.78/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer poured out as a typical amber color with a light tan colored head on top. the head doesn't leave much in way of lacing. The smell of the beer is a malty and a bit hoppy. The taste of the beer is a little all over the place. I have a hard time figureing this one out. I think it's hoppy and it's got malts in there too but there is other stuff that I can't grasp. The mouthfeel wasn't as thick as I was hoping for and overall I feel it's just an average brew to say the least. Wouldn't seek this one out again.

Serving type: bottle

08-16-2011 03:31:35 | More by Knapp85

kneeland

North Carolina

3.53/5  rDev +18.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I thought the color would be a lot darker than it was, but it was intriguing enough. It almost tasted like it was trying to be a Guiness knock-off, but wasn't nearly as good. That's not to say it wasn't a good beer. I sensed a little toffee sweetness, with malt boldness.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2011 15:09:09 | More by kneeland