Best Of Beer Camp: Imperial Red Ale - Beer Camp #65 - Sierra Nevada Brewing Co.

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.74/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A: Pours a lightly hazy reddish amber in color with light amounts of gentle visible carbonation and some garnet red highlights. The beer has a finger tall creamy beige head that slowly reduces to a couple of small patches of thick film along with a very thin film covering the majority of the remainder of the surface of the beer and a thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Light to moderate aromas of toasted and caramel malts along with some citrus/grapefruit rind hops.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of caramel and toasted malts that have just a hint of sweetness. That is followed by some moderate flavors of spicy hops and citrus/grapefruit rind hops. Moderate amounts of bitterness that really linger.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Crisp.

O: I like how bitter this beer is for the style, the hops are almost palate cleansing. I found this beer to be pretty enjoyable but it does have a high ABV which means you should be sipping this a little more slowly.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 00:15:08 | More by dbrauneis

Cresant

Kentucky

3.25/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured this 12 oz. into a Samuel Adams glass. 2012 Beer Camp Release (from notes). The body was deep amber but clear. The tan head was creamy and left nice lacing in the glass.

The smell was spicy and definite bread crust and it warmed.

the taste was also spicy and bready. Fruity with well hidden alcohol. Malty sweetness overtakes the mild grassy bitterness. The lingering bitter aftertaste lasts a long time.

The mouthfeel was medium bodied with medium to full carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 15:50:25 | More by Cresant

wspscott

Kentucky

3.65/5  rDev -3.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

12oz bottle in Sam Adams glass

A: Dark red color with a off-white head that never quite disappears. Very pretty when held up to a light.
S: Tropical fruits and a hint of chocolate(?) in the background
T: Pine, citrus, a little bit of tropical fruit, a definite suggestion of chocolate (a little too much chocolate malt for color?) No sign of alcohol.
M: Lots of carbonation makes for a easy drinking beer, round and tongue coating otherwise. The bitterness seems to linger on the tongue.
O: I don't usually reach for American amber/red ales and this confirms why. I would prefer more hop aroma/flavor and a little less emphasis on the malts, of course that is the whole point of this style. Within the boundaries of the style, this is a very good beer, but I would be surprised to see this in the regular lineup.

Serving type: bottle

01-27-2013 20:07:27 | More by wspscott

plaid75

New York

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

Poured a murky amber hue with a one finger foamy white head. There was good retention and lacing.

The smell featured prickly piney hops and a balmy earthy caramel malt.

The taste consisted of burnt sugar, earthy caramel, a touch of cocoa and a smooth nuttiness. Waves of herbal and piney hops cleaned up the experience and lingered well after the finish.

The mouthfeel was full for the style with a dry finish.

Overall a very tasty brawny red ale.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 04:55:13 | More by plaid75

cattersley

Ontario (Canada)

3.75/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Ruby red, very nice pour, medium head retention. I am actually very surprised with the taste and mouth-feel of this beer. It is considerably light in smell, and flavour considering the ABV (8.1%). I do so love the labels on these beer camp bottles though. Light hops on the first taste, full flavour on the malt, hops gone upon finish. This beer is very smooth and deceiving, session-able big time, until it hits you! Caramel, munich, pale malts, in proportion complement the hops, and ABV level...

Serving type: bottle

12-22-2012 04:09:21 | More by cattersley

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.03/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

a beautiful clean deep amber/red pour with 2 fingers of foamy/fluffy creme colored head, leading to excellent lacing.
smells of grassy/pint hops, caramel, raisin-like sweet malt profile.
earthy bitterness up front followed immediately by a sugary plum-like sweetness.. finishes again in a very earthy almost burnt tire bitterness. very tasty!
medium body, medium amount of carbonation, creamy on the lips.

a really good amber ale. hoppy, bitter, yet sweet and malty. heavy on the alcohol, but you can't taste it for a typically bland style of ale, this really stands out.

