If you're anything like me, occasionally you tend to take a pause in your better beer journey. You stop searching for that next eye opening brew. You don't feel like having to sit and dissect all the different aspects of a beer. Surprisingly, just the thought of a complex beer gives you a headache. Now this isn't to say that you swear off the tasty nectar, but rather that you simply just want a beer. Just a beer. That's it. You want an easy drinking beer that is what it says it is. Period. Screw all the frills, just beer me man. And when this mood hits you, a good beer to fit the bill is the Red Banshee from Fort Collins Brewing Company.

When you grab a Red Banshee, you are essentially getting a respectable amber ale. When you think amber ale, you expect a focus on the malt side, with just enough hops to make themselves known and provide a decent balance to the beer. No exotic flavors or surprise appearances from any unexpected players should happen. If you can keep things simple, you can keep things tasty, and such is the case here. In the glass, it should come as no surprise that it has an amber coloration that most would consider a bit on the darker side of things. A tan head comes along with it and provides plenty of lacing throughout the session. The aromas are pretty direct, and consist mostly of caramel malts, with some toasted bread coming through in the second act. Some floral hops can be found in the background, and occasionally notes of nutmeg and cinnamon peek through.

The first taste of it brings no shocks or surprises, and follows the nose almost to the letter. Lots of caramel malts upfront, and with them comes a bit of a burnt sugar taste as well. A toasted bread flavor follows close behind, and combining it with the cinnamon detected in the nose gives off an impression of cinnamon toast. The floral hops provide a nice tingle on the tongue, and do a great job of providing just enough bitterness to keep things from becoming overly sweet. Toss in a medium body, sweet aftertaste, and a slightly sticky mouthfeel, and you end up with what I told you earlier: a pretty respectable amber ale.

There are many ways to describe Red Banshee and be spot on. No thinker drinker? That would work. Satisfying session brew? That fits too. What about a bar stool buddy beer? Right again. But I think the best way to describe would be to simply say that it is a good beer. Will it blow you away in areas? No, but that doesn't mean that the people at Fort Collins Brewing have anything to hang their heads about. I could go through several in a sitting and not have a single complaint, and I have a feeling that most all of you could do the same. So the next time the mood strikes you, and you just want a beer, feel free to take this one for a spin. It is what it says it is, and that's plenty in this case.