Red God - Cambridge Brewing Company

taez555

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 5

This beer poured a dark tan/amber body with a decent small off white head.

The nose was a lovely malt and hop mix.

The taste was medium bodied, maybe a leaning a bit towards full. A rich, but very smooth, big ale taste. Caramel and some very slight munich style malt dominate. A big alcohol punch mixes in but never overtakes the malt. A beautiful combination of hops in this baby. A nice milder citrus and earthy hop flavor are up front but never overtake the malt taste. The tomahawk, amarillo and centennial hops are an amazing combination. Sort of the perfect combination of a big american IPA and mellowness of an english ipa. It’s evenly bitter from start to finish and although is somewhat of a palate killer it’s never overbearing.

Simply an amazing beer. Maybe I just love CBC’s fall and winter big beers too much, but this is just what I was looking for. A knockout, malty, hoppy but not overly sharp, big alcohol, fresh malt. I think I’ll have another.

Serving type: on-tap

10-20-2004 10:35:50 | More by taez555

WanderingFool

Massachusetts

4.08/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Red God pours a hazy, dark amber with a thick, frothy head. The foam dissolves slowly to a thick sheet on the surface leaving behind a netted pattern of lace on the glass.

The aroma is bready and fruity with some floral hop notes. Dark bread,caramel, tropical fruit, pine and citrus are all present.

Each sip of this medium to full bodied beer is soft and creamy with moderate carbonation. The flavor begins malty with notes of caramel and bread. In the middle some tropical and dark fruit (mango? and raisin) are present. It finishes moderately bitter with hoppy flavors of pine and orange citrus. An alcohol taste is also present in the end. Once gone the citrus and fruity flavors linger on the palate.

This beer was more malty than I thought it would be, but there's still a fair amount of hop flavor. Very tasty and easy drinking for a 9% beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-04-2012 17:40:36 | More by WanderingFool

bum732

Maryland

3.98/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

S: Toasted malt, grapefruit, some caramel.

L: Hazy red, off-white head that dissipates, some dusting.

T: Toasted malt with a very prominent grapefruit and orange rind and hoppy backbone. Medium high bitterness, fairly bold malt sweetness. Finishes with additional hoppiness and slightly sweet malt. Ends semi-dry.

M: Medium-full body, quite smooth, medium carbonation.

Not bad, quite bold for the style.

Serving type: bottle

07-31-2012 02:47:20 | More by bum732

bjohnson

Massachusetts

4.47/5  rDev +8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On tap at Red Bones. 10.5 oz. glass. From notes.

A: Pours a dark ruby red color with a frothy, but bubbly, two finger off white head that dissipates after it sits awhile.
S: Huge hop blast hits the nostrils like a right hook that knocks your head back. Floral hops are the most noticeable with a background of caramel malts. Hop heaven.
T & M: Nice clean hoppy blast up front with a kick of caramel malts to boot. Oily and juicy hops bite the tongue and are the most dominant flavor. Hops coat the mouth, but go down very smoothly. This is a wonderful tasting ipa. After about half the glass, my chest became very warm--abv sneaks up on you.
D: Drinkability is high on this offering, especially in cask form. Would like to try it on tap, but am very pleased with it. It's like a slice of hop heaven.

Serving type: cask

05-10-2006 01:04:30 | More by bjohnson

Patrick

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A: The beer poured with a large off white head and a dark ruby color. A decent amount of lacing was left behind from this truly beautiful beer.

S: Very fruity, lots of hops, lots of sweetness. The smell was a bit strange at first because I expected plain old hops. Regardless, the smell was great.

T: Very fruity and sweet up front, great bitterness in the middle, and some dry bitterness at the end. This beer was nice and sweet with a lot of fruit flavor. Exceptional.

M: Well carbonated, dry, crisp.

D: This beer didn't taste anything like 7.9% which means I can drink more of it.

Serving type: on-tap

06-04-2008 23:21:51 | More by Patrick

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On tap at CBC, these are notes from June 3rd. The beer was served in a large teardrop.

