Retro Red, $6.99 a six-pack
Looking for a Valentine’s Day gift for your honey, but he or she isn’t the flowers-and- chocolates type? Fort Collins Brewery’s red ale satisfies without rotting your teeth. Retro Red pours a deep ruby, with a creamy head that leaves as much lace as you’d want in the sexiest lingerie — or possibly even more.
Apropos for my favorite holiday, this ale is aromatically sweet, with notes of caramel, roasted malt and a hint of cocoa. On the tongue, sweet malt is present, along with chocolate and coffee, as tantalizing as a first date. On the finish, hops recall former loves . . . bitterly, with dryness. Mouthfeel is a full, deep kiss, with a drinkability that will leave you wanting more. And with alcohol by volume of 5.2 percent, you’re liable to get it. The Fort Collins Brewery, Fort Collins;
Marcus Chamberland,