Serving type: bottle

11-21-2012 01:54:01 | More by facundoCNB

metter98

New York

3.68/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is hazy reddish amber in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a half finger high light beige head that has good retention properties and consistently left a thin head covering the surface.
S: There are light to moderate aromas of citrusy hops in the nose along with hints of caramel malts.
T: A moderate amount of bitterness stands out throughout the taste, but this is most evident in the finish. There are flavors of spicy hops along with notes of caramel malts and citrusy hops.
M: It feels medium-bodied and slightly crisp on the palate and has a moderate amount of carbonation. The hop bitterness really cleanses your palate.
O: This beer presents an interesting mix of hops and is rather bitter for the style. This delivers a nice amount of lingering bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2012 16:23:50 | More by metter98

JuicesFlowing

Kansas

4.6/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured into a balloon glass.

A beautiful deep mahogany so rich you can barely see through it, but the head is even better: Foamy, sea-suds of cream head with rings of thick soapy lacing. (After drinking 1/3 of the beer, the lacing is still soapy and stuck to the glass).

Aroma is both piny, and a bit woody up front. I get some bitter citrus hops in there eventually. And by God, there is a nice sweet melon note as advertised. Really nice nose.

This imperial red is so well-balanced right off the bat. The hops are not overpowering, they are just perfect with muted citrus rinds mixing in with a woody, earthy malt body. Really, really good. A faint pine note lingers in there adding a fresh, crisp feel.

A little dry, but otherwise perfectly clean mouthfeel.

Geez this is good. The 8.1% ABV is nearly undetectable. I love the woody pine body and the amazing balance of malts and hops. To this day I have never had a bad beer from Sierra Nevada. Bad? Hell, I’ve really never had a beer less than exceptional from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2012 18:07:55 | More by JuicesFlowing

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

4.25/5  rDev +12.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I just have to say that i love these beer camp beers every year, i look forward to them. This one poured a nice brown/amber color body with a nice thick foamy head that holds it own. The aroma is of nice and toasted malt with some a little bit of hops coming through. The taste starts off a little bitter of hop then balances out on the back of the tongue with the malt. It leaves a after taste of of bitter hops on the tongue also. The mouth feel is really nice and overall this is a pretty darn good beer.

Serving type: bottle

10-11-2012 20:14:44 | More by chefhatt

TheCrowsNest

California

3.5/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Dark reddish brown with a tan head; above average head retention; above average clarity, there is a slight haze. Aroma is mostly malt and darker caramel, very little hop aroma is present. Butterscotch, caramel, and some toasted charcter comprise the majority of the flavor profile, hops are present in a balancing bitterness that is almost unwelcome considering the sweetness that is initially expressed through the malt bill. Dry finish comes after a nice coating mouthfeel.

Solid beer that looks great and has great body. That said, I'd like to see some more hops hanging around in a style like this.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 00:45:14 | More by TheCrowsNest

chinchill

South Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle from Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp series dated 2012. Poured into a Sam Adams lager glass.

A: Nearly perfect appearance upon pour: Deep red-amber colored, this Imperial Red Ale is capped with a thick, nearly creamy, tan head that leaves an impressive coat of sticky lacing on the glass. The head dies down a bit rather quickly but retains a full tan coat for a long time.

S: More hops than malts in the nose, as expected. The aroma is rich, modestly spicy and bready, mildly floral, and has hints of citrus.

T: Less hop heavy than the aroma, with a nice contribution from sweet malts, leaving the brew only moderately bitter, even in the finish. Rich and complex flavor mix seems to be an exceptionally well-crafted mix of several varieties of malts and hops.

M - Smooth and soft feel with medium-full body. Well chosen medium carbonation.

O - A bold take on a red ale that successfully melds an IPA with a red ale in a finely balanced mix of styles. [4.25]

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 23:56:45 | More by chinchill

motorhed

Minnesota

3.48/5  rDev -8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Surly pint glass.

