Fort Collins Z Lager

Z Lager is an exotic lager with a slight aromatic smoke flavor, perfect for any occasion. Slight caramel undertones and a bright amber color compliment Z’s prominent smoke flavors.

3.2

397 reviews

Fort Collins, United States

Community reviews

3.3 Appearance: translucent amber color, head is about two inches when first poured, off white colored head, head dissolves slightly quickly but leaves a nice foam, slight lacing Aroma: caramel, slight smoky smell when inhaled heavily, earthy Taste: can taste the smoke flavor but not too overwhelming, nice surprise within the taste, light body Palette: flavor comes alot at the end, slight bitter Overall: this beer makes me want to bbq! It would be great cooking outdoors or camping, the smoke flavor is great and very different

3.5 Bottle. Pours a slightly hazy copper with a half finger of coarse, off white head. Decent retention, and many rings of lacing. Aroma is smoked malt, beechwood, bacon, salty, smells like light rauchbier. Flavor is mildly smoky up front with a malty, caramel finish. Smokiness lingers only mildly. Smoke flavor is very approachable, good for someone looking to venture into smoke beers. The smoked tones are too light to be considered a true rauchbier. Soft to moderate carbonation, relatively full body, especially for a lager, and a smooth texture and finish. A pleasant, interesting, drinkable, smoky lager. Not sure why everyone is so down on this brew, other than it isn’t as smoky as your typical rauchbier.

2.8 Bottle. Rich orange pour with a small head. Slight smoked / charred wood. Slight sweet caramel. Okay.

4.2 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

3.0 12 oz bottle. Dark burnt orange with off-white head and lacing. The aroma is strong smoked malts. Light to medium body with a thin texture. Smoky flavor but not overdone. Light caramel malts with a smoky lingering finish.

4.0 It’s been a while since I’ve had one, but I seem to differ crom the crowd here in thinking if was quite good. Just enough smoke and not too much sugar. All is good here.

1.4 Over the top. Everything is too much. The color is thick. The taste is straight BBQ sauce and hickory. The finish is salty. May recommend if craving ribs and can't eat food. No subtlety. Finish is sick.

0.6 Fuck this beer. Smells like hickory wood chips, tastes like teriyaki sauce and salt. Fort Collins Brewery tried a little too hard on this one.

3.2 On tap at the brewery. Pours a clear brown-orange with an off-white ring. Aroma has a nice smokiness, with wood, malt, meat, and yeast. Taste is very smoky meat, with some malt and wood. Lingering smoke. The smoke dominates everything too much here.

2.2 Bottle poured a clear amber hue w/ small fully diminishing head. Medium aroma of sweet smokey caramel. Initial flavor light sweet finish is liquid smoke. This beer drinks like a watery BBQ sauce. It needs to accompany a meal, not one I’d drink on its own. Medium bodied, creamy texture and soft carbonation.

3.3 Hazy, wood-amber with frothy tan head. Sent is smoked meat. Taste is caramel sweet and smoke... Malty... Light and a bit on the thin side... But still, quite good.

1.9 Carmel color. Thin off white head. Smoky nose. I don’t think I’m a smoky beer kind of guy. Not my style

3.4 Nice smokey lager. Very woody. Well done.

3.5 Draught at the restaurant Gravity 1020 next to the brewery on October 9, 2012 Clear copper color, tan head. Malty, smoke taste. Medium mouthfeel, medium bitterness. Mineral finish. Malty, smoke scent.

2.6 Bottle: pours amber with a small off white head. Aroma of smoky bready nuttiness. The flavor is nutty, smoky and wood. It has a nice malt backbone, that evens it all out. Decent beer.

3.1 Pours a clear copper color with no head. Aroma of smoke, grain, and caramel. Caramel sweetness with some grain followed by a distinct smoke ending. Decent- could be a little stronger.

3.1 Tap at brewery. Clear copper with a thin white cap. Smells like British mineral water and weird dark eastern European bread, and a bit of peat smoke. Flavor is much cleaner, leaning on peat smokiness on a light semi-sweet body, with some earthiness and a bit of an herbal tone. A little too light but I like the tone of it.

3.0 bottle. aroma has notes of smoke, cereal malts, lager yeast. medium amber hue with an average white head. little lace. flavor is medium sweet and lightly bitter. palate is medium bodied and watery average. overall a forgettable beer.

3.2 Pours an amber color with a moderate head. Has a very heavy smoky smell to it that is very inviting. The taste is devoid of smoke, though not bad.

2.8 12oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a clear reddish copper with a half finger tan head that fades pretty quickly. Ok lacing on the sides of the glass. Aroma moderate smoke, light coffee, caramel, and toasted malt. Not really any hops detectable. The taste has a pleasing smoke mixed with a healthy dose of toasted malt. Kind of tastes like an amber with a little smoke added. Some toffee and caramel. A slight tartness on the tip of the tongue along with a moderate bitterness finishing slightly sticky. Mouthfeel terrible though being extremely thin and watery. Overall, an ok rauchbier but far from the top in the style. I would drink it again, though, purely for the ease of accessibility and lack of rauchbiers on the market.

3.2 Definitely a little bit of smoked flavor to this but I would probably conclude that it is an amber over a smoked ale. Nice and malty though. Nicely made.

2.8 Copper pour..aroma I can’t explain..taste is malts light caramel ans smoke...not at all what I expected..but pretty decent fir this type of beer

2.8 Aroma and taste were off. Mediocre appearance and palate. Nice smoky finish, though.

2.8 bottle to glass; there is the slightest smoke aroma. amber pour. no smoke in flavor some malts and then a slightly bitter hop finish; it is beer but very average...

2.8 Tried this at the smokeout at Sam’s, Durham. Pretty uninspiring reddish pour, with a medium creamy head. Lots of nutty malts and just sligth smoke in the nose, like an amber lager gone awry. Flavors are pretty bland and underwhelming, just a slight hoppiness to relieve the impression of an amber and only the faintest dose of smoke. Not a fan.

3.1 12 Oz Bottle. Aroma- malt and cereal grain, very slight smoky aroma. Appearance - orange-brown, slight reddish head, quickly dissipates, nice lacing. Taste - wee bit of smoke on entry, mildly hopped, orange peel, malt shines on the finish, , flavors nicely balanced. Palate - a bit on thin and watery. Overall - Enjoyable a good but not great beer.

3.6 A brillantly clear copper color lager with a tall white fluffy head that has great rentention, although there is not much lacing. A nice and sutle smokey malt aroma. Aroma is similar to what you might experence with smoked cheese. Taste is smokey up front but mildly so. A medium body beer with a bit of grittiness. Smooth and clean with nary any aftertaste. An excellent ell made beer, the smoked malts are not overpowering and really enhance the flavor of the beer.

3.4 Could stand a bit more smoke but what’s there has a natural woody essence and lets the hop and malt shine through. Way better than any plain lager I’ve ever had.

3.3 Bottle. Pours clear copper with a finger of white head, some lacing, and plenty of carbonation. Aroma is medium smoke with almost nothing else present. Taste is fairly smoky with a little bit of a dry finish. The palate is pretty nice for a low ABV beer. Overall, a decent easy to drink smoked beer.

2.9 12 oz bottle: Aroma is malty, caramel, maybe the slightest bit of smoke, and a little bit of hop in the backing. Appearance is a clear amber with a medium to low white head that lingers. Taste is malty, then the smoke comes through, a slight bit of hops then rounds out to a malty smokiness. Overall, Meh...It’s about average. Cheers!