Big Horn Big Red IPA
C.B. & Potts Restaurant & Taproom

 

Pours a deep amber with a creamy white head, nice retention, and ok lacing.

The smell is of grass, lemon peel, and citrus with caramel background standing firm.

Nicely balanced caramel tones with citrus, lemon, and grassy elements. Overall great balance.

A bit thin, and overcarbonated, but crisp and refreshing.

Overall, a great and easy drinking beer with the meal.

Had this when trying out several of the brewpubs around Fort Collins. I was amused by the acquaintance unfamiliar with beer beseeching me not to try the IPA because it was so horrible from the sampler tray she had. She didn't have any idea what I was talking about when I asked her if she liked hoppy, IPA style beers or not.

Appearance was one of the best things going for this beer. It came out in a C.B. and Pott's 20oz pint glass...not a typical nonic pint, but a huge looking over sized pint glass. Typical amber in color, pretty clear as well. Nice, long lasting head left good looking lace all over.

Smell was not bad, dominated by the hops. Bitter lemon citrus and lots of pine resin. A little bit of malty sweetness, but not much.

As expected, hops also dominated the taste. Lemon peel, pine, and slightly spicy. Not quite a hop bomb, but not that far away. I was mildly surprised. Unfortunately, there just wasn't enough balance for this beer. I even let it warm up by drinking it slow, and the warmth still wouldn't let the malts come through much.

Mouthfeel was refreshing and clean, but kind of sharp. Maybe it was just that my taste buds were a little fried. Maybe I should have had something to eat that would have mellowed it out a bit.

Overall, not a bad beer in a town with a lot of beer. I'd probably have it again if I come through town again, though Potts is not my first beer stop in Fort Collins.

Light brown leather. Dulled resinous hop aroma. Creamy feel with sugared caramel malts and a suprisingly nice hop character. Lots of bitterness and pretty bland overall. Most of the Big Horn bottled beers are horrifying. This one is at least tolerable, though not really enjoyable.

A somewhat "hoppy" brew that goes down well after a good afternoon of hard work. It has a fairly light taste that seems to complement food. The beer goes well with a burger or perhaps salmon. The beer is as good as some smaller site brewed beers and well worth trying.

I went on a trip back home and to one of my favorite Ft. Collin bars, Potts. Sampled on tap, Big Red IPA pours a dark amber to red color with ok head appeal and limited lacing. Both dissipate over time. The smell is not really hop but some sweetness comes out. More of a basic malt aroma overall.

The flavor is really light for an IPA. The malt is a bigger flavor but some hop tones from Simcoe and Amarillo are noticed The malt is basic. Mostly pale and really that is all I taste but according to their web, there is some limited carastan malts too. There is a medium body with good flavor. This is a nice beer to sit down, but not really a IPA at heart.