Rating: 6/6
Red Velvet by Eagle Rock brewing is an 11% ABV Imperial Rye Red Ale.
Such an amazing beer… liquid caramel, toffee, red velvet cake and yet hoppy grassy tropical supreme. Needless to say, this one is a major love and includes a decadent array of dark fruits flavors and dark cherries creating a hoppy dessert beer essentially. One for the win!
Rating: 5/5
Altar of Sacrifice by El Borracho is a 9% ABV Imperial Red Ale brewed with Cacao Nibs and Oak aged in Reposado Tequila.
==Introduction==
Obtained this brew from my friend Will Carranza of El Borracho brewing. I am fortunate to have the opportunity to try his brews as many of the brews he has made thus far are amazing. When he told me of his idea to make an Imperial Red I thought it was awesome. When he said he will add cacao nibs and aged in in Oak tequila, I was sold! Today I bring his new brew to the website, Altar of Sacrifice. An Imperial Red that is as viscous as actual hemoglobin and plasma. The name was inspired by the Aztecs and the ritual sacrifices they did in the Pre-Hispanic times in order to appease the Gods. Such an awesome tribute and Metal as Fuck! So without further ado, let’s sacrifice this one. Cheers!
Aromas:
Citrucy, grapefruit, floral, piney and grassy hops, mild oak, dark fruit, rye bread, caramel, honey, chocolate, cherries, tropical fruit notes, oranges, vanilla, graham crackers and toffee.
Flavors:
Piney, Grassy, floral and earthy hops, Caramel, Toffee, mild vanilla, butterscotch, tequila notes, agave hints, Honey, Dark Chocolate, mild milk chocolate, tootsie rolls, Dark fruit raisin hints, rye bread, oranges, grapefruit, citrus, oak, sangria hints, dark cherries, tropical fruit pineapple, passion fruit hints, dragon fruit, honey dew melon hints, papaya, tangerine gummies, lemon peel, and graham crackers.
Aftertaste:
Finishes with tropical fruit, piney, citrucy and earthy hops, mild dark chocolate, fruit cake, toffee, honey, rye bread, oak, and mild Tequila on the back end. No alcohol in the taste, Deep Bloody Crimson full body, refreshing, smooth, crisp and chewy mouthfeel and sipping drinkability.
Overall:
A perfect brew and this is due to the oak aging in Tequila and the cacao nibs. I love how the extra measures my friend took to make this beer better actually gave it the extra points to make it perfect. I do think the chocolate flavors do help to balance out the bitter hops and oak found in this one. The name was definitely fitting for the beer. This one is a definite sipper and an awesome red like the best ones I have had in the past. This one should definitely be rebrewed!
Anime Corner:
Rei Ayanami from Neon Genesis Evangelion was chosen in this pairing as I can only think of sacrifice to the sceneries that comes out in the series. Especially at the end of the series and during the annihilation of all the characters and all the Rei clones. So definitely with what my friend Will was going for in terms of sacrifice I do believe this fits very well.
Sources:
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CxsG7cOUAAEKv0v.jpg
http://img11.deviantart.net/4260/i/2012/340/b/7/cross_of_lorraine_by_hasumi-d5n7v40.jpg
Rating: 4.75/5
Blood Junkie collaboration by Three Weav3rs brewing and Prosthetic Records is an 8.7% ABV Imperial Red Ale.
Label:
From our ears to your glass, blood junkie is a ruby hued Imperial Red Ale, brewed in collaboration with our hop obsessed, heavy metal friends at prosthetic records in Inglewood, California. Big and malt driven, yet dry and balanced with a bright hop finish, blooded junkie will have you throwing horns!
==Introduction==
Fuck Yeah! As I was saying before, more bands and music group enjoy the craftbeer scene. Might as well collaborate. This time, Prosthetic Records, a record label specializing in heavy metal bands here in Los Angeles has contributed their expertise to help make a truly unique and rich heavy metal brew. I have tried this before back when I first visited Three Weav3rs last year on tap and I do remember how rich this was both hoppy and malty sides creating some kind of bloody like flavors. It could just be my mind is crazy but it must be the crazy ingredients that were good. Now that they brought it to the bottle form I can bring it to the site for you to see if you would like to try this. Cheers!
