Common Ground - Fort Collins Brewing

scruffwhor

Illinois

2.48/5  rDev -27.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Pours a slightly hazey copper with a very quick and bright white head atop it. There is barely any bubbling in this overall, nondescript looking beer. The aroma is of weak coffee grounds and watery bread. The taste some faintly sweet toasted malts mixed with old Hills Brothers coffee grounds. Then some watery and sparse palate to say the least. This beer is different, but not one I will recommend to anyone.

Serving type: bottle

01-15-2010 04:34:04 | More by scruffwhor

cvm4

Mississippi

2.8/5  rDev -18.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Definitely pours amber in color, slightly opaque with a white head.

S - The coffee is definitely on the nose, just not "in your face" like I'd expect from a coffee beer. There is some toasty element to it.

T - Coffee throughout with a malts on the backend and a bit of caramel flavor.

M - Light bodied with medium carbonation. Pretty crisp, not sticky or cloying.

O - This is just the wrong style for a coffee beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 15:45:59 | More by cvm4

Jasonrm72

Colorado

3.25/5  rDev -5.5%

03-16-2013 00:39:01 | More by Jasonrm72

jeremyrbrown

Mississippi

2/5  rDev -41.9%

12-19-2012 00:18:50 | More by jeremyrbrown

DrunkinYogi

Connecticut

3.75/5  rDev +9%

12-01-2012 19:39:09 | More by DrunkinYogi

hockeyfighter19

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -12.8%

07-03-2012 23:50:49 | More by hockeyfighter19

sleuthdog

Illinois

2.25/5  rDev -34.6%

04-09-2012 22:26:11 | More by sleuthdog

DavoleBomb

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a perfect pint.

4.0 A: Wow, I'm shocked at how light this is given that coffee is involved. Clear orange amber color. Two fingers of foamy beige head. Retention is good given that coffee is involved and a short ring of lacing is left.

3.5 S: Smells somewhat like a really weak cup of coffee. Big toastiness and grainy malts from the base beer. Actually, this smells like a coffee filtered full of coffee after the coffee has been brewed. It's not a great aroma, but for some reason I like it anyway.

3.5 T: Tastes like it smells. Big toastiness and graininess. Weak used coffee filter. 'Nuff said.

4.0 M: Lighter medium body. Good active carbonation. Reasonable creaminess. Light and crisp.

3.5 D: Not an impressive brew by any means, but super easy to drink and different than every other coffee beer I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

04-09-2012 01:11:21 | More by DavoleBomb

ae4pq

Georgia

1/5  rDev -70.9%

03-22-2012 21:03:08 | More by ae4pq

WVbeergeek

Ohio

4.33/5  rDev +25.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

It's awesome they were able to get all of the coffee character into an amber all without imparting any flavor or bitterness from the dark roasts. Pours a bright glowing amber hue with a slight off white head. Forms thick with thin speckled lacing left behind. Aroma nice robust coffee notes, earthy, with a hint of caramel malts...hidden in the roasted coffee are some money nutty characterisics like toasted almonds. Flavor is great light and drinkable like an amber ale with nice roasted coffee roasts and fresh creamer, more nutty aspects to follow with toasted almonds and cashews mixed. Mouthfeel is clean light to medium bodied with some slight oily texture from the coffee beans dry finish with excellent balance. Overall the most impressive coffee beer I've had in awhile it sticks ice brewed coffee roasts into a traditional amber ale bases and makes it work.

Serving type: bottle

03-15-2012 02:34:06 | More by WVbeergeek

denver10

Colorado

2.75/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Pours a dark amber with just shy of a thumbs width cream head. Head leaves pretty quickly though. Aroma started off great but kinda started to wear on me towards the end. Very strong coffee been aroma. French vanilla, caramel, doughy, and just a little earthiness. Tastes definitely of a marriage between an amber ale fused with coffee and sweetened cream. Again liked it more at the onset than the finish, by the end of the bottle it had wore on me. I also would have liked a bolder, dark, coffee flavor. I drink my coffee black and thats the flavor I'd have preferred here, personally. Medium bodied to this, silky in mouthfeel, not much carbonation. Bought this blindly, the concept of fusing amber and coffee appealed to me and had me super curious. Glad I tried it, its definitely a unique beer, but I did not generally care for it. Would probably not drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2012 21:48:28 | More by denver10

mcallister

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%

02-19-2012 20:01:50 | More by mcallister

Tyrawlings

Ohio

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%

02-11-2012 13:52:29 | More by Tyrawlings

hopfacebrew

Colorado

3.73/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Picked up a bomber of Common Ground after meeting with the Fort Collins Brewery reps at the local liquor store. Got a free sticker and pint glass out of it!

