Shiner Ruby Redbird - Spoetzl Brewery

HardTarget

Texas

3.4/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 2 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 4

Appearance: Firm pour gives me no head on an extremely clear amber glass.

Smell: Grapefruit rind with fresh ground ginger, pretty much what it says on the tin. There is some classic Shiner yeast and a bit of a soapy, candle scent, but all in all I like the core smell.

Taste: A small let down from the nose, much more of a soda taste, a ginger ale if you will. The ginger does leave a light heat behind, encouraging the next sip.

Mouthfeel: Pretty light body, fizzy carbonation, pretty dry finish.

Overall: Ok, I'm a bit of a fanboy for Shiner, but I could see picking up another 6er of this for a Summer sipper, and one I could see offering to guests. Walks a crazy line, but glad to see Shiner willing to take some risks.

Serving type: bottle

04-19-2011 04:15:35 | More by HardTarget

enusbaum

Texas

2.23/5  rDev -29%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

I'd heard mixed reviews of this beer from folks around town and needless to say the almost bi-polar reviews on here intrigued me. Like another reviewer before me, I've never actually written a review on BA for anything, but felt that I should chime in on this one.

A: Poured into a pint glass straight down the middle looking for a head to really release the aroma. About a 1/2 finger head was present for a few seconds before quickly dissipating. Has a nice amber color and visible carbonation.

S: Fresca. No joke. You get a nose full of citrus-y grapefruit which I think it just amped up by the ginger.

T: The first thing I noticed about this beer as it hit the tongue was the carbonation. Next you get a mouthful of grapefruit and citrus notes. Mild, mild hops are present but are just blown away by the grapefruit. Leaves a bitter citrus aftertaste on the back of the tongue.

M: Light and heavy carbonation. Like drinking a 7-Up or Fresca.

O: I'm not sure where I stand on this one. Compared to other "fruit beers" such as Dogfish Head Aprihop or Magic Hat #9, this is falls terribly short. I wouldn't put it in the same flavor category as a Lambic due to how watered down this would taste in comparison.

The closest comparison I can think of would be Miller 64 with a slice ruby red grapefruit added. Very drinkable, but worth it?

Opinions are mixed though. Some people really love it, and some like myself feel let down. All in all, I'd at least say give it a try and reach your own opinion.

Serving type: bottle

04-18-2011 00:38:35 | More by enusbaum

twiggamortis420

Texas

3.7/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This beer seems to be pretty polarizing, either you like it or hate it. One thing is for sure though - it IS different. 12 oz bottle pours a mostly clear, dark gold color with a small off-white head. Dissipates quickly to near nothingness.

Nose is mostly ginger but some of the grapefruit pokes out if you look for it. Not much in the way of malt and a faint citra hop presence is barely detectable. I would love for the hops to be more bold on the aroma, but this is Shiner were talkin about.

Taste is out there, that is for sure. More depth than a ginger beer, but the asian root still dominates for the most part. The grapefruit is a nice addition and the malts are kept light and grainy. Hops are low-key but the bitterness is not really missed with the zesty grapefruit and ginger. If it were my recipe, I would dial down the ginger and dry hop it with lots more amarillo and citra. Having said that, I am really enjoying this seasonal offering and am already on my 3rd sixer of it. It is a very good, refreshing summer beer to go with the hot, humid dog days of summer soon to be here. Say what you will about Shiner’s regular lineup, but their seasonals have been innovative and for the most part quite good.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 18:02:27 | More by twiggamortis420

jsh420

Illinois

1.63/5  rDev -48.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

pours clear bright copper gold with a 1/2 finger fizzy white head that left no lacing

smells like a fruity seven up with hints of ruby red grapefruit

taste is absolutely awful - it reminds me of a zima i drank in jr. high almost 20yrs ago

mouthfeel is thin - this is an over carbonated soda water they are passing off as beer

overall this might be the worst thing i have ever drank called beer - i got more beer flavor from bud select 55

Serving type: bottle

04-16-2011 23:41:40 | More by jsh420

Kromes

Georgia

3.3/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

A: Clear orange color with no head and lots of noticable carbonation.

S: Smells like malt and ginger.