Aromas:
Citrus, Grapefruit, piney grassy, floral, herbal and earthy dank hops, toffee, caramel, tropical fruit mango, prickly pears, passion fruit, papaya, dragon fruit, guavas, pineapple, tangerine gummies, marshmallow hints, biscuit bread, toasted bread and brown sugar.
Flavors:
Metal like Iron… Maiden… or Blood, well just kidding, but the bitterness of the hops does make it similar. Citrus, Grapefruit, piney grassy, floral, herbal and earthy dank hops, rye bread with tangerine preserves, toffee, caramel, tropical fruit mango, passion fruit, papaya, dragon fruit, guavas, pineapple, prickly pears, honey dew melon,, dark fruit raisins, dark cherries, chocolate notes, coconut hints, marshmallow hints, biscuit bread, toasted bread with guava membrillo, brown sugar hints, coriander spice, and tangerine gummies.
Aftertaste:
Finishing with Tropical fruits forward, dank piney, citrusy and earthy hops along with rich rye bread, caramel, toffee and dark fruit hints. No alcohol in the taste, super crimson medium body, silky, smooth and mildly creamy mouthfeel with a moderate drinkability.
Overall:
A very delicious brew. This one is more of a Red IPA than it is a Red Ale. Although the hops in this one vary to make it more like a slight bloody taste. Maybe it’s just in my mind. I think they may have gone with this with the whole metal aspect. The rest of the flavors are awesome though and complex. Definitely worth a try.
Anime Corner:
Scanty and Kneesocks from Panty and Stocking were used in this pairing for the very obvious reasons of using the Red, Blood and Devil aspect of the beer to pair. Sacnty being Three Weavers and the Kneesocks being Prosthetic Records. The colors like the Reds with the Greens of Scanty’s hair pairs well with the color of the hops that makes up this green and red bloody beer. This beer is such a deal and metal beer, I had to make it work with the awesome theme!
Sources:
http://i.imgur.com/9WdGoAZ.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/Ap1iwiW.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/l3pk1qp.jpg
Rating: 5/5
Evil Crawfish by Clown Shoes brewing is a 9% ABV Imperial Red India Pale Ale.
Label:
Once upon a time a man walked into a bar where a friend of ours was tending the taps. He tried to order an Eagle Claw Fist, but got it wrong and asked for an Evil Crawfish. When we heard the story, after much laughter, we knew one day we’d make the beer. Finally, here it is, built off of ECF, but cleaner, meaner, less bitter, and dry-hopped with Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic and Nelson Sauvin.
==Introduction==
Obtained this one at the local Ramirez Liquor in Boyle Heights California. This beer has been kind of elusive and whether or not I wanted to try it was definitely not a priority. I think at the time it was how I felt. I said, well, new Clown Shoes beer, Clown Shoes makes awesome beers… let’s go! So here we are. Another review on an Imperial Red IPA. I have not tried one specifically by that name although may Reds when they are hopped to high hell do tend to be more of Red IPAs than the basic Ambers and Reds that used to be a great balance of malts and hops. Either way, I have tried an Amber ale previously that was more like an IPA so I am sure this is what they were going for. Let’s have a look.
Aromas:
Tropical fruit like passion fruit, dragon fruit, prickly pears, papaya, mango, pineapple, coriander spice Toffee, Citrus, grapefruit, herbal, grassy and earthy hops, rich caramel, toffee, biscuit bread, coriander spice, dark fruit cherries, raisins, chocolate, hazelnut hunts, tangerine preserves on toasted bread, sweetened condensed milk, maple hints, coconut hints and rye bread.
Flavors:
Citrus, grapefruit, herbal, grassy and earthy hops, rich caramel, toffee, biscuit bread, marsmallow, chocolate smores, rich rye bread, tropical fruit like passion fruit, dragon fruit, prickly pears, papaya, mango, pineapple, coriander spice, dark fruit cherries, raisins, chocolate, hazelnut hunts, rum soaked bread, tangerine preserves on toasted bread, sweetened condensed milk, maple hints, coconut and coffee hints.
