Rock Bottom Gold Medal Tap

Rock Bottom's website

I visited the new brew pub/tap house on Wednesday of this week. Right off the bat, I noticed the service was excellent. Even with my geeky requests, like having them pour a tall head, rather than filling it to the top.

They have eight beers of their own on tap:

Kölsch
Red Ale
Brown Ale
IPA (Hop Bomb)
Stout
Pale Ale
Seasonal Wheat (didn’t check to see what is was)
Brewmaster’s Choice (Amber Ale)

A few comments on the line-up before I get into what I tried. The Pale Ale (ABV 6.2% IBU 45) and the IPA (ABV 6.6% IBU 66) are very similar based on their profiles. Also, I do not understand the point of having an Amber Ale seasonal, if you already have a Red Ale. I would hope they adapt to the market here in Omaha, as I believe we are mature when it comes to our beer palate. I made this point to the manager when he came by to ask how we were doing.

I tried the Kölsch, Pale Ale, and the IPA. The Kölsch (3rd pic from the top) was very nice and true to the style. I wouldn’t hesitate to order this again. I had to try both the Pale Ale and the IPA, just to see why they would have both. Although it’s difficult to have two hoppy beers back to back and differentiate between them, I could not pick up too much of a difference. In my opinion, they should drop the Pale Ale and put in something else.

About half of the ten guest taps were relatively average. However, they did have Delirium Tremens, New Belgium 1554, and Boulder’s Mojo IPA. A little factoid I found out while I was there: Rock Bottom owns Boulder Brewing. This may be common knowledge, but I wasn’t aware of it. I would like to get confirmation on this though.

All things considered, I think it’s a good addition to the Omaha beer scene. Make sure your opinions are heard by the management, as I believe they care and will act upon them.