Oshkosh Beer Sampler 010: Rebel Kent The First Amber Ale

A slanted and endless survey of what’s pouring in Oshkosh... tallied one beer at a time.

What: Rebel Kent The First Amber Ale; 3 Sheeps Brewing Company, Sheboygan, WI; 5.00% ABV 13 IBUs

Where: Festival Foods; $8.49 for a sixer

Why: Because it’s good for you to drink beer from Sheboygan. Really, it is. And besides, this is good beer. Ales from 3 Sheeps Brewing of Sheboygan have been popping up on tap in Oshkosh for a couple months now. Last week Monday, Festival put four of their beers on the shelf: a Dark Wheat Ale; a Witbier; an IPA; and this, Rebel Kent The First, which their calling an Amber Ale. In this case, it’s a meaningless designation. More accurately, Rebel Kent is a larger version (5.00% ABV) of a Belgian Abbey Single dosed with rye malt. What sets it apart, though, is the yeast. They’re using a well-attenuating Belgian strain that makes for a dry, quenching beer. The result is an easy drinking, malt-forward brew that tastes something like Fat Tire without the cloying sweetness. And to my palate, that makes Rebel Kent a significantly better beer than Fat Tire. If easy going, yet interesting beer is your bag, this is one you’ll want to check into. Hey, we haven’t had beer this good from Sheboygan since Kingsbury went tits up.