American Red Ale - Rock Art Brewery

corby112

Pennsylvania

2.25/5  rDev -34.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

Pours a clear amber color with a very thin white head that quickly dissapears. Weak aroma with faint hints of malt and hops and not much character. Very watered down with subtle maltiness and a slight dry hoppy finish. Weak interpretation of the style.

Serving type: bottle

11-27-2008 17:39:48 | More by corby112

gfreed

Massachusetts

2.33/5  rDev -32.5%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Another blah beer from Rock Art and, I'm afraid, another black eye for the VT beer club. Although this one has little aroma beyond soap, it manages to burp up a little caramel flavor after stagnating in a glass for about 20 minutes. Still, it's not worth the wait. If you must drink a Vermont amber, drink the one from Otter Creek.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2011 00:26:32 | More by gfreed

silentjay

Massachusetts

2.6/5  rDev -24.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

red, white and blue color scheme on a pretty boring bottle.
pours a lot darker than I would have thought a transparent brown with a bit of a red tint. small head, with little lacing.

smells like burnt caramel and toast. not appealing, though.

tastes more like a red than the appearance or aroma, but still the burnt malt comes through most. Not a lot of hops to speak of. a touch of watery coffee and butterscotch. tastes like a half and half mix of Killian's and Newcastle, yet a bit stronger. Maybe a watered down smithwicks with more of a burnt flavor.

Mouthfeel is light and unimpressive. carbonation is ok, but overall its very watery.

Drinkability is average at best. I'm getting through the bottle, but I'm not enjoying it.

Not what i was expecting, much worse. I thought an American Red would be a hoppy red, but this is like half red ale, half brown ale. I like browns, I like reds, but this combination just doesn't work for me.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2010 01:18:57 | More by silentjay

Jettanbass9

Pennsylvania

2.68/5  rDev -22.3%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 3

I really wish I could break this beer down into A, S, T, M, D but i can't. This beer is extremely simple. Too simple.

There are no off flavors, nothing that would make it a drain pour however, the beer seems overattenuated, lacks body aroma, and a hearty flavor that an Amber should.

Hop flavors are very light but present as is the caramel malt. The only thing this has going for it is its drinkability. It's light body unassertive flavors could make for a decent brew, if you plan on getting surly.

All in all, it misses the mark in the style BUT isn't a bad brew if you are looking for some decent swill.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2008 03:50:07 | More by Jettanbass9

beerthulhu

New Jersey

2.73/5  rDev -20.9%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Had high hopes for this bottle. Heard a lot about them and label artwork was pretty cool. Huge great citrus aroma hits the nose, wow, only problem is it had no taste or flavor. Very thin with some floral bitterness in the end but overall was just average and boring. Was like French fries without the salt, good aroma but it ends there.

Serving type: bottle

01-19-2008 23:49:41 | More by beerthulhu

ffejherb

Pennsylvania

2.75/5  rDev -20.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle into goblet on 2/21/08.

A - Deep garnet or burgundy-colored body with 1/2-finger beige head that quickly gave way to a very thin, whispy veil and sparse lacing. Fair amount of carbonation present.

S - Sweet milk chocolate mixed with an odd herbal or medicinal hop aroma and some coffee bean notes. Some hay and barnyard funk way in the back. Just a touch of alcohol as the liquid warmed up.

T - Has some sweet caramel malt up front, but finishes with an odd medicinal bitterness that tastes dirty, for lack of a better term. I don't particularly care for the hops in this brew.

M - Very thin, watery texture with a moderately prickly mouthfeel coupled with a distinct grittiness on the palate. Finishes with a bland, dry hop bitterness on the back of the tongue.

D - I find this only slightly better than their barleywine, which was not very good, in my opinion. Overall, not too impressed with this offering either.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2008 23:37:42 | More by ffejherb

BeerNinja007

New Hampshire

2.85/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

Got a 12oz single today at Dan & Whit's in Norwich VT, I think it was $1.89 +tax/deposit. Bottled on date has two notches, one for Jan and one for May, and no year, so not too useful. Served cold in a chilled pint glass.

This dark sepia brew gives a decent 1/2" of tan head that settles to a thin frothy and stable layer with some larger bubbles and a good meniscus around the glass. Nose is pretty faint, just a bit of warm toasty malt. The taste has a great bit of mixed inky hop with a moderate body of toasty malt. Feel is mostly dry and the finish is very dry, astringent. Drinkability is lessened by the harsh dry finish, makes my teeth feel gritty.

I like a lot of Rock Art's beer, but this one falls short.

Serving type: bottle

09-12-2010 23:22:06 | More by BeerNinja007

johnnyirishman

Pennsylvania

2.88/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from a 12oz bottle into a Pint glass.

Apperance- Pours an amber/red color, but a hard pour yeilded only a small head that diden't stick around.

Smell- Some malts poking through but not too much going on here.

Taste,Mouthfeel- Metallic malty front with a slight hops bite at the finish.

