Follow Sean Inman to the best in craft beer
Count me as a fan of both a classic cocktail and beers masquerading as one. Allagash Brewing has recently come out with Day’s End, a “red ale that takes inspiration from a cocktail known as the Boulevardier. Brewed with lambrusco grape must, angelica root, and bitter orange peel, then aged in bourbon barrels, this beer balances notes of vanilla, red wine, oak, and caramel.”
You probably are not going to find me at a concert anytime soon and I tend to avoid music at breweries but if a red ale is the result of a brewery / band partnership then count me in to Project Barley’s Rusted Roses Red Ale.
Next up in the five part series of reviews of Partake Brewing is the Red Ale. We currently sit at 1/2 on the non-alcoholic beers.
This one falls in between the Blonde and the Pale. Primarily due to its beautiful color. Deep red and brown. Like a tea / coffee mix. The taste is OK. The first thing that jumps out is a really watery character. Not much hoppiness here with the barest hint of malt struggling to land. There is a tiny kellerbier note in the back as well. The score is now 1 and a half out of three beers tasted.
The first Halloween beer to be reviewed comes from Newcastle. It is their new fall seasonal for the True Blood set….Werewolf
The special releases keep coming from Karl Strauss. This one might be interesting to try side-by-side with the original and see how pronounced the differences are.
“After brewing the award-winning Red Trolley Ale for more than two decades, Karl Strauss Brewing Company is ready to unveil the beer’s turbo charged cousin—Off the Rails. Off the Rails is a double version of Red Trolley Ale with more malt, more hops, and more alcohol. This West Coast Imperial Red Ale is full of dark fruit flavors, toffee, and a smooth warming finish.
Small batches of Off the Rails have been brewed over the past two years for draft only…”
Near San Diego, in the town of Santee is Manzanita Brewing. They are a small-batch brewery with five year rounds beers and a few seasonals tossed in throughout the year.
We are a Small-Batch Craft Brewery in Santee, CA. We are passionate about Quality Craft Beer. We will have 5 year round beers and many seasonal beers available throughout the year.
Here are two beers that caught my eye….
Gillespie Brown; “a malty and sweet brew followed by a toasted chocolate flavor. Its dark brown appearance and deep roasted aroma translates into a smooth warm distinct finish.”
“A pint of Manzanita Horizon Red Ale is guaranteed to deliver a great initial malt flavor with a roasted grain aftertaste and dry Irish finish every time.”
You may have noticed last year that there was something other than Newcastle Brown on the market. A summer Newcastle. Well it was only the start.
Coming this fall (maybe in time for Halloween) will be Newcastle Werewolf…..
“What better way to toast the fall than to have a bottle of this formidable, dual character brew. At first, smooth with mellow overtones of sweet berry fruit, a bite of bitterness suddenly cuts through, long, deep and lingering. Brewed with rye malt, it is naturally ‘blood red’ in colour. Unlike te mythical wolf-like creature said to roam the bleak moorland surrounding Newcastle, this is real, so consider yourself warned!”
Ninkasi Brewing from Eugene, Oregon is kicking off 2011 with a new red ale.
Here is what their label tells us….”A new year a new beer! Each year, Renewale will be something new and special to enjoy while winter runs its course. For 2011, we brewed a delicious Irish-style red ale that’s smooth and refined with a hint of toasted malt and a clean finish. A great beer for a new year, cheers!”
Thanks to LA Craft Beer ambassador Gev. Arizona is now off the list. Generously, I have two more beers from Nimbus to try. Old Monkeyshine and Dirty Guera. But for now, # 38 is complete!
Elysian Brewing of Seattle had a beer named Loser that was Sub-Pop related now they have another special named after a local radio show. And it is one of the best beer names around. A little gross too but clever.
Here is what the brewery says:
TASTING NOTESAmber in color with a light hop aroma and toasty malt finish.
MALTS
Pale, Munich, Cara-Red, C-60 and small amounts of Special B and chocolate malts
HOPS
Bittered with Chinook and finished with Cascade and an abv of 5.6%
“A portion of the net proceeds from every Mens Room Original Red sold goes to helping support the families of our military vets through the VA Puget Sound Fisher House and Ft. Lewis Fisher House.”