T: A bready, honey malt background gives way to a ginger and grapefruit flavor. The flavors aren't strong and then disappear quickly.

M: highly carbonated.

O: Call me crazy, but for a summer seasonal beer, this is pretty good. But I do love ginger ale, so I may be biased here. It's light, refreshing, easy drinking, and not overbearing. A great summer session beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 23:45:55 | More by Kromes

PossumPissBrews

Texas

1.83/5  rDev -41.7%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

I actually like beers with fruits brewed in them, but this just wasn't for me. The ginger side of things was a little strange. I feel it was too light for my taste. Seemed thin although it has flavor. The alcohol content is very low for a Shiner beer as well.

Overall I'm not very impressed, but to some that enjoy their beers brewed with fruit, it could be acceptable.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 15:01:50 | More by PossumPissBrews

kyleelton

Texas

1.18/5  rDev -62.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 1 | taste: 1 | feel: 2 | overall: 1

Out of a bottle into a pint glass.

I've been on BA for awhile and never written a review, but this time I just couldn't stay silent. I knew this would either be awesome or wretched:

As soon as I poured the glass I knew I was in for trouble. The color was okay, but the head and clarity was very seltzery and the light foam dissipated quickly.

I put the glass to my nose and was hit by a fruity, citrus smell that reminded me of a bad Grocery store Sprite knock-off.

My wife, who usually likes fruitier beers, summed it up fairly well. It tastes like watered down Sprite. You know how after ice has melted and you water down the carbonation as well as the flavor.

Too much carbonation and very watery, despite a very prominent nasty grapefruit aftertaste. I like grapefruit, but this tastes like chemical, over-produced, from concentrate type. Think of Orange Juice vs. Orange Drink.

Overall Impression:
When I last visited Sea World several years back (before I really knew much about beer besides that I did not like BMCs) I went to their Anheuser-Busch beer school and learned that beer is made of barley, water *rice? and hops. I'm a little shocked they still use hops. But that's another story. After the beer school they gave us free samples. They were trying out beer infused with fruit (this was before the BL Lime and Miller Chill crap) and they literally poured a Mich Ultra and mixed it with cherry (or whatever) syrup. It was God-awful. My point is that this beer is the closest thing I've tasted to that, since. It should be noted I've never tried BL lime. I was hoping for a light, slightly fruity nod to the IPA bitterness that can taste grapfruity. As a Texas beer drinker I'm also always in Shiner's corner, morally speaking. But this beer was so bad. So bad.

Serving type: bottle

04-15-2011 00:17:11 | More by kyleelton

Spineypanda

Texas

3.1/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a golden amber with almost no head.
Smells of sweet malts and citrus.
Taste is overwhelming. Burst of ginger (not fresh tasting) up front and subtle notes of grapefruit. I would have probably stuck with just the grapefruit without the ginger, but it is not awful. A bit of a dish soap taste to it though.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 06:03:59 | More by Spineypanda

Onslow

Texas

4.65/5  rDev +48.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

god help me, i love this beer!!! .. Pours a light ruby tan, low foam .. . light aroma of ginger, grapefruit (weird right?) .. . taste is light grapefruit, and ginger, but i don't like ginger.. what the hell is going on?? this is fantastic!! all i can do is picture cases of this, stacked-chilled and by a pool! .. i can say that the new brewmaster at Spoetzl is really starting to stamp his name on what i thought was a shit brewery- could this be my turning point with Shiner, ..again ... I will be buying more of this... . Someone somewhere wants me crazy

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2011 00:25:45 | More by Onslow

ForWhatAlesYou

Minnesota

2.42/5  rDev -22.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2

A: Nice looking reddish amber. Heavy carbonation present. Little/no lace or head.

S: Big ginger over a pale malt aroma. A little medicinal/antiseptic.

T: I love the taste of both ginger and grapefuit but this is not very good. Finishes metallic. Like weak ginger beer and pine sol.

M: Highly carbonated and invigorating.

D: Never again. "Fool me once..."