A - Pours out with a very high level of carbonation, had to stop pouring it about 3/4 of the bottle. Very thick head, about half the pint glass. Dissipated within a couple of minutes and poured the rest into the glass. Very nice, thick foamy head that is light tan in color. The color of this brew is spot on, very dark red/copper in color. Light lacing on the glass as it goes down.

S - First thing comes to the nose is the hop aroma followed closely by floral and citrus with a nice malty base.

T - This is a title bout, hops versus the malt. Get some grapefruits and citrus as well as some pine, malt, and light spice.

M - Very nice balace on this. Oily smooth from the hops, perfect levels of carbonation, medium bodied, a semi-sweet to dry finish.

O - Have had better imperial reds but this one is very good. Would definitely have again.

Serving type: bottle

10-04-2012 00:47:37 | More by motorhed

BeerFMAndy

Wisconsin

4.53/5  rDev +19.5%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12 oz bottle poured into a Sierra Nevada imperial pint.
8.1% ABV, 2012, string of numbers printed on neck.

A - Perfection in the pint, this beer looks utterly outstanding! Clear deep burn amber colored, this Imperial Red Ale from Sierra Nevada's Beer Camp holds it's khaki head for minutes upon minutes, slowly plateauing into a rocky pile of foam all while leaving chunky gobs of lace on the pint!

S - Could Sierra Nevada possibly put out an imperial red without it bursting at the seams with hops? I think not. Assertive pine and juicy citrus; crushed pineapple, lemon wedge, and sticky pine cone, make up this resinous aroma. Plenty of malt counteracts the hops with notes of chocolate and toffee surrounding wafts of warm Bavarian pretzel

T - Hop heavy in aroma but surprisingly balanced in flavor, the malts are up to the task of meeting the hops head-on. Toffee square and bittersweet chocolate give the toasted amber malts a unique twist while the hops spice up the background. Citrus fruit becomes more mild in flavor, giving way to the earthier aspects of the hops; mulchy leaf, grass, and pine with soft wood accents along the way. Quite the intense experience!

M - Smooth and soft opening, the flavor builds steadily and quickly for a total taste bud take over! Medium-full, this amber's body provides a beefy malt backbone with a lingering sharp hop bite that dries out the tongue while balancing the malty sweetness with a lasting bitterness.

O - Assertive and bold, this Imperial Red takes what's normally a run-of-the-mill-style beer and ramps it up, flooding the olfactory sense and taste buds with quite a bit to take in. From the expansive grain bill which keeps you guessing, to the powerful hop profile, this beer seems to teeter back and fourth, appealing to malt and hop lovers alike!

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 23:04:44 | More by BeerFMAndy

thecheapies

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Beer Camp #65: Imperial Red Ale. Pint glass to receive.

Rich and solidified in the head with a good two fingers or more gathered. Off-white in color. Dark brick colored brew with translucency. Not a great deal of light gets through it, in general. Getting some nice lace-effect as the head slowly topples.

Smells of candied grapefruit, burnt toffee, toasted grains, tangerine, lime, and a woodsy note. Stretched out a bit, but mostly simple.

A spike of hop bitterness penetrates right in the opening, but quells in a sweet and semi-fruity ale profile with a gentle roast. A tingling bitterness is piquant and mouth-filling in its intensity. Almost acidic, in a way. The citrus notes don't really get extended, however notes of wine-soaked peaches bleeds through. An underwhelming ale that is satisfactory in that it's fresh and flavorful. Just not terribly complex.

That 8.1% ABV is noticeable, for the most part. I should let this warm up even more to make it more enjoyable. Otherwise, it's a fulfilling drink with great body for the style. The effervescence is rigorous in a way that it needs to be.

I like an obvious rind-y flavor in my hoppy reds. This Beer Camp offering doesn't do much in the way of hoppy nor citrus rind-y. A whole lot of baked grain in here would balance a beer with a heap of humulus, but in this case, it's almost too malty.