Drinkability- An ok red ale, I wouldent buy it again though.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2008 22:32:30 | More by johnnyirishman

jwc215

New Jersey

2.9/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Pours deep crimson/mahogony with a one-finger head that descends to a thin creamy heat. Some lacing sticks to the glass.

The smell is of toffee with a citric hop background. Would be decent, but for a doughy yeast aroma mixed in that throws it off.

Sour upfront. Toffeeish. Malty with little of the hop presence that was in the aroma, except that something is balancing it out. Toasty notes. The yeast strain, which doesn't seem to go so well here, tends to peek through a bit too much.

It falls apart too much in the feel, which is overly watery and thin. Flavor vanishes money in my pocket in a beer store. Decent carbonation and even texture, but nothing is left after swallowing.

Overall, it was easy enough to finish the one, but nothing would make me want more of it. Thin with just a bit too much yeast coming through. A fleeting memory of a brew.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2007 03:26:37 | More by jwc215

Duhast500

Massachusetts

2.9/5  rDev -15.9%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured from the tap into a pint glass.

The color is dark red, almost maroon with a finger or two of foamy white head that last for a short while. Not much in the way of lacing on the glass.

The smell is caramel with a slight toffee flavor and reminded me of a sundae without the ice cream.

The taste is has a nice malty flavor that is sweet with more caramel and toffee flavors. A creamy somewhat chocolate flavor is just on the edges and is only there ever so slightly.

The feel of this beer is medium and goes down well. Not a bad red ale, it pretty drinkable but is a little too creamy at times but overall not a bad beer.

Serving type: on-tap

07-12-2010 14:21:31 | More by Duhast500

albern

Massachusetts

3.03/5  rDev -12.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

This beer pours a dark amber, almost a porter color, and not the reddish amber I was expecting. The head is brownish and it does retain, somewhat. This is a light bodied beer that has this rather interesting charcoal taste. There is a burnt brown sugar aspect evident from the malts, a nice dryness, and a smoothness in the finish. The smell offers little to distinguish itself, the taste overall does not linger, and this makes for a rather okay outing, nothing more.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2007 21:11:18 | More by albern

AlexJ

North Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

My Mom brought me a sixer of this on her last visit from VT.

Nice deep red-brown with a decent off white head.

Aroma is sweet caramel malts, buttered popocorn(not good), some toasted nuts, and earthy hops.

Flavor is buttery caramel and cereal malts, earthy hops, and some light metallic astringency.

Average body, mouthfeel, and drinkability.

Love ya Mom but next time bring some McNeills!

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2008 20:07:44 | More by AlexJ

u2carew

Massachusetts

3.08/5  rDev -10.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

12oz. Long neck.
A) Pours with a finger thick head that settles to a thin film on top. Ruby in color with some brown hues. Enough light shines through to see the upward carbonation. Lacing is thin and fairly sticky.
S) The expected malt aromas are subtle. There are hints of tree fruit apple and plum.
T) The malts are not robust but present. Lightly toasted caramel. Hops are present about midway through and come up a little stronger in the finish.
M) Medium body on the thin side. Fairly smooth. Dry in the finish.
D) An alright brew not one to brag about.

Serving type: bottle

06-01-2010 22:47:03 | More by u2carew

Doshkin

Maine

3.1/5  rDev -10.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

a - nice read/orange tinted amber color. little head that reduced quickly, but left a visually appealing film of bubbles for the duration of the consumption. best part of the beer is its looks

s - slightest bit of caramel sweet malts. mostly bready with a touch of floral hops. decent smell, but weak overall

t - taste wasn't very strong either. kind of watery, in fact. matches smell overall, with more emphasis on the bitterness of the hops. the majority of the hops must have been added at the beginning of the boil for this brew because it is quite bitter, with less hopiness in the taste, and even less in the smell.

m - definitely the second best part of the beer. good carbonation, easy to drink, pretty smooth.

o - Rock Art Brewery, i have not been impressed with the only two beers i've ever had from you. i might try one more, but if that one doesn't redeem these first two below average beers, i will be giving up on you.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 20:47:19 | More by Doshkin

Suds

Pennsylvania

3.13/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I had this brew at a friend's house, just before relocating to Europe. It's a deep, reddish-amber color with a nice white head. The lace is respectable, and the aroma is more malty than expected. Hop aroma is restrained, while a little roasted and toasted malts shine through. The intensity of the aroma, however, is a bit light. The flavor is similar. Mildly sweet and drinkable. The carbonation is relatively low, and the beer is nicely balanced between sweet and dry. It's a good, but somewhat unremarkable beer. I'd have it again, but wouldn't seek it out.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2007 21:15:00 | More by Suds

far333

Connecticut

3.15/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a chestnut ruby color with a foamy beige head that lingers, and leaves fine lacing and rings around the inside of the glass. Smell is hoppy, but not very strong. Mouthfeel is a bit watery and slick. Flavor is light malt, but also has some cherry highlights. Reminds me of an English bitter, but has a strange sour and tangy flavor. It's a bit too bitter, and the sourness detracts from it overall.

