Z Lager - Fort Collins Brewing

FatSean

Connecticut

2.3/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3 | overall: 1.5

I couldn't finish this beer. It poured a nice brown-gold color and had some interesting scents. When I drank it, all I tasted was SMOKE! It made my turkey sandwich taste like smoked turkey, which was cool. Other than that, I quickly tired of the overwhelming smoke flavor of this beer and gave it a drain pour.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2008 14:47:17 | More by FatSean

mikehillman

Pennsylvania

1.75/5  rDev -50.4%

05-12-2013 23:17:06 | More by mikehillman

bshiban

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

05-07-2013 21:31:05 | More by bshiban

jkrysinski

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

04-24-2013 01:17:04 | More by jkrysinski

Weas

Arkansas

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%

03-24-2013 00:54:48 | More by Weas

estlinska

Arkansas

3.06/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3

Served from the bottle into a standard shaker at the Pantry on 3/22/13. Pours a dark burnished orange like a worn sun-bleached oak barrel. There is a little cream colored head that dissipates quickly without much lacing left behind. The nose is off. It smells like a standard amber ale with hints of melted sugar and baked brown bread, but there is the smoke smell as well. They just don't work well together on the nose, and it reminds me more of just pure liquid smoke which is just a touch off-putting. The taste is not very smoky though. There is definitely a biscuit taste and some sweet caramel with just a touch of that artificial smoke flavor. Mouthfeel is medium. Overall this is just not working for me. Maybe the smoked flavor is more of a porter thing for me and I need to keep trying things, but I just didn't like it.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 14:08:45 | More by estlinska

grahamboudreaux

Tennessee

2.5/5  rDev -29.2%

03-19-2013 10:12:13 | More by grahamboudreaux

Herky21

Iowa

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

03-13-2013 14:41:46 | More by Herky21

RonaldTheriot

Louisiana

4.49/5  rDev +27.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Fort Collins Z Lager has a medium, cream colored head, a clear, bubbly amber appearance, and minimal, splotchy lacing. The aroma is mostly of sweet, brown bread crust, but one can pick up a whiff of smoke in the sniff. Taste is of the same, with a nice, hearty, but not heavy, hop bitterness in the sip. Mouthfeel is light to medium, and Fort Collins Z Lager finishes crisp, clean, refreshing, and mellow. Overall, this is a much more approachable and drinkable beer that what is offered by the Aecht Schlenkerla Rauchbiers. Check it out and enjoy!

RJT

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 16:50:24 | More by RonaldTheriot

TwoForty

Florida

3/5  rDev -15%

03-04-2013 21:55:36 | More by TwoForty

Tjvan2

Iowa

2.25/5  rDev -36.3%

02-28-2013 02:46:25 | More by Tjvan2

jonathaniler

Florida

3/5  rDev -15%

02-19-2013 01:45:29 | More by jonathaniler

beersvh23

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%

02-10-2013 03:29:01 | More by beersvh23

LibrariansLoveBEER

South Carolina

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.25

Poured into a pint glass from a 12 oz bottle.

Appearance: Pours an orange/rust color. A one finger head which quickly diminishes, minimal lacing.

Smell: Smells like a lager, hard to detect the smoky notes that are supposed to distinguish this style.

Taste: Tastes like a typical lager. I was expecting more of a smoky taste. I was halfway dreading what I thought might be an overpowering smoky, sooty taste. Not at all, in fact I was mildly disappointed with the lack of distinctiveness.

Mouthfeel: Mild carbonation, brisk, tingly.

Overall: A decent beer. I will not try this beer again, but I intend to try some of the other offerings from Fort Collins. I have a double chocolate stout chilling in the beer frig.
Serving type: bottle

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2013 18:38:10 | More by LibrariansLoveBEER

elchingen

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev +6.2%

02-08-2013 16:31:58 | More by elchingen

crobinso

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

01-12-2013 02:32:40 | More by crobinso

iemailjack

Florida

3/5  rDev -15%

01-08-2013 03:11:33 | More by iemailjack

Tozac

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%

01-05-2013 09:53:28 | More by Tozac

ScorpyX

Colorado

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

12-27-2012 07:56:37 | More by ScorpyX

schoolboy

Ohio

3.7/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

It seems that some of the smoked beers I've had the last few days here in Colorado were flirting with being a rauchbier, and I think some of the were closer to it than this. I think it really should simply be classified as it is labled, a smoked amber lager, not a rauchbier.

As a rachbier, it falls flat as it is not nearly aromatic enough, but if not constrained to that style, it is quite good.

It's very pretty in the glass. The aroma is not that of a rauchbier, so a huge ding. But the taste is great, and the mouthfeel is too. Another great Colorado beer.

Serving type: bottle

12-13-2012 03:48:38 | More by schoolboy

Stwinchy

Colorado

3/5  rDev -15%

12-11-2012 01:06:22 | More by Stwinchy

kb2250

New Jersey

4.75/5  rDev +34.6%

12-02-2012 18:59:56 | More by kb2250

ironwill54

2.25/5  rDev -36.3%

11-28-2012 21:52:58 | More by ironwill54

andrewkgray91

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -7.9%

11-25-2012 03:09:33 | More by andrewkgray91

t0rin0

California

3.5/5  rDev -0.8%

11-19-2012 02:31:21 | More by t0rin0