Founders Brewing 'Dankwood' Imperial Red IPA 2018. Aged in Bourbon Barrels. 12.2% abv. 65 IBU. Deep ruby color with two fingers of thick, frothy, off-white head. Outstanding retention and superb lacing that sticks to the glass all the way down. Nose of maple syrup, oak, bourbon, bright floral hops. The bourbon aroma stands tall at the temp rises.

Front taste is fruit pastry, vanilla, bourbon, roasted malt. Aftertaste is strong bourbon, herbal and citrus hops, wood and botanical notes sustain on the back end. Full body. Mouthfeel is hot, sticky, clingy, astringent, boozy, woodsy.

This is an excellent beer, a big, boozy, barrel brew that attempts to balance the hop forward profile of an IPA and the amber malty backbone of a red ale with a nearly piercing oak and whiskey expression. It is one of the most complex flavor profiles I've tasted in a long time. Take note that this is a unique taste that will surely put off fans of those individual categories, but will sure to please connoisseurs of experimental beers that grab you firmly by the tongue. This beer is unafraid to combine the towering strengths of three completely different beers in one glass. If you welcome huge, complex taste, this is for you. Strongly recommended.


From the brewery:

"What do you get when a big, bold imperial red IPA meets an oak bourbon barrel? A palate stunner that’ll send your senses spinning or, as we like to call it, Dankwood. Rich caramel notes emerge from the depths of the IPA, highlighting strong malt character while the bourbon barrel-aging develops the complexity. A dank, sticky and slightly sweet sipper, Dankwood is the perfect alchemy of wood and hops... Dankwood is the third release of 2018 in the Barrel-Aged Series, preceded by KBS and Backwoods Bastard, our newest year-round beer."

[source: foundersbrewing.com]

Rogue Ales 'Santa's Private Reserve' Red Ale. 5% abv. 65 IBU. Orange-red color. Thin ivory head. Moderate retention, good lacing. Nose of caramel, fruity, malty, sweet citrus, earthy spice. Front taste of toffee, nutmeg, cinnamon, light brown sugar, orange peel. Aftertaste is fruity bitter hops, roasty malt, earthy spice, with a sweet finish. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, thick, sticky, juicy.

This is a wonderful beer. Despite being a seasonal winter/xmas beer, the flavor profile reminds me of the year-round BrewDog 'Dogma' Scotch Ale. Malty with a balanced sweet citrus and plenty of fruit and spice notes. Despite the moderately high IBU count, the hops profile here is set to the backseat by the tall malt and and spice. Hopheads will still enjoy this beer, so long as they know not to expect a hop bomb.

Though this beer is similar in taste and body to a good Scotch ale like Dogma, it's not quite as rich and nutty, which is likely what landed this unique brew as a red. However, it's surely a dessert beer best enjoyed after dinner, ideally relaxing in front of a fire, presumably during the holidays. Well recommended.

From the brewery:

"A double hopped Red Ale, reddish in color with a roasty, malty flavor and a well balanced spruce finish."

[source: rogue.com]

Tioga-Sequoia Brewing 'Firefall Red' American Red Ale. 5.2% abv. 20 IBU. Red-orange color. Two fingers of ivory foamy head. Superb retention and lace. Nose of amber malt, light herbal, round grain. Front taste of mellow bitter berry, brown sugar, smooth bitter fruity hops. Aftertaste is balance of bitter fruity and herbal hops, finishes dry. Medium body. Mouthfeel is cool, dry, clingy.

This is an excellent red ale, expertly crafted and firmly within category. There are few flavors here but they strike well, with a nice bitter balance and a round taste of light fruity and herbs. The wrangling of the hop bill makes for a refreshing easy beer without sacrificing flavor.

Red and Amber ales are often overlooked in our modern craft beer world of extreme IPAs, barrel aged behemoths, and imperial everything. What we have here is a simple red that nails a bullseye and is better than most in its category. If that remotely sounds good to you, seek out this brew. Wonderful beer. Very well recommended.

From the brewery:

"For a few weeks in February in the heart of Yosemite National Park, if conditions are just right, the setting sun sets the Horsetail Fall ablaze with reds and oranges; like a fire falling down the cliffs of El Capitan. Photographers and park visitors gather from all over just to grab a glimpse of this natural phenomenon. Our American Red Ale features a bright malt profile with a crisp and refreshing hop balance. The texture from malt and blend of Columbus and Crystal hops complement each other perfectly creating a balanced red ale that anyone can enjoy."