Red God pours as dark as the name would suggest. It probably looks more like an amber ale to me, it's a nearly entirely opaque mahogany. There's about two fingers of khaki colored foam topping the beer, and it shows good retention and a bit of lacing. The nose is a powerfully pungent blend of citrus and tropical fruits (the requisite grapefruit, with some pineapple and mango lirking in there as well). It smells wonderful, but that's somewhat expected for the style. Given the color, there's a surprisingly small amount of caramel upfront, before some palate-shredding bitterness roars into focus. Those same hoppy notes from the nose come in to close out the beer in a big way. While I'm all for a beer with a nice smooth bitterness, sometimes an all out, no holds barred hop assault is what's in order, and this beer fit the bill perfectly. With the dark color and high ABV (9%), the beer isn't as heavy as anticipated. Despite using some more highly roasted malts than is usual for a big IPA, this one shows itself to be more of a west coast take on things. The carbonation is a bit of a dud though, and takes away from some of the lively nature of the beer. I'm not quite ready to bow down to Red God, but it's a damn good beer.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2011 04:26:00 | More by axeman9182

MoreThanWine

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured a 2.5" beige head of medium life. The body is a truely lovely deep amber red, especially held to the light. It smells mildly of malt. The taste has medium citrusy hops and a little dried fruit including fig. Medium long finish. I'd say it's a classy, quality, well-rounded red.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2012 00:53:33 | More by MoreThanWine

PatandDavid

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Handle with care, as the day I sat at the bar, this was listed as 8.3%. Tawny auburn in my glass, I reveled in the juicy hop aroma with bristling pine cones in the back. Medium + mouthfeel, the hops predominate, but not in a bad way. There's some fruityness in the finish. Malt provides the smooth backbone on this one. I did notice a warming sensation in my chest after the first sip, so beware.

Serving type: on-tap

07-02-2005 16:40:55 | More by PatandDavid

BostonHops

Massachusetts

4.23/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle served in a snifter.

pours a deep amber / copper tone while yielding a solid 1"-plus of a frothy beige head; decent retention and lacing. aromatic nose is rife with a citric / tropical hoppiness that leaps out of the glass, accompanied by a malt presence. very appealing albeit somewhat commonplace for the style.

flavor delivers more of that citrus / tropical hoppy melange coupled with secondary notes of pine, a slight herbal character, and a solid (but not overdone) malt showing. nice; flavorful and well-balanced. medium-plus bodied mouthfeel with average carbonation.

overall another keeper from one of my favorite breweries... enjoying this one a lot. not the best DIPA (or imperial red, which it seems this technically is) out there - nor is it the best offering i've had from CBC - but pretty damn good nonetheless. well worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2012 21:34:34 | More by BostonHops

Gatch

Massachusetts

4.5/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Bottled June 2012.

A: Beautiful clear, ruby red with orange and gold hues. Big, fluffy, frothy cream-white head. Hangs around for a while. A ton of lace and a bit of retention. Becomes hazy when you pour the last few ounces.

S: Big, boozy hops, lightly roasted malt, caramelized sugar, yeast, raisins, other dried, dark fruit.

T: Great balance of piney, resiny American hops, sweet malt, and a pleasant alcohol presence. Everything comes together so well. Relatively simple yet delicious!

M: Right amount of bitterness balanced by sweetness from the malt and finished with the perfect amount of booze, because after all, this is a Double Red.

O: In my opinion, a killer brew. The epitome of what a Double/Imperial Red Ale/IPA should be. Has everything you want in it and a pleasure to drink. So happy CBC is bottling their awesome beers now!

Serving type: bottle

07-21-2012 20:26:07 | More by Gatch

SurlyDuff

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big IPA.
Reddish copper and clear with a foamy head that died away fairly quicky. Good stick lacing on the glass though.

Over the top hops, citrus explosion.

Bitter with a long sticky resin. A tad bit of belgian twang or yeast presence. Almost reminded me of a New Belgian type attempt at a big IPA.

The dry crispness of the bitter flavors really appealed to me. I've had so many big red ipa's that were really cloying and syrupy. If I could get back to CBC, I would get me a pitcher of this, to hell with the 7.8!

Serving type: on-tap

05-18-2008 20:54:13 | More by SurlyDuff

ryan1788a5

Massachusetts

4.45/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22oz bottle poured into a New Belgium globe.

