Tap Handle #81: William & Scott - Rhino Chasers American Ale

There are multiple versions of this tap. My tap is the older version, called American Amber Ale, and there is also a newer one that is simply Amber Ale. The only difference between the two is the appearance of the label. A great tap and very heavy! It looks like a real rhino horn.

Click through to read more about William & Scott Brewing and their Rhino Chasers American Ale...


William & Scott was founded in 1989 in Huntington Beach, California by W. Scott Griffiths. Originally intended to be a beer marketing company, they began to have beer brewed in the Angeles Brewery in Chatsworth. Griffiths developed Rhino Chasers with the help of the Angeles brewmaster Dick Belliveau. The Rhino Chasers name came from a clan of surfers on the North Shore of Oahu that ride a vicious wave that looks like a rhino horn when viewed from the side. Later, at the suggestion of a friend, Griffiths tied the label to the African Wildlife Conservation and donated 51% of his profits to the conservation group. While it was a noble and creative idea, it wasn't sustainable, and William & Scott ceased operations in 1997. A brewery in Ashburn, Virginia called Lost Rhino Brewing obtained the rights to the Rhino Chasers name and resurrected the brand; however, the beers they produce are not the same as the ones made by William & Scott.

Rhino Chasers American Amber Ale was a creamy, fruity amber lager that garnered some good reviews but also garnered complaints about how awful the aroma was. Weighted average on ratebeer.com is 2.21 out of 5.