Aftertaste:
Finishing with some sweet tropical fruit goodness, malty notes, toffee, caramel, earthy, grapefruit and grassy hops. No alcohol in the taste, murky dark crimson brown full body, crisp, refreshing and velvety mouthfeel along with a moderate to sipping drinkability.
Overall:
A damn delicious Red IPA. It has a lot of the malty rich notes that I enjoy from Reds but also complementing the notes of the malts with the super tropical hops. I gotta admit, I wasn’t sure if the hops would overpower the malts but with the complex hops that gave the tropical and fruity notes, it made for one balanced beer. Clown Shoes shows up once again letting us know why they are awesome! Definitely give this a try if you are a red ale and/or IPA fan.
Anime Corner:
Washu Hakubi from Tenchi Muyo was used in this pairing as I have used her when doing beers about crabs and lobsters and other crustaceans. The joke in the anime is that Washu’s red hair is setup in a fashion where it looks like a crab. So I figured easy pairing right? She is red like the crawfish and the ale but also the background when she looks at the note is like the crawfish that looks at the wanted poster.
Sources:
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/40/51/68/4051682de156045e78bb6f25042336b5.jpg
Rating: 5.65/6
Rexx by Clown Shoes brewing is a 12% ABV Imperial Amber/Red Ale aged in Heaven Hill and Four Roses Bourbon Barrels.
Label:
We like dinosaurs. We especially like Rexx, our prehistoric pal who wears clown shoes, drinks bourbon, and spends his doomed days in exile from the other Tyrannosauruses, choosing to romp with friendlier beasts. Rexx, we dedicate this Imperial Red Ale aged in Heaven Hill and Four Roses bourbon barrels to you buddy.
==Introduction==
Clown Shoes releases another awesome Barrel aged beer. This time, Bourbon Barrel aged red. Granted, the last time a Barrel Aged Red was from Anderson Valley which was pretty good for the low ABV. Now we are dealing with a heavy hitter at 12% ABV. A style that is aged in any type of spirit is always welcome to the site. Especially Clown Shoes stuff which has been for the majority of the time, exceptionally great, just like the Blaecorn Unidragon series and its Beast Variants and more! Now let’s take a trip to the ancient past, to the time of the dinosaurs and study this, Amber Nectar. Cheers!
Aromas:
Rich bananas, caramel, vanilla, oak, bourbon, whiskey, toasted coconut, marshmallows, dark fruit raisins, cherry notes, Rye bread, flowery rose hints, lavender, hibiscus, earthy, citrusy and grapefruit hints, toffee, pecan pie, almond joy chocolate, milk chocolate, rocky road ice cream notes, hazelnut, very mild tropical fruit like prickly pear, passion fruit, papaya and mango notes.
Flavors:
Rich Rye, whiskey, bourbon, floral notes of hibiscus, lavender, rose petals, toffee, rich caramel, plantains, rich bananas, marshmallows, toasted coconut, earthy, citrucy, piney hops, rich grapefuits, pecan pie, almond joy chocolate, milk chocolate, rocky road ice cream notes, caramel, vanilla, oak, tropical fruit like prickly pear, passion fruit, mango notes, dragon fruit, sweetened condensed milk, flan, dark fruit raisins, cherries, cinnamon spice, brown sugar and hazelnut nectar.
Aftertaste:
Rye, earthy notes, grapefruit hops, lots of whiskey, vanilla, toasted coconut, caramel, marshmallows and banana notes are left in the taste. Slight booziness in the taste, crimson full body, smooth, creamy, velvety, mouthfeel, sipping drinkability
Overall:
An exceptionally bourbony, whiskey rye flavored Amber ale. The last time I tried a bourbon barrel amber ale was long ago. Come to think about it, this reminded me of the Bourbon Barrel aged Bock but this is a red so the flavorful hops do come out to play as well. It almost borderlines a certain Barleywine aged in Bourbon Barrels. The only thing to pick at is the boozeyness. I think with time this one will mature into something incredible. I still highly recommend it as is. Clown Shoes barrel aged beers have been extremely awesome!