A: Clear garnet color with hues of orange. The cream-colored head tops the beer at a solid two fingers, and though it settles a little, a good half inch of it holds fast. Rings and patches of lacing stick to the glass. This one is easy on the eyes, as they say.

S: Highly aromatic citrus and tropical fruits. Passion fruit, kiwi, honeydew melon, blood orange, tangerine, nectarine. Ruby red grapefruit with a healthy dose of sugar on it. Green and floral scents with a touch of pith too. Malt base smells sugary and sweet with hints of caramel and sweet bread. Very nice nose.

T: Oily hop tastes on the attack are quickly brushed aside by a malt presence that is much more pronounced than the nose suggested. Big wave of caramel. Bread crust and toast. Slight spike of alcohol brings tropical esters of pineapple and tangerine and a bit of spiciness. Hop bitterness builds mid-palate. Lots of pine tar and resin. Green and pithy hop tastes come through later. Bold citrus flavors toward the end. The sugary grapefruit is there, as are the blood orange, kiwi, and passion fruit. Finishes with grapefruit pulp, bread crust, and a lingering alcohol spiciness.

M: On the lighter side of medium bodied. Creamy and a bit foamy in the mouth. Carbonation is prickly and lends crispness. Mild enamel-stripping hop feel. Alcohol is warming in the swallow. Good.

O: I will liken the experience of drinking this beer to that of watching a good thriller. It takes its time developing and unfolding on the palate, and then all of a sudden the action speeds up, jarring you. You're hooked. You're on the edge of your seat; a slave to the action and you love every second. Delicious stuff.

Notes: This is a big beer, and although you feel the 9% abv, I wouldn't call it hot. The alcohol is detectable, and adds some depth and complexity of its own, but it never gets too boozy.

Being that this is a hoppy red ale, everyone will probably want to know how it stacks up against Nugget Nectar. It can hold its own in that company. Buy it, or add it to your wants list if you aren't from around here.

Serving type: bottle

06-26-2012 23:22:58 | More by ryan1788a5

lovindahops

New York

4/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I read about this brew so I was pretty excited to get it on tap

A- a red amber body with solid lacing on the sides. The body of the brew glows

S- an explosion of sweet malt flavor that instantly reminds me of a nugget nectar. Very strong with that slighty unfermented sugar scent. Very rich

T- so delicious as far as it goes in amber red ales. Great hoppiness that has a good balance with the sweet malt

M- smooth, creamy, and carbonates

O- this is a amped up amber ale that is absolutely loaded with flavor. The alcohol is present making it a lil bit of a sipper for this afternoon

Serving type: on-tap

06-14-2012 17:46:00 | More by lovindahops

Truh

New Hampshire

4.25/5  rDev +2.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Scarfed this one down at Sunset with Jim on 5/31/04. We were dumbfounded to find some locals on like this one.

Shaker glass pint pour. Ruby to copper in hue, fairly clear. A nice sheen for head, even coating of carbonation. A wonderfully yummy deep hop profile jumped right out of the glass’s concavity, which only grew as I gently powered my way through it. Some sweet clover and honey seemed to whisper gently to me as well. Juniper and all-spice flavors to start, and not as hoppy as I would have thought, which brought to mind The Tap’s Leatherlips. Hops are short but sweet, and there’s a hint of spearmint or peppermint. Cloying alcohol is not unwarranted. Chewy mouthfeel, like a velvet painting of Elvis with the black light turned on high.

This was a really excellent offering, and one that I rate highly.

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2004 20:55:02 | More by Truh

PeterIngemi

Massachusetts

4.03/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Split a 22 oz bottle poured into a duvel glass

A: pots a deep ruby mahogany with a little less then a finger of slightly tanned head that dissapates nicley into a lingering film, very nice lacing.... Looks yummy.

S: citrus hops jump right out at me first, tropical fruit, touch of pine over a nice malty backbone, that smells like a touch of sweet caramel, the hops deffinatly seem to be the more dominant part of the aroma.... Smells very nice! Some light bready notes begin to come out as the beer warms.

T: much like the nose I get citrus up front, with a bit of pine and resin on the finish rounded out by a nice malt backbone, a nice caramel touch of sweetness, the malts and the hops work exceptionally well together here... Deffinatly a hop forward red ale.