[source: tiogasequoia.com]

21st Amendment Brewery 'Toaster Pastry' India-Style Red Ale. 7.6% abv. 74 IBU. Light amber color. An inch of beige foamy head. Excellent retention and superb lace. Nose of sweet bread, fruity hops. Front taste of bitter fruity hops, dark berry, herbal back end. Aftertaste of strong bitter fruit, herbal hop bite, spicy bready sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, slightly thick, astringent.

This is an excellent beer with a complex flavor signature. There is no fruit in this beer, yet it tastes like berries atop bitter hops. The blend of fruity hops offers strong jammy taste up front with herbal and bready notes throughout, followed by an alcoholic tone as a lasting impression. That jammy fruit flavor underpins each sip, giving this brew a truly fruity, slightly spicy signature. Impressive beer, more complex than one would think. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Our first beer out of our new brewery is an homage to its former life as a toaster pastry factory. Biscuit malts give the beer a slightly nutty, crust-like flavor, while pale and dark Crystal malts create the mouthfeel and flavors reminiscent of strawberry jam. Calypso and other experimental hops give this ruby ale a welcome bite, plus a few more in the hop back for a toasty-sweet aroma. Toaster Pastry won a Silver medal in the Double Red Ale Category at the 2015 Great American Beer Festival."

[source: 21st-amendment.com]

Heretic Brewing 'Evil Twin' Red IPA. 6.8% abv. 45 IBU. Dark ruby red color. Finger of tan bubbly head. Excellent retention and lace. Nose of floral hops, malt, slight bittersweet. Front taste of bright floral hops, slightly toasty malt, floral spice notes on the back. Aftertaste of bitter herbal hops, light brown sugar with a dank sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, bubbly, resiny.


This is an very good beer, one that could be called an Imperial Red. Being a "Red IPA," the hop presence is taller than I would expect from a traditional red, from start to finish, with a moderate toast/bread taste underneath. There is a subdued spice throughout that and a touch of sweet taste that gives way to a nearly dry finish. Overall, a very good red ale that peeks over the fence to other categories. This beer makes me want to explore other brews from Heretic. Well recommended.


From the brewery:


"This blood-red ale may not be what you might expect from a malty and hoppy craft beer. Evil Twin has a rich malt character, without being overly sweet. It has a huge hop character, without being overly bitter. It is a great example of a bold, rich, balanced craft beer, without being heavy and hard to drink in quantity. Our Evil Twin is only bad because it is too good to resist."
[source: hereticbrewing.com]

Coronado Brewing 'Mermaid's Red' Amber Ale. 5.7% abv. Dark ruby color. Two fingers of tan foamy head. Excellent retention and lace. Nose of bright herb, mild caramel malt, with floral spice becoming more fragrant as the temp drops. Front taste of bitter herbal hops, light caramel, dank citrus. Aftertaste of cloves, herbal hoppy bite, earthy notes on the sustain. Medium body. Mouthfeel is foamy, tangy, musty.

This is a good amber ale with a flavor profile unique to its category. The usual malty taste takes a backseat to herbal and floral hops with bright notes of cloves. The aroma starts mildly herbal and malty but becomes quite spicy in time, with the cloves emerging well. They set out to make a different amber ale and they have succeeded. Whether or not this is a good thing is up to you. Personally, I enjoyed this beer, but I prefer less spice and more of a malt backbone in my ambers. Mildly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Mermaid's Red bucks the shallow mid-range red ale stereotype. Loaded with Cascade hops, it delivers a fresh floral aroma and sharp bitter notes, all while delivering a solid kick of roasted malts that fades seamlessly into a rich, chocolaty finish with hints of clove and caramel."

[source: coronadobrewingcompany.com]

Joya de Nicaragua 'Red' Short Churchill. 4.75x48. Nice construction with mostly smooth lines, some pronounced veins. Medium brown wrap. Cut and lit well. Medium draw throughout. First half tastes of bright herbal spice under a mild tobacco leaf, slightly sweet, mellow pepper, nice balance of spice and creamy leaf. Second half is continued spice, pepper, toasted wood. 

Burn is mostly even throughout. Ash is clean, white, with some darker spots and stripes, holding an inch before a three-tap drop.

