Metasip

A Wine, Beer, and Spirits Review Site

Amber Ale

After Three Sips of This Beer, I Read the Label…and What I Found Shocked Me!

Another beverage knock-off from our friends at Aldi. But this one…

Boot Tread Amber AleWe’re back with another review of another beer – but we’re also having a little fun with this fact: Writing ridiculous headlines that ask people to click on a post can only work if you (1) have something interesting to say and (b) use too much hyperbole. So, while the real headline here should be something like “An Aldi Beer that’s 11 (or so) Ounces” or, more accurately, “Boot Tread Amber Ale Review,” we went with what’s called a “BuzzFeed-style Clickbait Headline.” Reality: After Three Sips of This Beer, I Read the Label…And What I Found Shocked Me!

Consider yourself an SEO test case. We’re gonna see how well this works.

Boot Tread Beer Review

Honestly, I picked this up because I was at Aldi and it was a “Belgium Amber Ale.” And it had a very “where have I seen that label before?” look to the bottle. (Hint: Fat Tire.) And the price was good – or so I thought! – leading me to say “what the heck?”

Taste

Closer to Blue Moon in taste – an assistant Metasip taster said “that is like Blue Moon, but hoppier” – I found it to be rather average, actually. Not even close to Fat Tire: too much of a wheat beer feel for me.

Profile

Again, wheat. If I had to guess, I’d put the IBUs at about 10 or 15.

Value

Here’s where the “scandal” comes in:

11 point 2

IT’S NOT A 12-OUNCE BOTTLE!

Math: $6.49 for a 6-pack, 11.2 ounces per bottle, equals roughly 9.657 cents per ounce. OR, if this were a 12-ounce bottle, we’d actually be looking at $6.95 for a 6-pack.

Since Fat Tire is normally about $8.99 a six-pack, this is a value in comparison. (If you’re comparing to Blue Moon – price of that vs. Fat Tire is pretty much a wash.)

Why 11.2 ounces? No idea.

Metasip Grade: B

I wasn’t wowed by this beer, and found it too close to Blue Moon and not close enough to Fat Tire to fit into a nice, clean category. Were it a direct knock-off, like the last Aldi beer we reviewed, it would get a higher grade. But no.

After Three Sips I Read the Label…

Okay, what I found didn’t actually shock me, but it did have me question why there’s .8 ounces less per bottle than the norm.

Jumping Cow Amber Ale

Jumping Cow Amber AleI still remember the first Jumping Cow Amber Ale I tried: shocked at how inexpensive, approachable, not pretentious. Then I stopped myself and said “Dude, it’s a beer, drink it.” And there we were.

This was a few years ago, mind you, and I think my palate has mellowed with age.

Now, this is something I’ll pick up from Trader Joe’s – still the only place I’ve found it – from time to time.

Jumping Cow Amber Ale Review

Taste

As ales go, this one is missing…something. When we’re able to put our finger on what it is that it’s missing, we’ll let you know. If beer had a “table wine” category, this one would be in it. You won’t embarrass yourself serving it to friends – but you won’t win over beer snobs, either.

Profile

ABV: 5.5%.

Value

Using the “buck a bottle” gauge, this is right about, well, okay. Not our favorite, and not a solid “B” when it comes to getting your money’s worth.

Metasip Grade: B-