Beer poured from brown 22oz bomber to a pint glass.

A - The beer pours a translucent amber red color with a dark cream head that quickly dissipates to a silky film that lasts throughout. After reading the label I figured the beer would be darker.

S - A pretty nice mellow coffee aroma mixed with toasted caramel malts. Not much hop character or alcohol on the nose.

T - The beer is very similar in taste to the aroma. The coffee flavor hits immediately and lasts throughout. Not too overpowering. The middle of the beer brings out a mild bitterness with the toasted malt character. Some caramel.

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

Overall, this was a unique beer. A different take on the amber style with the coffee. Glad to have tried it. One of the beer beers from Fort Collins Brewery in my opinion.

Note: This review was a re-post from my former account, jmkratt, which was hacked and I lost all my reviews...sorry for the redundancy.

Serving type: bottle

Reviewed on: 02-14-2011 14:55:17

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2012 15:03:53 | More by hopfacebrew

thebouch01

Pennsylvania

3.5/5  rDev +1.7%

01-23-2012 14:34:38 | More by thebouch01

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.63/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Not the normal combination of an Amber Ale with coffee additions, it makes for a compellingly softer and smoother session than do the usual strong Stouts with espresso spice flavoring.

The beer opens like most Amber Ales do- with a medium auburn or copper coloring with golden highlights. A creamy off white head builds upon the the beer and rebuilds with a gentle swirl of the glass. Medium retention and moderate lacing gives the beer an inviting return to the glass, sip after sip.

Supple and moderate aromas of caramel and coffee dictate the nose but in a much more gentle notion than most coffee stouts. Nutty with the malt scent and nutty with the coffee scents, it's somwhat akin to pecans and Columbian blends of cold pressed coffee. A backgorund note of bread crust and toffeeish heartiness allows for richer complexities to influence the nose.

Flavors are a direct comparison to the aromas. Sweet caramel flavors lead the way in true Amber Ale fashion while the rebuttal of coffee gives a nutty Columbian or Kona taste that reminds me of butter nuts of pecans, cashews, and macadamia. Light in hop flavor, aroma, and bitterness; much of this is surplanted by the coffee aroma, taste, and oily bitterness that avoids astringency in texture.

Medium weight is in large part due to the malty viscous and carbonated airy feel. The texture holds onto it's moderate tone until late where all release and allow the coffee taste and texture to linger into finish. This reveals a slight grainy and thin coffee astringency to rise, but everso lightly.

The lighter and buttery coffee flavor is a welcomed spice to compelement the otherwise sweetly focused Amber Ale. From one whose tired of the one-dimensionally sweet American Amber Ale profile, I'm happy to see one with another taste of variety.

Serving type: bottle

01-12-2012 05:25:10 | More by BEERchitect

IPAylor

Colorado

2.5/5  rDev -27.3%

01-04-2012 20:03:02 | More by IPAylor

kojevergas

California

3.05/5  rDev -11.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Served on-draught into a 3 oz sampler glass in high altitude Fort Collins, Colorado, at Fort Collins Brewing's tasting room. Reviewed from notes.

A: Pours a half finger head of slight cream, fair thickness, and decent retention. Colour is a semitransparent gold.

Sm: Malt heavy, with coffee (when I search for it), and full barley. A moderate strength aroma.

T: It's a simple malt bomb with slight tame bittering coffee. It's pleasant if simple, and nicely balanced and built. I don't know that the malt heaviness is justified.

Mf: Smooth and wet, with too much coarseness and dryness - especially on the finish. Doesn't complement the style.

Dr: Easy to drink, in spite of its coarseness. Cost was $1.25 for a taster. Its simplicity holds it back.