This is a nice, pleasant smoke. The taste starts off with bright herbal notes, progressing to a creamy, somewhat mellow flavor, with peppery aroma and spicy tones across the stick. A great half-hour break anytime. Highly recommended.

From the company:

"A cigar for the modern smoker. It offers a vibrant and extremely pleasant smoking experience you will enjoy anytime, anywhere. Classy as always, but a lot more fun."

[source: joyacigars.com]

"Joya de Nicaragua paints the town red... Many of Joya de Nicaragua's handmades rely on potent ligeros to deliver their feisty bouquet. This time, lower tobacco primings were chosen to impart the same core flavors, but in a much more palatable fashion. Long-fillers from the uber-fertile regions of Esteli, Condega, and Jalapa, were stuffed into a golden hued Nicaraguan Habano wrapper. This recipe yielded a medium-bodied bouquet boasting strong doses of roasted nuts and pepper, as hints of leather, toast, and coffee also enter the fray. In a nutshell, JOYA Red is going to appeal to fans of Joya de Nicaragua, as well as newcomers of all shapes and sizes. Heck, even those still licking their wounds should thoroughly enjoy this one. JOYA Red received a well-deserved '90' rating noting: The lush draw of this cigar delivers a strong black pepper character that settles down to show notes of hickory, brown sugar and earth."
[source: cigarsinternational.com]

Full Circle Brewing 'High Speed Rail' Red Ale. 6.8% abv. Deep ruby color. Thin white head that falls to a collar. Moderate retention and lace. Nose of sweet fruity malt. Front taste of amber malt, citrus pulp, notes of tangy orange. Aftertaste of bittersweet fruit candy, faint herbal hops on the back. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, thick, flat carb.

This beer has a nice flavor, but has its flaws. It came from a growler, unopened for two days, which may or may not have affected its unfortunate "young" taste and flat mouthfeel. It tastes like wort in progress, as if it's not quite finished. Another week in the fermenter might make a world of difference. Or not. Either way, I can't recommend this beer as it is. Pass on this one.

From the brewery:

"Lots of caramel and roasted malt gives this beer a big malty sweet body, moderately hopped at 5.3% Alcohol By Volume."

[source: fullcirclebrewing.com]

Twisted Manzanita 'Danger Ranger' Imperial Red Ale. 8.5% abv. Dark ruby color. Finger of beige head. Outstanding retention and superb lace. Nose of sweet amber malt. Front taste of ample citrus and floral hops, slightly sweet malt. Aftertaste of bitter floral hops, citrus rind, herbal notes on the back, slightly sweet finish. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm-hot, small-bead carb, bubbly.

This is a very good imperial red, a solid example of its category. The hop bill is bright and full, with flavors from the different varieties coming through well. The malt is subdued by present throughout, with a slightly sweet aroma followed by background sweet malt flavors. The head retains for 10 minutes easy before receding to a thick collar. All signs of a well crafted brew. The chicory doesn't come through at all, but it's forgivable considering how mild in flavor that root is to begin with. Very good stuff. Recommended.

From the brewery:

"For our first two years we personally delivered all of our beers with the help of a little truck dubbed "the Danger Ranger." We're excited to have grown a bit - now we can focus on brewing beer rather than delivering it - and we're paying homage to many hours spent redlining around San Diego with this big red beer. Our high octane brew pairs the tangy citrus of Chinook, Centennial and Citra hops with the honey-roasted flavor of chicory root. Unconventional, but that's how we roll."
[source: twistedmanzanitaales.com]

Red Branch Brewing Honey Stout. 7.2% abv. Dark brown color with a finger of beige head that recedes to a thick lasting collar. Excellent retention and lace. Aroma of honey, raisins, plum. Front taste of honey, dark fruit, roasted malt. Aftertaste of bitter fruit, earthy, mildly sweet. Medium body, a tad thin for a stout but the honey taste and feel help make up for it. Mouthfeel is warm, herbal, slightly mediciney, creamy.

This is a great beer, a little thin for a stout but definitely worth seeking out. It's very easy drinking, more than you'd expect, and its flavors of honey and dark fruits go well with the backbone of roasted malt. Another fine brew from Red Branch Brewing, the same talented folks from Rabbit's Foot Meadery. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"Our stout is styled after both a traditional dry stout and an Imperial Russian Stout. We have taken the liberty to add a generous amount of honey during fermentation to create another of our unique 'Braggot' style ales. Reminiscent of the 'Rosie the Riveter' posters common in America during World War II, we just put a little spin on it."