M: medium bodies with medium creamy carbonation, this brew has a nice drink ability... The alcohol pokes its head out just a bit when this brew gets warm.... Dry and slightly bitter and resinous in the finish.

O: this is a very good, hip forward red ale that displays a beautiful combination of hop aggressiveness balanced with a nicley sweet malty deliciousness, a great brew from CBC

Serving type: bottle

07-01-2012 22:08:33 | More by PeterIngemi

Satchboogie

New Hampshire

3.6/5  rDev -13%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at CBC, served in a teardrop glass

A: Red and hazy with about an inch of off-white head. Leaves many rings of lacing.

S: Dank herbal hops, citrus (grapefruit and tangerine mainly), and slight herbal aromas. Smells sweet and malty. Alcohol is noticeable.

T: Just like the nose, I get an overload of very dank herbal hops, bordering marijuana dankness. The citrus and floral hops battle the herbal dankness and do take over the middle. There's pine resin, but mainly in the background. There's a decent bit of bitterness, but nothing extreme, though the heavy helping of sweet malt probably hides quite a bit. The middle is loaded with toasted grains and caramel, approaching barleywine territory. Finish is wet, slightly bitter, with the herbal dankness and citrus coming back for a final pop. Alcohol gives a little on the finish as well.

M: About as full bodied as a DIPA can get, moderate carbonation. Very sticky, wet, resinous, with a lot of residual sweetness. A touch boozy on the finish.

O: This wasn't what I was expecting, but I did enjoy it. I'm normally not a fan of overly dank herbal IPAs, but this had just enough balance to make it palateable.

Serving type: on-tap

05-20-2011 04:21:58 | More by Satchboogie

Jacobob10

New Jersey

4.72/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

On-tap @ Bukowski Tavern in Boston, MA.

I have not been "wow-ed" by a beer like this in a while. Pours a deep amber color with a nice frothy head. Great retention and lacing on the glass. Amazing citrus hop aroma balanced extremely well by caramel malts. An absolutely irresistable aroma. One sip brings it all together. Incredible balance. The hop bitterness provides a great, long-lasting finish without leaving your mouth overly dry. One 12 oz. serving was not enough, I had to get another!

As you have probably figured out, I was overly impressed by this beer. I ordered it on a whim and did not expect it to be so delicious. Give it a try if you ever have the chance, you won't regret it!

Serving type: on-tap

06-29-2005 20:51:27 | More by Jacobob10

ms11781

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Batch 1, bottled June 2012. 22oz bottle poured into a tulip glass.

Pours a clear, deep amber color. May actually be closer to ruby red. An excellent, dense, off-white/tannish head rises to about a finger and sticks around for the duration. Great foamy lacing clings to the glass with each sip. The head retention here is amazing. Really exceptional looking beer.

The nose is a nice mix of citrusy hops and some sweet malt character. Not quite balanced, it definitely leans towards the hoppy side but the sweetness complements very nicely. A big dose of some juicy citrus hits first, grapefruit and maybe even some pineapple come to mind, and mixes well with a nice caramel-like sweetness.

The taste follows extremely closely with the nose and throws in a nice bitter kick at the finish. Big citrus up front again, the same grapefruit and pineapple notes, followed by the caramel malt sweetness. The hops are still huge but the sweet malt seems to be kicked up a notch in the taste which balances it a bit more. A moderately bitter, resiny finish rounds each sip out.

Medium body with medium carbonation. The resiny, bitter finish leads to the beer being a bit sticky at times and thus gives it a fuller feeling, especially when it warms.

Overall this is an excellent beer. It finds the right balance between the hops and the sweet malts. A lot of hugely hops beers with a strong malt presence tend to end up being either too hoppy or too malty. This beer finds the delicate balance that lies in between.

Serving type: bottle

06-16-2012 04:04:14 | More by ms11781

UncleFlip

Alabama

4.83/5  rDev +16.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

It's magically hoptastic! This brew hit my glass a beautiful copper colour with just hint of honey tinge to it..

The smell is all hops. 'nuff said.

Taste was also all hops. There's definitely some malt there (not quite the cleanest flavour out there- but not unpleasant), but the hops are front and center, and very present on the finish.

