Convincingly well-balanced ‘deep red ale’ brings honeyed caramel malting to cereal-grained barley roast, oaken vanilla midst, tertiary Maraschino cherry sweetness and chewy cookie dough reminder. Earthen backdrop deepens over time. A bit slick but nicely rounded.
Dismal updated version of defunct H.C. Berger’s popular red ale done in by phenol hop astringency and iodized metallic tinge, depleting short-lived toasted almond prelude. Scathing alcohol burn restricts apple-soured dried apricot tartness.
Wily amber-hazed red ale appears brassier and heavier malted than iconoclastic Rogue Dead Guy. Perfectly robust blend of earthen mineral graining, woody Amarillo hop spicing and toasted caramel malting sidles frisky orange-peeled grapefruit bittering. Subsidiary cherry, apple, and berry illusions perk up dark floral undertones as toffee-butterscotch sweetness gathers strength. At finish, harsh alcohol burn deepens ripe fruited plain of limited edition liquid.
On tap, complex, yet approachable, red ale contrasts mildewed fungi acridity, mild hop-charred bittering and vinous cider sharpness against candi-sugared orange-oiled sour malting. Red-green apple tartness and teasing grapefruit-peach hunch backend ruddy-hazed moderate-bodied ‘bitter’ possibly better defined as Flemish Sour Ale. Further sips revealed pine-combed peach, pineapple and tangerine tang.
Straightforward medium-bodied crystal-malted amber-toned red ale brings anticipated cereal grain roast and toasted caramel malting to hop-oiled buttered popcorn astringency, overriding dry orange compote tartness. Thin cracked wheat finish is washed-out. Wears out its welcome after few sips.
Well balanced copper-hazed delight with tingly hop-spiced bittering countering barley-roasted caramel malting and candied apple sweetness. By midst, cinnamon-baked apple influence overrides peach-pear-orange fruiting as well as cocoa, tea, and honeysuckle illusions.
Likable brown-sugared caramel-malted butterscotch sweetness and cotton-candied red apple follow-up reach tangy orange-tangerine theme that brightens zesty medium body. Toasted almond illusion trails peated rye spine.
Sampled from breweries in Ireland and Holland without finding severe disparity (though Heineken’s version exudes firmer body), thin eggshell-headed malt-scented blue collar fodder retains overly familiar dry barley inefficiency and barest wood tones leading to mildly soured citric finish. Needs bitterer hop spice.
Aromatic caramel-toffee sweetness disrupted by faded floral hop astringency that delicately fizzles out. Abbreviated toasted graining, muted mocha wisp, and blah orange-apple-peach tang barely inform ill-defined metallic finish.
Sweet cereal-grained marzipan-caramel confluence seduces tangy cherry-apple-orange muting of clear amber moderation. But wet-papered cardboard-like wheat backbone crumbles.
So-so sunset red medium body counters roasted barley-oats frontage with woody Cascade hop bittering, mild brown chocolate variance, and blanched honey nut dab. Sweet caramel malting usurps flimsy spicing ’til metallic finish drains backend appeal.
Well-hopped full body with refreshing Minnesota spring water, malt-thickened richness, and placid grain bitterness barely provides enough momentum to make it a bargain over mass-produced American ales.