Serving type: on-tap

12-22-2011 21:09:26 | More by kojevergas

jsh420

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +15.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

pours clear burnt amber with a 1 finger off white head and left some spotted lacing

smell is not very strong but i get coffee and some biscuit malt

taste is much better then the nose and while the flavors are not extreme they are spot on - great coffee flavor not bitter or sour like many are the malt is a little nutty

mouthfeel is light crisp with good carbonation

overall - i enjoyed is beer quite a lot - when every new beer is all about high abv, barrel aging, or how many hops you can put into it this beer was a nice change of pace - an easy drinking coffee amber

Serving type: bottle

12-11-2011 03:33:58 | More by jsh420

bobhits

Kentucky

3.15/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 2 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Coffee amber for about 7 bucks a bottle. I expect something rather intense. Instead this is a light easy drinking beer with an interesting coffee finish. Too many hops would result in a poor flavor. Too much coffee with this body would similarly fail. Instead this one hits a light flavored mix that works well, even if the price is just insane.

Clear amber ale, very clean. A bit of white head but not much lasts and only a touch of lacing.

Light aroma with hints of coffee and caramel with a touch of hops.

Overall a tasty brew that's overpriced and isn't really something I think I'll consider again.

Serving type: bottle

12-03-2011 01:09:44 | More by bobhits

Bierguy5

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

22 oz bottle. Clear amber color, with a fizzy off-white head. Retention is not a strength here. Seems an odd color for a coffee-infused beer.

Caramel notes seem to dominate, with a soft coffee and cream note. Not much in the way of hop aroma. All around, a soft feel.

Caramel starts in the mouth, but a nice coffee and cream flavor rushes in and demands attention. A bit of sweetness at first, but there seems to be a bit of an earthy finish, which is not bad. Malt may have a slight toasty edge.

Lighter side of medium body, with a good amount of carbonation. This is an interesting coffee beer that really has no roasty feel. Very simple and easy to drink. Interesting.

Serving type: bottle

11-04-2011 00:15:56 | More by Bierguy5

kylehay2004

Florida

4.55/5  rDev +32.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A:single finger off white head. Amber with gold hues. Not much retention.

S: mostly sweet caramel malt with only a hint of coffee

T: very interesting. The sweetness of the amber with coffee seem to mix together throughout the tasting without a well defined boundary to either.

M: medium body and moderate carbonation.

Overall: this is one I would get again. Drinkable, flavorful and unique.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 00:44:46 | More by kylehay2004

JayS2629

Alabama

3.55/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A clear amber with a thin white head that fades fast but leaves sticky lace. Where is the coffee? The smell is of sweet malts, faint earthy hops, and watery faint, faraway coffee note. If you are going to name a beer after the coffee I expect to smell it and taste it, but they went for subtle on the coffee and I can't find it. Maybe it is just my glass or maybe I'm used to big roasty coffee stouts? This was a nice, sweet but watery amber with a slight roasted note in the far background. I was disappointed.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2011 00:08:30 | More by JayS2629

katan

Colorado

4.3/5  rDev +25%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

22 oz into a pint

A - Pours a very clear, light brown color. Head formation is strong, eggshell colored, 1/2" or so. Well retained thus far. Carbonation in the beer appears light.

S - A light amount of coffee roast, very smooth and only a hint of graininess. No malt, hops, or yeast detected.

T - Starts off with a light sweetness balanced by some light chocolate coffee roasted. Very complimentary. Some caramel comes through. Mid-stream, more bitter, but no hops. Finishes with the most grainy coffee note as it brings an only lightly astringent taste. Coffee sticks around on the aftertaste for quite some time. Overall malt forward with a nice coffee balance.

M - Solid beer body, moderate carbonation. Very creamy, bubbly mouthfeel. Leaves only a light sugar cling on the tongue and a bit of coffee edge on the outside.

D - Scary easy drinking. ABV is very manageable, almost for sessioning. Flavors are not overwhelming. Not filling. A well done balanced, coffee flavored but not overbearing, beer.

I really like this one, a surprising effort of being able to not overdo the flavors but still making sure you know its a coffee infused beer. Perhaps the fact it was teamed with more of a malty beer than the traditional stout was the biggest surprise.

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2010 05:16:06 | More by katan

SamN

Colorado

3.68/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Sampled from my roomates bomber

This beer is a lovely orange-copper color, clear and with beautiful highlights in indirect light. Smell is of caramel malts and with a noticeable coffee aroma. Taste is mild and smooth, the malt flavors blend amazingly well with the coffee. It's thin bodied and a little watery, but this is a great session beer with almost limitless drinkability. A nice treat from Fort Collins brewery.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2010 18:38:33 | More by SamN