Mouth feel was not too heavy, and was just a tad grainy.

I found this one very drinkable- and I suspect you will as well...as long as you're a hop fan.

Be well
-UF

Serving type: on-tap

07-15-2005 02:39:44 | More by UncleFlip

gentlebubbles

Massachusetts

4.05/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

on cask at Redbones 5/8/06

Beautiful dark amber with bright red highlight at the bottom, and an airy tan head.

The sweet scent and tender mouth leads into a jangly dark caramel with sticky pine. Somehow it got heavier toward the end, growing syrupy and fizzy. Still, on the whole, a tasty brew.

Serving type: cask

05-30-2006 17:10:11 | More by gentlebubbles

BattleRoadBrewer

Massachusetts

4.28/5  rDev +3.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Served on tap at the source at a cool temperature into a (small) wine glass.

Didn't see the pour. Presentation was filled almost to the top, only scant remains of a head left. Predictably left good lacing. Color is fantastic blood red.

Aroma is likewise fantastic. A nice piney bomb, almost like bitterness straight up the nose. Nice respite from citric IPAs.

Taste is great, considering the dark color, possibly under-balanced for a red ale. Strong hop flavor. None of the cloying, sickly sweetness that damages so many big IPAs. Really like this one.

Mouthfeel is totally dominated by the hops, both with a bitter bite and slickness. Perfectly balanced, not astringent at all.

Drinkability is great. I don't know why they call this sub-8% IPA a "double" and serve it in a puny glass. Pretty lame. This one needs to be served in a nonic with a massive head for full effect. This is one to order by the pitcher and share with friends, too. Great beer.

Edit: Warning: had this on tap at Sunset in Allston and it was loaded with diacetyl, overwhelmingly reeked of butter/butterscotch. Try it at CBC if you're going to review it.

Serving type: on-tap

05-13-2008 05:20:50 | More by BattleRoadBrewer

Lnedrive14

Massachusetts

4.18/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

On Tap at Cambridge Common (i really need to remember to stop serving my beers in a frozen glass!):

This is a real hop bomb. I haven't been this blown away with the hop character of a dipa in quite a while, but this one really did it for me. Strong hop presence from start to finish. A rather full-bodied DIPA, in my opinion. Heavy on the palate - and a big malt backbone to finish it off.

Not too much else here, I thought. Straightforward, but likeable nonetheless.

FYI - I had this with some nachos, a law finished law school exam, and a buffalo tender sandwich - helluva combo.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2006 04:50:20 | More by Lnedrive14

Longstaff

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Red God IPA is a big, fat, juicy IPA that is bordering on the Imperial IPA category. Dark ruby / black cherry colored and slightly cloudy topped with a thin whitish head. Hop aromas jump out at you with earthy, herbal, and fruity notes. Kind of thick and sweet up front, but grapefruity hops comes in and cleans up the stickiness leaving a decent bitterness that balances nicely. This has a thick mouthfeel for its style and moderate carbonation. The higher alcohol is barely noticed until you've had a couple. A very nice IPA that is big, but not too big to drink many pints.A Red God indeed.

Serving type: on-tap

10-29-2003 19:13:35 | More by Longstaff

AllThingsNinja

Massachusetts

4.15/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

I had the pleasure of sampling the dry-hopped Red God at AC's Hophead Throwdown.

It poured an earthen reddish brown with a modest head and a pungent hop aroma. The flavors were a chorus of hop notes, at times cacophonous, and others quite consonant. There was a slight bitter-sweet malt profile, but the major impact of the grain bill was to provide a full body for the red god and the souls of the many hop flowers who found heaven in this elixir.

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2004 12:04:28 | More by AllThingsNinja

CaptCleveland

Ohio

4.03/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz bottle received as an extra from excellent BA trader trxxpaxxs.

Amber, orange, red elixir poured in SA glass. Clear, without precipitant. Huge marsh mellow/caramel head. Plenty of sticky lacing.

Strong hop aroma, grapefruit, lemon rind, mingles with spicy herbal tones.

Sticky hop flavor, mild bitterness, malt caramel. Some spice and alcohol at the back.

Well carbonated, medium body, oily.

CBC did a nice job hopping this one up. A quality amber.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 22:14:49 | More by CaptCleveland