Anime Corner:
Ranma Saotome from Ranma ½ was used in this paring to pair with the style of the beer (A Red Ale) but also to pair with the beers sweet flavors and rich complexity which are complemented by Ranma’s sweet and sexy appearance. She is pretty sweet in general but she is also a dangerous martial artists. You see, being the protagonist of the show, Ranma has shown immense strength and power which goes well with the ABV of the beer. Although Ranma can be hot headed at times, she means well which goes with the booziness of the beer. Give her sometime, she will age just right and be good to you. As for th T-Rex in the label, her colors complement it too but like I said before, this T-Rex can be hot headed just like Ranma. Give the T-Rex a beer, calms right down, just like Ranma!
Sources:
http://static.skynetblogs.be/media/37519/ranma5.jpg
Rating: 4.5/5
Bone Warmer by Grand Teton Brewing is an 8.2% ABV Imperial Amber/Red Ale
Sleeve Description:
2013 marks the 25th anniversary of Grand Teton Brewing. In celebration, we’re bringing back three of our favorite styles for this year’s Cellar Reserves. Bonewarmer Imperial Amber was first brewed in 2006 and sold out faster than any other beer we’ve made. Bone Warmer, brewed in the “strong ale” tradition, is a beer of great character, with exceptional malt flavor and warming alcohol content.
Historically, brewers often drew three different runs from the same barley mash. The first, used for strong ale or “best beer,” had the most flavor, color and fermentable sugars, and produced beer with the most alcohol. The second was used for a less strong “table beer,” and the third, a lighter and cheaper “small beer.”
Our Bone Warmer is brewed the same way, using only the first runnings from an extraordinarily thick, strong mash of Idaho 2-Row Metcalfe and Harrington barley malt, along with dark German Munich and caramel malts. We subtly spiced it with Idaho Chinook hops, fermented it at cool temperatures and cold-conditioned it for smoothness and drinkability.
The resulting ale is the color of roasting chestnuts. It is voluptuously malty and only slightly sweet- with a hint of toffee and a warming dry finish. It’s an ideal accompaniment to rich meaty stews, wild game, roasted fowl or root vegetables, and aged cheddars.
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This beer peeked my interest a couple of times at the store but I never got around to grabbing it until I saw it a second time. I love winter warmers and holiday beers so I figured, what the hell, why not. I haven’t tried Grand Teton stuff in a long time so I figure I was over due to come back and try some of this brewery’s great beers. I have yet to have a bad experience from any of the beers I have tried form them so far. Hell, they are the ones to made Black Cauldron Stout, one of my favorites.
Aromas:
Lots of toffee, caramel, nuts, plums, raisins, subtle earthy hops, fruit cake, apple notes, apricot nints, cantaloupe, biscuit bread, maple syrup, toasted rye bread notes, brown sugar, honey and mild berry notes
Flavors:
Caramel, toffee, fruit cake, dark fruits like raisins and plums, hazelnut, apples, walnuts, earthy notes, toasted rye bread with blackberry preserve notes, biscuit bread, ginger bread, pecan pie notes, nutmeg, oak notes, maple, marshmallows and spices
Aftertaste:
Finishing off with rich caramel notes, fruit cake, ginger bread, dark fruit and spices, this beer is quite in the holiday spirit.
Overall:
A very good amber that generally is peeking into the Winter warmer direction. The fact that there is a lot of holiday spices is definitely what makes I closer to the winter warmer category. While it may not be the end all be all of winter warmers or amber ales for that matter, it is definitely a very delicious brew and one that should be obtained for the holidays if you are still able to find it.
Anime Corner:
Samus Aran and Krystal from Nintendo are used in this pairing along with Coco from Crash Bandicoot. While it is not obvious as to why I chose them, I will explain. For the label aspect, the color of the dog and the blue rug and chimney compliment Krystal, Samus and Coco’s suit. While Samus is not a dog, she has some colors that fit the blond color of the dog as so does Coco. The winter warmer or bone warmer aspect might be an innuendo really. With a warm and sunset evening, if Samus and Krystal had a kid, could it look like Coco? Well, in a weird way, that is essentially what I was going for. You can also say that when love is in the air or when the winter comes, one wants to keep warm and stay close.
Rating: 3.8/5
Galactic Imperial Red by Hopworks Urban Brewery is a 9.5%ABV Imperial Amber/Red Ale coming in at 100+ IBU
Label:
Hopworks Galactic Imperial Red; One small sip for man, one giant bottle for mankind. Robust caramel malt flavors battle NW Centennial, Cascade, Magnum and Nugget hops for interstellar supremacy. Throw down your quarters before it’s game over.
