What does it mean to be a beloved and successful local brewery? Brew tasty beers for the locals? Sure, that’s a big part of the equation, but isn't the entire formula. What if you’re brewing in a location with an array of talented brewers? You have to run those extra miles and be prepared to set yourself apart. This is exactly that Bull City Burger and Brewery does every day in Durham, NC. Consequently, it’s one of my favorite places in the region to enjoy craft brews. Case in point: their ''Reel'' Amber Ale. What sets this beer apart as a local gem? It was brewed specifically for the 15th annual Full Frame Documentary Film Festival held at the Carolina Theatre, a beloved cultural landmark for locals. BCBB knows that it’s not enough to just brew good beer for locals. They brew beer for the community as a whole, and you can taste that passion in every beer.

I recently enjoyed the ''Reel'' Amber Ale as part of BrewChief's one year birthday celebration. In the glass, this beer has a hazy rich amber coloration with a slight red-orange hue. It comes with a frothy white head that has decent retention. On the nose, you find that familiar sweet malty aroma with a whiff of hop sting. Ambers aren’t known for their overly complex intros and this one is no different. But thinking like a movie goer, the last thing I would want in my hands is a sensually distracting beer, so I completely understand the choice of style.

That first sip was quite intriguing. The sweet malty character also sets up shop as the dominant base flavor. But, what first caught my attention was the mouthfeel, which is smooth as silk to start off. From there the muted hop profile slowly asserts itself until it reaches full balance on the finish. This transition from candied sweet to balanced bitter was really fun to study. Again, I found this brew to be a very solid choice for a beer loving movie goer. Unassuming start, nice hop pop on the finish.

Overall, Bull City Burger and Brewery’s ''Reel'' Amber Ale is a delightful brew that I can recommend to all levels of movie loving beer fans. Seasoned drinkers can appreciate its session worthiness and enjoy round after round through epic adventures, perfect for a Lord of the Rings marathon. Novices can appreciate its rich flavors and twist finish, perfect for an M. Night Shyamalan movie (before he started to suck). Unfortunately, the ''Reel'' Amber Ale was brewed with a limited supply and once it’s gone, it’s gone. So to get my fill before it’s all gone, I’m busting into BCBB Tarantino style with a deck of blank cards, a magic marker, some German friends, and a glass boot. Prost!