Deranger Imperial Red
Laurelwood Public House & Brewery

Deranger Imperial RedDeranger Imperial Red
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From:
Laurelwood Public House & Brewery
 
Oregon, United States
Style:
Imperial Red Ale
ABV:
8.5%
Score:
91
Avg:
4.11 | pDev: 7.79%
Reviews:
22
Ratings:
52
Status:
Active
Rated:
Apr 17, 2020
Added:
Aug 13, 2006
Wants:
  9
Gots:
  7
2006 - released in limited edition 1-liter swingtop bottles and draught.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by John_M:
Photo of John_M
Reviewed by John_M from Washington

4.2/5  rDev +2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Yes boys and girls. On cask (no take out, no growlers and no happy hour discount) at the Laurelwood Pizza location on NE 40th.

The beer pours the expected amber red color with good head retention and lacing. The nose is complex, showing lots of sweet malt, but countered very nicely by the wave of hoppy bitterness. That being said, the nose is not as pronounced on cask as this beer is on CO2. The flavors on the palate, however, are simply mind blowing. This beer is much more sweet and malty on cask, but the tidal wave of hoppy bitterness imparts all kinds of flavor and hoppy goodness. I get sweet malt, baked apple and a hint of cherry, which is then countered and intensified by the hoppy bitterness. There is noticeable pine, pepper, citrus and quinine, all of which marries incredibly well with the sweet malt. In some ways, the cask version of this beer reminds me of a hoppy English ESB (a VERY hoppy ESB), or a somewhat lighter (again think very, very hoppy) English style barleywine (but without all the sweetness). Mouthfeel is very smooth and long, which while interesting, really doesn't work very well with this beer. Also, the sweetness hurts the drinkability just a bit, though this is still a very drinkable, absolutely delicious imperial (hoppy) red amber ale.

If I didn't have the regular Deranger to compare it to, I'm sure I'd find this to be a completely awesome, mind blowing beer. However, instead I find it to be simply a very good, very well made beer... that unfortunately simply cannot hold a candle to the CO2 version of this beer. Nevertheless, there is no denying that this is an excellent beer.

Edit from 1/16. Have been a fanboy of this beer for years, but with all the comings and goings of different brewers at Laurelwood over the years, there has been some understandable batch variation. Frankly, the glass I had at the Sellwood pub a few months back was underwhelming to say the least. However, am sitting in front of glass tonight that really takes me back (it's that delicious). What I love about Deranager, at it's best, is the incredible light mouthfeel, that somehow still carries all the rich flavor and hoppy bitterness, oh so well. In the current version, the hoppy goodness carries the day (this is more like a well crafted DIPA, with a red ale overlay), but with some sweet malt and light clove that pairs very well with all the hoppy goodness.

When it's at it's best, this beer is hard to beat, when it comes to an imperial red. Sadly, more times than not, this beer is no where close to being at it's very best.... it makes me very thankful to be drinking the glass I'm enjoying tonight.

9/23. The quality of Laurelwood beers has plummetted over the past few years, and I assume it won't be long before they completely go under (all their pub sites are now closed). I haven't seen Deranger in years, and given the current state of affairs at Laurelwood, I wouldn't order it even if I were to see it around town.
Sep 27, 2009
More User Ratings:
Photo of rodbeermunch
Reviewed by rodbeermunch from Nevada

3.83/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
This was the first beer I ever had from Laurelwood. Have had a few since. Was pretty rare to see a red beer at either the ipa or double ipa festival, but here is possibly one of the first and only times it has (2006 dipa fest).

Had that ruby darker red appearance thing going for it, nice lush 1" of head, always a plus when you're getting a festival pour. Brings the normal caramel and earth notes in the aroma, but this was in fact a hoppy red pushing what seemed like Chinook like pine notes to the forefront and a bit of Cascade like grapefruit in lesser aromatics. I don't know if those were the hops used, but the flavor and smell lead me to those speculations.

Taste was surprisingly good, massive 100ibu hop load to keep that hefty carmelized malt bill from falling into the usual red ale trappings. Nice bready aspect to it. This is a big beer that doesn't taste like a big beer. When it comes to red ales, this belongs in a discussion of the best, although probably not quite up there with Nugget Nectar and Loakal Red.

Review #4400
Apr 17, 2020
Photo of mactrail
Reviewed by mactrail from Washington

3.74/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Quite red amber in color with plenty of foam in the Ciney snifter. Quite spritzy and frothy in the mouth. Long zingy caramel-tinged flavor of roast malt. Well balanced and sharpened up by all the hops and the acidity. It actually could be more malty and less hot, but the alcohol dries the stuff out as you sip. A long nose herbal hops and roasted grain of with a little funk. A whiff of honeysuckle.

Flavor is cedar and dark grain with a woody finish. Some baked apple along with that touch of malty sweetness. This is supposed to be a bitter version of the Free Range Red, and is rated at 100 IBUs, though it’s not astoundingly bitter. Overall it’s an interesting big brew, though rather sharp for my taste as the hops take hold. From the 22 oz bottle purchased at Central Market north of Seattle.
Apr 15, 2017
 
Rated: 3.75 by Donkster46 from Washington

Jan 17, 2016
Photo of snaotheus
Reviewed by snaotheus from Washington

4.14/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
2015-09-03
22oz bottle poured into a large mug. Date on the side of the bottle is 8-12-2015. I hope that's the bottled on date.

Pours dark (but translucent) amber-red with a pretty big tan head that fades slowly and seems to be leaving sheets of lacing. Moderate carbonation. Smell indicates that 8-12-2015 is the bottled on date. This smells really nice, very fresh hoppy aroma, it smells like hop cones. Moderate malty presence, sort of a vague toastiness.

Taste is more of that nice hop characteristic, a stronger and better defined toastiness, and a nice roasty caramel. Hops come across with almost a minty (but not quite minty) characteristic -- more of a refreshing leafy suggestion. Deep bitter, building aftertaste composed of both hops and roast.

Mouthfeel is coarse, filmy, resinous. Overall, this is a really good beer. I continue to think Laurelwood deserves more attention than they get.
Sep 04, 2015
 
Rated: 4.13 by TheWiltChamberlainofipas from Oregon

Aug 21, 2015
 
Rated: 4.21 by SamuelR from California

Jul 28, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by Taby from California

Jul 23, 2015
 
Rated: 4.25 by crob3888 from California

Jul 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.85 by Birdlegs from Washington

Jul 05, 2015
 
Rated: 4.07 by airpup from Oregon

Feb 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4.13 by 510a from Washington

Jan 03, 2015
 
Rated: 4 by Axnjxn from North Carolina

Jan 02, 2015
 
Rated: 4.2 by BeerMeBro720 from Ohio

Dec 17, 2014
 
Rated: 3.74 by seabeemom from Oregon

Nov 30, 2014
 
Rated: 4.08 by GeorgeAKeim from Oregon

Nov 24, 2014
 
Rated: 4.2 by jbbailey from Tennessee

Nov 13, 2014
 
Rated: 4.4 by BendMTB from Oregon

Nov 08, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by BeerBucks from New York

Oct 29, 2014
 
Rated: 4 by CoryR from Oregon

Jul 23, 2014
Deranger Imperial Red from Laurelwood Public House & Brewery
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 52 ratings