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Galaga fans will remember the similarities of this bottle’s beer label. This beer is an organic made beer using organic ingredients.
Aromas of this beer are of piney and grassy hops, citrus, rich caramel, toffee and biscuits.
Flavors are of Caramel, citrus, slight grapefruit, grassy and piney hops, toffee, biscuit bread, maple, slight peppercorn, earthy and metallic hop notes, oranges and herbal bitterness
The alcohol is somewhat noticeable in this one. I think it gets better as you drink more of it but in the beginning it wasn’t overly impressive. I think the hop character over powers the rest of the beer but some may find this appealing. I like more tropical hop characters but these are more herbal to explain what I mean. The balance is somewhat impartial. You get more hop than malt but that is not too bad at at all. While overall this is still a very good beer, there are other ambers that do more wonders. Still worth the try for sure if you love ambers.
Rating: 5.45/5
Nugget Nectar by Tröegs Brewing is a 7.5%ABV Imperial Amber/ Red Ale. Considered by many, the best Amber ale in the world
Description:
Squeeze those hops for all they’re worth and prepare to pucker up: Tröegs’ newest single batch brew, Nugget Nectar Ale, will take hopheads to nirvana with a heady collection of Nugget, Warrior and Tomahawk hops. Starting with the same base ingredients of our flagship HopBack Amber Ale, Nugget Nectar intensifies the malt and hop flavors to create an explosive hop experience.
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Almost missed out on this piece of gold. If you are still looking for it, Witty’s wine (www.wittyswine.com) still has some. This is not a west coast beer but something that comes close to this is the Ale smith Bloody Valentine and the Evil Dead Red. The aromas are very nice. Cherries, grassy hops, nutty walnuts, rich caramel, toffee, honey, peaches, mango, grapefruit, papaya, . The flavors are reminiscent of the 120 minute IPA with is extremely rich maple and honey flavor with bleeding piney, grassy and grapefruit flavors. Although this is not 18% ABV so it goes beyond. While it does not have the focus of rich cherry and fruit punch flavor like that of the Bloody Valentine, it’s emphasis on almost barley wine like aspect with tropical fruits like mango, papaya, peaches, apricots, dragon fruit almost coconut flavor, pecan pie, vanilla in walnuts, citrus, orange juice, Christmas tree, a very minor scotch note, biscuit bread with grapefruit marmalade and sweet rich pineapples. This was just.. epic!!.. The crazier part is that it has so much flavors that you would expect from a high ABV beer but lowered into the realms of refreshing and crisp drink ability. I can only describe it as taking all the flavors you would get from like lets say for example, a beer like Chocolate rain with its strong strong flavors and super high ABV then just removing almost all the alcohol but still maintaining an extremely rich flavor profile of complexity. The balance is awesome as well. I love the way Bloody Valentine tasted but this is just super amazing. Hard to find around in the West coast but if you can find it… DO NOT MISS OUT. Amber ale lover’s dream…
Rating: 4.25/5
Starfish by Fish Brewing is a 7.5% ABV Imperial Red/Amber Ale. This is part of their Reel Ales Series.
Description:
Born in Head Brewer Tony Powell’s home brewery, this West Coast Style Imperial Red Ale is a hearty celebration of the brewing art. Almost welcoming you, four hops impart floral, citrus and sprucy Northwest notes to open the festivities. Then, seven malts and flaked barley dance happily across your palate. In the finish Starfish waves a crisply fond farewell. Convivially forthright without cloying agendas, Starfish is like time well spent with your future best friend.
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Aromas of this red ale are of grassy hops, grapefruit, caramel, toffee, biscuits, roasted nuts, honey and butterscotch. The flavors are of honey, barley wine almost, caramel, toffee, biscuit bread, slightly bitter grassy pine, earthy and grapefruit hops, citrus, orange, roasted peanuts, almonds and a bit of buttery biscuit. The after taste remains sweet and malty through and through. A pretty good amber ale.
Brewerianimelogs (Anime and Beer Lore) 