Fat Tire

The distance between something good and something great can be very difficult to calculate. There are often very personal and subjective reasons something would be elevated from good to great or lowered from great to good. A vicarious positive experience or alternate stimuli, not directly associated with the positive experience, may induce an elevated "great". There could be an emotional connection that clouds normally clear judgement or a simple bias based on a negligible flaw producing the unenthusiastic "good". This is why I decided to wear my green shirt and drink Fat Tire Amber Ale on a random Thursday as opposed to a scheduled Saturday. Because it seems that every time I try to rationalize Fat Tire,  my opinion changes.

Today was a great day for the Rainbow bread toast beer from New Belgium. The focus on good malt with mild hops for balance creates an extremely well centered brew. Give the beer 3 minutes out of the fridge or 2 minutes after a pour for the flavor profile to really open up. The almost subdued complexity of the beer at 45 degrees F (as the bottle instructs) is worth the wait. The caramel malt lets back and a little tasty yeast pokes its head out  before a delicious earthy mix puts you back in your chair.

Today shall warrant 6 biscuits (yah  I said it) out of 4. Its a good beer so friends are still welcome to partake. This is a middle of the road beer when it comes to taste so your food choices should stick to center so you can fully appreciate the beer. I would recommend bone in pork loin chops with a light house seasoning or a lightly seasoned bean/lentil dish focusing on earthy tones. Dave Matthews or No Doubt would go just fine. Just as long as it's generally upbeat and fun, this happy beer will reward you.

cheers