I really don't like or understand these novelty beers that have no direction or purpose.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2011 17:13:24 | More by ForWhatAlesYou

UTCengOwl

Texas

3.7/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bought some at Central Market after I started a small debate about it on the Southwest forum. Definitely a unique beer and maybe my favorite Shiner beer... though I guess that's not exactly a ringing endorsement. Served in a Sam Adams Perfect Pint glass.

The beer pours a clear solid gold with a white head that dissipates quite quickly. If there was any sort of head whatsoever, I'd really like the looks... but there's not.

The nose is ginger ale. Interesting. Am I really drinking beer? Deeper sniffs reveal fleshy, authentic grapefruit. I don't think I've ever had this fruity of a grapefruit flavor in a beer. I'm not sure that I prefer that, but it sure is interesting.

The taste is also mostly Ginger ale. There's also a good adjunct lager behind that. These flavors flow into that same fleshy grapefruit, which leaves a grapefruity bitterness... which doesn't really call forth hops. Interesting again. I wish they used some of the fruitiness of the hops (mmmm.... Citra), but this is a unique offering.

The mouthfeel is that of a smooth adjunct lager. Highly drinkable. Not over carbonated. This stuff goes down quickly and I've already finished my second in half an hour. Just plain interesting stuff.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 00:28:27 | More by UTCengOwl

oreo

Illinois

3.7/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Got this bottle for free today from my beer guy.

Drank straight from the bottle, but poured a bit out to see the color and head.

Poured a nice amber with a short bright white head. Gone within seconds.

Smells pretty neat, lots of grapefruit and ginger. More fruit and citrus than ginger which is good.

Tastes pretty damn good. I can see how they call this the "perfect summer beer" Very light and refreshing. Easily drinkable on a hot summer day. Over the course of the beer, the ginger makes more of an appearance in the taste. Kinda kills all the wonderful grapefruit I had at the beginning.

Very light and crisp mouthfeel, as a summer beer should be.

Overall this is a good beer. Not great, but enough to keep me happy during ahot summer day. Well done shiner!

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2011 00:25:11 | More by oreo

turfy

Texas

1.83/5  rDev -41.7%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Had seen this recently and took a chance on a single for $1.49. Oh well...

A - Poured into a Guinness pint glass. A deep gold color with a fizzy, one finger head that dissapated in 30 seconds. No lacing whatsoever.

S - Reminded me of ginger-ale, which makes sense because of the ginger added to beer. Also a faint resin/grapefruit smell.

T - A sour, tart taste with some hop bitterness. A strange experience for my tasttebuds.

M - Very light with more than adequate carbonation. Not much body at all.

D - Bodywise you could drink a ton of these. Taste-wise, one was more than enough for me.

I could see how a combination of Ruby red grapefruit and ginger could make for a very nice summer beer. I imagined it in a well-made wheat or Kolsch with at least some quality and body to it. But for me, this was not it.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2011 23:35:01 | More by turfy

BrandonWardlaw

Texas

4.1/5  rDev +30.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from 12 oz. bottle into a standard pint glass.

Appearance: A very light amber. Pours with a very tiny head that dissipates instantly.

Smell: Frankly, it's bizarre. Not in a bad way, but definitely not a conventional beer whatsoever. The ginger and the grapefruit hit you in the nose right away, and that's all I'm getting out of it.

Taste: Again, bizarre, but in the best of ways. Has a very crisp, gingery bite, which mellows quickly. Finishes with a slight tanginess, and a bit of bitterness at the rear of the palate from the grapefruit.

Mouthfeel: Pretty light. Moderately carbonated. Extremely drinkable.

Overall: This ain't your normal glass of beer. It's pretty out there, and definitely the most adventurous Shiner brew that I've ever had. It's nice to have a citrusy beer that doesn't taste like chemicals and failure (Bud Light Lime, anyone?) The bottle brags that it's the "Perfect Summer Beer", and it might be right. I think it would also pair pretty well with asian or asian fusion dishes. It would be especially good with sushi. I'm sure a lot of BeerAdvocate users are going to give this beer poor reviews ("WHY DOES IT NOT REEK OF HOPS?!?!?", they'll scream), because they seem to love rating beers without regard for their intended drinking context. But if you're looking for an unpretentious, unusual session beer - give this a shot.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2011 21:13:44 | More by BrandonWardlaw