Red God - Cambridge Brewing Company

axeman9182

New Jersey

4.1/5  rDev -1.2%
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 -6%
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 -3.6%
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 +1.9%
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 +8.4%
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 +0.7%
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 +7.2%
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 -3.6%
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 +2.4%
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 -2.9%
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 -13.3%
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 +13.7%
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 -2.4%
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 +16.4%
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 -2.4%
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 +3.1%
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 +0.7%
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 +6.7%
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%
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 -2.9%
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

stonermouse

Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

My first review didn't save properly for some mysterious reason, so here's the Cliff Notes version:

A: Nice look, brick/orange as expected, clear and clean.

S: Spicy malts, but it moves into the realm of wet dog.

T: Nice representation of the style. Dirty, spicy malt with a good deal of accompanying bitterness to round out. The malt bite is quite potent, and could use a more emphatic hop presence to balance.

M: Really just dirty all around. There's a bit of booze on the finish, and the malts just drown out any hop resin that might want to stick around.

O: Good, solid representation of the style. This would be a huge beer with a greater hop presence, but as currently constituted, it is a good example of the style and tasty.

Serving type: bottle

06-09-2012 03:09:45 | More by stonermouse

CheezyBlaster

Massachusetts

4.4/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Red God indeed! It's big, but it's easily my new Zoe rival. Fresh, juicy, complex, gum tingling. Fresh pineapple and citrus gives way to a beautiful caramel center, followed quickly by grapefruit and pith finish. That bitterness sends you back instantly for more of the juicy, sweet up front. Dangerous at 9% abv. Very dangerous indeed. Get this beer and drink it, if you can.

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2012 22:58:48 | More by CheezyBlaster

Cmack15

Massachusetts

3.9/5  rDev -6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance: deep reddish brown

Aroma: weird funky smell reminded of a wet dish rag

Taste: starts malty and sweet then finishes dry with the hops lingering. got a touch of smokiness very faint though

Mouthfeel: full body nice carbonation

the aroma of the beer was not in the taste which was good. Not as hop forward as I like. The malt backbone really comes through in this beer.

Cheers

Serving type: on-tap

05-27-2011 23:34:15 | More by Cmack15

wyllder

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

On tap at Anam Cara during the hophead throwdown.

Pours a cloudy copper-brown with a minimal head and no lacing.

Nose is musky apple & caramel malt with a backing of apricot.

First hit on the palate is a kick of bitterness mixed with musky apple and apricot flavors. Midsip introduces a nicely balanced malt backbone to smooth things out. Finish is bitter with a nice caramel maltiness to it. As you progress through the glass the malt becomes more pronounced and makes this more relaxing than punishing.

Mouthfeel suffers from a some astringency that creates a puckering sensation in the mouth the longer you drink it.

Drinkability is solid and I could have had another one.

Overall, a solid Imp IPA.

Wyll-

Serving type: on-tap

07-25-2004 15:56:08 | More by wyllder

awall422

Massachusetts

4.38/5  rDev +5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Just had a couple of pints of the 2007 release. Weighs in at 8.4%abv this time around. It's the first time I've had the Red God and after reading about it for awhile, I was really looking forward to it. It did not disappoint! It's light reddish hue came covered in a light tan head that dimidhed quickly and left a light lacing. A nice, but not overwhelming aroma of hops hit me as i took a sip. Then the hops bludgeoned me over the head. What i liked best about this beer is that it didn't just try to be a strong beer, it's a strong beer that doesn't waver from it's hop-head roots. If you're looking for an all out hop attack on your taste buds, get over to the CBC and try one.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2007 00:21:42 | More by awall422