Drew Estate 'Acid' Krush Classic Red Cameroon. By Drew Estate. 4x32 cigarillo. Good build with subtle veins. Not as smooth as I'd like, but straight and well wrapped. Nice light brown color. Cut and lit well. Superb draw pre and post light. Sweet taste on the cut crown. Aromatic smoke akin to a fragrant spice bouquet. On the intake, taste is sweet caramel, pepper, floral herbs. The exhale has notes of coriander, pungent flowery herbs, strong black pepper. Flavors were consistent down to the band. This is another excellent aromatic from Drew Estate that pushes the flavor and aroma to the top. Cigar "purists" may not appreciate the abundant flavor profile, but I adore it. Highly recommended to lovers of aromatics with a half-hour to break away.

From the company:

"ACID Krush Classic is a quick taste of the ACID flavor offered in a small, 4×32 easy-to-smoke format. Offered in four different infusion and wrapper varieties, these are the perfect short smoke for the ACID fan. The four varieties offered are Blue Connecticut, Gold Sumatra, Morado Maduro, and Red Cameroon. If you love our full-sized ACID blends, you will love these quicker-smoking versions of your favorites. Packed in 10-ct tins with 5 tins to a carton. Singles available for display refill."

Brew Dog '5AM Saint' Hoppy Red Ale. 5% abv. 35 IBU. Amber-ruby color. Thick ivory head that falls quickly to a thin surface with good retention and great lace. Nose is malty, floral hoppy. Front taste is caramel, strong malt, bright hops. Aftertaste is malt, hops, herbal. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, creamy, sticky. This is an outstanding red, better than most and worth seeking out.

From the brewery:

"Five AM is The Holy Grail of red ales. We live in a world of disposable deities. Someone, somehow has managed to press that big, flashing moronic override button and we are hard wired straight into the pockets of false idols trying to make a quick buck. Sadly, for a lot of people the same mentality applies to beer. But who is to know what is worth worshiping when monolithic advertising budgets have you sucked down the rabbit hole in the blink of an eye? At BrewDog we are on a mission to open as many peoples eyes as possible. Cast away any aspersions and let the crook of BrewDog be your guide in a whirlwind of conformity and mediocrity. Once this ruby liquid forms a foamy halo around your glass, you will never want to look back."

Lagunitas Brewing 'Imperial Red' Ale. 7.8% abv. 54 IBU. Dark red-amber in color. Hoppy nose with bready notes of grain. Creamy two fingers of tan head. Good retention, outstanding lace. Front taste is a balance of bright hops and citrus over malty sweetness. The mingling of citrus and hops and are much more present as the temp drops. Aftertaste is hoppy bite with a descending malt taste. Medium body. Mouthfeel is warm bordering on hot, rich, smooth on the tongue.

This is an extraordinary beer. Nicely balanced, growing more complex as the temperature falls. The mix of flavors is pronounced and pleasant, and the mouthfeel is almost silky. Delicious. Get this beer if you can. Highly recommended.

From the brewery:

"This Special Ale is In Reality, the Exhumation of the Very First Ale We Ever Brewed Way, Way Back, in 1993. Brewed With a Big Head, a Muscular Malty Thorax, a Silky Texture & All Strung Together With a Hoppy Sweet Nerve Sack… Ick. A dank and roasty treat. Back again in bombers. Cheers!"

Sierra Nevada 'Flipside' Red IPA. 6.2% abv. 60 IBU. An alternative summer beer. Red-amber color with off-white head. Low retention. Nose of herbs and citrus peel. First taste is hops and bitter fruit, like grapefruit. Balanced hop aftertaste. Thin-medium body. Mouthfeel is warm, small-bead carb.

This is a good beer that tries to strike a middle ground between different styles. It’s got the easy drinkability and citrus notes of a summer beer, but with the slightly malty back of an amber. It’s not as good as many IPAs, but better than most red ales. I could certainly have a couple of these in one sitting. That being said, it is far from the best that Sierra Nevada has to offer.

From the brewery:

"A hop-forward fix for the first days of fall. Just when it feels like the dog days will never end, suddenly, the switch is flipped, the air gets cooler and it’s clear that autumn is on the way. Featuring a ruby-red hue and abundant tropical fruit and citrus hop flavors, Flipside Red IPA is the perfect beer for the final flash of summer."