Serving type: bottle

09-28-2012 03:15:07 | More by thecheapies

Viciousknishs

Virginia

3.55/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a translucent garnet red color with a two and half fingers of off white head. Superb head retention with lots of lacing.

S- Toasty malt with notes of caramel. spicy woody hops in the nose with a touch of earthiness.

T- toasted bread and caramel hit the palate at first. The hops soon take over with spicy pine characteristics. Assertive bitterness (which I generally love) on the finish that diminishes the other flavors a bit to much.

MF- Slick mouthfeel with a light medium body. Average carbonation

D- Ok drinkability

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2012 03:16:00 | More by Viciousknishs

Trueant1

Minnesota

3.6/5  rDev -5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Got this in a 12 pack from Bevmo.

Pours dark for this style Dark brown/red. Nice frothy white head and great lacing.
Visible carbonation.
Smells of sweet dark fruits and various malts.
Tastes of very robust malts and bitter hop bite. Lots of caramel sweets and some alcoholic . Once again, the bitterness lingers heavy on the pallet. Surprising for this style. flavors. Mouth-feel is nicely carbonated and a tad thin. Overall a nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2012 06:15:15 | More by Trueant1

Humulus85

Minnesota

4.08/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Third tasting in my adventures at Beer Camp! 12 oz bottle into my tasting snifter.

Pours a clear garnet with a two finger cream colored head. Solid retention and nice lacing.

I was expecting this to be hop forward, but it is quite malty. A lot of roasted notes and some caramel. Earthy hops take a back seat, and a whiff of booze.

Follows the nose and is malt dominant. Way more roasted flavors, and even a bit of chocolate, than I expect from a typical Red Ale, but it is well balanced by some earthy and herbal hops and alcohol. This one tastes like 8%.

Mouthfeel is a solid medium, but tastes heavier than it feels. Good abundant carbonation and a bitter/dry finish lends drinkability to this brew. Finishes clean.

Overall this is a tasty brew, but not what I expected. I was thinking this was going to be more of a hopped up Red, but as it turns out it is very malty and throws in tons of roasted flavors. While good, I still prefer my Red Ales on the hoppy side. Solid beer and a nice twist on the style. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2012 01:37:52 | More by Humulus85

Billolick

New York

3.9/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 ounce bottle purchased as single from DeCicco's in Ardsley, NY. No freshness or bottling info.

Pour is dark amber, dark tan head, leaves nice fine lacing.

Caramel maltyness on the nose. With some dull hops in the rear.

Big hops/big malts. I get some smoked notes, some tropical fruit and layers of caramel malt.

Big and balanced. Fine job here by the Beer campers.

Serving type: bottle

09-11-2012 22:11:30 | More by Billolick

microbrewlover

Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This brew pours a dark red/brown color with a one finger mocha head which lasts for a few minuets. Lacing stays on the glass throughout.

The smell is roasted malts, grapefruit, pine, melon.

The taste starts with citrus hops, grapefruit, melon, moves to heavy roasted malts with a bready taste, then finishes with piney resins which linger on the tongue. There is also a carmel or toffee taste.

The mouthfeel is smooth but a kind of watery.

Overall this brew is well balanced. The mixture of hops and malts is one that you do not see everday. There is also strong alchohol presence which has the usual "warming" effect.
This is more hop forward than most Red Ales; it is worth trying if you would like to taste a hop forward Red Ale.

Serving type: bottle

09-09-2012 16:56:01 | More by microbrewlover

davey101

Connecticut

3.78/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz stubby bottle into a shaped pint glass. Julian date puts it at a June 27 bottled on date.

A - Dark red clear body. One of the densest foams formed after pouring, so dense that as I tried to pour the last few ounces it just trickled over the head and down the glass. After it settles down its a thick cap of off white foam with large bubbles. Loads of lacing and retention.

S - Cocoa powder initially. Crystal malts, piney hops, light citrus and dusty cocoa powder. Seems weird, but its prevalent and has been mentioned in other reviews.

