Not distinct, yet still better than Red Dog, Miller High Life, and Coors (or any homogenized, processed American brews). Maroon-hued light-bodied red ale with aromatic citrus spicing, tart stone fruiting, and sterile hop bittering finishes unobtrusively. Brewery defunct: 1998.

Faint citric-grained entry and sugary malt sweetness contrast mild hop roast of dark amber red ale. Sticky yeast finish suffices, but overall depth lacks.

Choice rocky tan-headed translucent amber red ale alternates barley-toasted caramel-honeyed wheat alacrity with dry Scotch acridity, picking up slick roasted chocolate-almond traction above earthen mineral grain fortress. Further sips reveal buttery biscuit drift, red grape chasm, and brief barleywine vamp.

Translucent amber-hued flesh-laced middleweight attaches burnt hop bitterness to caramel malts, toasted barley, and fresh hay before off-dry fruity floral finish fades.

Acetous phenol opening thankfully fades as marzipan-spiked honeyed oats and toasted caramel surface for medium-bodied red ale. Cascade hops lightly embitter citric tingle to dry wheat backdrop.

Up-front crystal malt sweetness surrounds lemony citric tartness and raisin-fig tinge for peculiar sourdough-scented ale. Bitter hop backdrop adds firmness. Open-minded drinkers will find this worthy, if not special.

Amber-hazed medium-bodied mediocrity's initial astringency lifts for sweet barley-roasted simplicity and faint dry-fruited hopping. But distant honey-toasted caramel panache too indistinguishable for red ale significance.

Dry compost-wafted whiskey malts muddle sour orange fruiting, losing grapefruit rind bittering to skimpy candi-sugared butternut scamper. Dusted coffee-mocha acridity and earthen peat nuance fall short.

Pleasant barley sweetness meshes well with dapper fruity nuances, softly flowing through to mildly bitter butterscotch-etched finish. Well-balanced, medium-bodied, and tingly spice-hopped.

German-styled altbier slips tamped down hops across candied malt insistence for mild off dry nullity. Brewery defunct: 2007.

Heavily advertised Guinness-Bass amber ale alternate maintains frisky tan head and burnished copper hue. Chewy whiskey malt souring and wavered cocoa snip placated by toasted barley sweetness. Dry floral hop bitterness affects peated barnyard-hay earthiness and herbal tea hint. But medicinal ethanol surge at mannered caramelized apple finish is debatable.

Suspect opening salvo and overly streamlined appeal spoil Fred's chances. Woody hops counter sweet-sour dried fruits (white grape-fig-date) and apricot-apple tang, but red ale styling is questionable. Any initial Scotch tinge falls off to lesser candied butterscotch scamper.