T - Piney hops with just a touch of bright citrus. Very malt forward with some bread and spice, almost rye like. Well balanced with a bitter finish.

M - Medium bodied with nice creamy carbonation. High abv is very well hidden.

O - Not an amazing red ale, but still very delicious.

Serving type: bottle

09-07-2012 03:42:35 | More by davey101

Star80

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - I believe this was bottled 6/19, at least that's what the date on the 12 pack said. For something planned for August release that seems a bit older than I'd like but whatever. Anyway, Pours out a deep copper red with a sticky tan head. Looks enticing.

S - Smell is resinous hops, some grapefruit and pine. A faint tropical hop scent is detected and some caramel malts.

T - Taste is complex and interesting. Big resinous hops coincide with caramel malts, with layers of toffee and citric hops. Has some alcohol warming too. Some sweet fruityness such as apricot coming forth on second sips.

M- Mouthfeel is smooth and fine.

O - Overall another impressive brew from masters Sierra Nevada. Whomever put this together did a great job. WOuld probably be my pick of the pack and would even buy regularly if officially released.

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2012 21:17:58 | More by Star80

jdense

Oregon

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

Part of Best of Beer Camp 12-pack, consumed 8.27.12, poured into UCLA shaker pint glass.

Two fingers off-white tan head, medium dissipation with above average lacing over clear garnet red body several trails of medium size bubbles rising from bottom of glass. Significant malt presence in the nose, crystal fruitiness, balanced by spicy and citrusy hops. Taste mirrors nose, fairly malty and hoppy. Mouthfeel medium, decent effervescence. A pretty good imperial red, taste a lot like Laurelwood Deranger used to taste. Worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

08-28-2012 13:42:42 | More by jdense

schoolboy

Ohio

4.6/5  rDev +21.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I don't think I have had a better red ale.

This one really defies classification. It's definitely American - over the top bitter, hoppy and malty, yet well balanced.

It has a stronger than usual aroma. Somewhat hoppy and sweet smelling - very nice. It's pretty in the glass as would be expected. The taste is very bitter - perfectly over the top.The aftertaste lingers nicely too with nothing nasty. This is an excellent ale.

Serving type: bottle

08-17-2012 02:03:30 | More by schoolboy

TheSevenDuffs

Ontario (Canada)

3.53/5  rDev -6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

2012 Beer Camp Bottle poured in to Bruery tulip. Bottle date code of 2178210. Poured in to tulip glass.

A - Poured a very dark amber colour, almost opaque. One finger of cream coloured head formed and receded to a thin layer. Good lacing.

S - Caramel and toffee aromas up front with some citrus hop aromas in the background. Not an overly robust nose but an inviting one.

T - A big bitterness at first that is immediately followed up a sweet caramel/toffee malt backbone. Some grapefruit and pine notes are present but are in the background. A dry and bitter finish.

M - Medium body, somewhat creamy. Moderate carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2012 01:39:59 | More by TheSevenDuffs

Genuine

Connecticut

4.5/5  rDev +18.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured from the bottle into a clean pint glass.

This beer pours a beautiful dark cherry red with a khaki head that leaves pretty lacing down the side of the glass.

Smell - Let this one warm up slightly - The nose on this beer is wonderful, starting with some roasted, faint coffee, dark chocolate and fig like notes.

Taste - This beer does not let down - Starts off sweet, as it rolls over the palate, the hops make their presence known and combat the sweetness. This brings us to the finish, which then appears a bit of alcohol, probably because of the 8.1% abv, however it doesn't last long till a coffee like aftertaste is left on the palate.

Mouthfeel - Very good medium bodied. Not light yet not heavy.

Overall - I think this is a solid brew. Lots of flavors for the enjoyer to figure out and keep you wondering. Not boring by any means. Sweet, bitter, roasty with enough alcohol warmth. What a great brew this is!

Serving type: bottle

08-11-2012 00:32:32 | More by Genuine