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2003 00:28:35 | More by far333

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.15/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clear but dark brown. No head really. Strong caramel and malt on the nose with a minor leaf tone barely hitting you.. Flavor is unbalanced. Way too much of a tang to it. Almost like some kind of citrus juice mixed in there. A bit of an odd liquid feel. Low carbonation. This is one to pass on. Lacks balance. Too tangy. Not really worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2008 06:58:23 | More by RblWthACoz

WesWes

New York

3.18/5  rDev -7.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

The beer pours a dark amber/brown color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is decent. It has a nice pale and crystal malt scent along with a slightly aggressive hop aroma. The taste is average. It has a thin malty flavor that boasts of roasted and crystal malts. It's quite hoppy with little balance. The mouthfeel is decent. It is a low/medium bodied beer with good carbonation. This is an average red ale. It's a little one sided with more hops than malt.

Serving type: bottle

09-23-2008 15:37:29 | More by WesWes

smcolw

Massachusetts

3.23/5  rDev -6.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Decent start to the head but it settles to a single layer of bubbles. Leaves good, spotty lace. Brown color; quite dark for an amber. Clear.

Malty aroma. Low level hop smell. Interestingly, there is whiff of alcohol. I've never experienced this in a beer with this level of ABV.

Very astringent--dry and bitter. The swallow is quite harsh and the aftertaste dies quickly. No notable hop. Thin bodied with a high level of carbonation.

Overall, it has the wrong combination to win me over.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2010 17:42:18 | More by smcolw

racer2k

Massachusetts

3.25/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance: Small amount of head which goes away quickly. Low / medium carbonation. Dark red color

Smell: Dark malty and fruity perhaps some cherry flavor. Roasted burnt aroma.

Taste: Toasted malt taste with a light hoppy flavor. Finishes crisp with hint of cherry

Mouthfeel: Light body and clean feel.

Drinkability: Smooth easy. Good for session drinking if you like red ales

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2008 21:09:56 | More by racer2k

mikesgroove

South Carolina

3.28/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

orange tinted amber color being presented before me. Little in the way of head, maybe an inch at the top at first, but settling down quickly thereafter. No noticeable side glass presentation, and only marginal carbonation visible.

The aroma was rather weak to be honest, no where near the robust smell I was looking for. Light malt notes, somewhat bready with a healthy dose of grain thrown in. The flavor was more of the same, just too light to really make an impression on me either way. Some light off fruit notes were notices, but again unremarkable. Decent carbonation kept it feeling lively, but to be honest it was just too thin to really pull it all together for me.

Serving type: bottle

08-06-2011 20:23:22 | More by mikesgroove

FickleBeast

New Jersey

3.28/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle poured into a pint glass.

Pours a clear reddish amber color with a half finger of foam that dissipates quickly without lacing. Aroma is somewhat malty, stale bread, plum, and a kiss of earthy hops.

First sip is pretty straightforward - a hint of malty sweetness, a touch dry, and finishing with a bit of metallic twang. Overall, pretty straightforward - not a ton of flavor or anything that really excites the palate. Hop flavor is muted, and there is a slight bitterness in the finish.

Well, this beer has some potential, but unfortunately it really falls short of being great. It just doesn't have a ton of flavor. No real off flavors but that's not a glowing endorsement.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 01:48:55 | More by FickleBeast

orbitalr0x

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -4.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours from the bottle a nice deep reddish brown with a half inch khaki head. Bright ruby pops out when held up to the light. Aromas of sweet caramel that's a bit roasty, fruit and bready malt undertones. A nice citric hop aroma is there too. Not bad, I enjoy the fresh hop aroma.

First sip brings brings a nice toasty caramel maltiness along with a nice citrusy hop backbone. A bit of a bready aspect comes in mid sip with a good balance between bitter and sweet. An enjoyable, no frills, easy drinking red ale.

Mouthfeel is has a medium body with a carbonation that fills the mouth on the way down. Easily drinkable, yet fairly average. Would make a nice hot weather session and would be a good choice to convert those macro drinkers. Thanks to MuddyFeet and BIF20 for the chance to try this one.

Serving type: bottle

06-08-2005 02:21:34 | More by orbitalr0x

brewslut

Pennsylvania

3.35/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz. bottle into a goblet.

A - Dark reddish brown body, almost burnt umber in color, with small off-white head and that mostly diminished. Clear body with normal sized particles.

S - Malty dark chocolate with espresso coffee. Lightly hopped. Some earthy yeast present reminiscent of wet leather.

T - Initially light and bitter with short, dry finish.

M - Light to medium body with oily texture and soft carbonation. Metallic finish.

D - Decent offering, but I wouldn't go out of my way for another. A little too dry for my tastes.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2008 01:52:54 | More by brewslut

mobud

Delaware

3.35/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Bottle into tulip pint

A-Dark copper penny with small white head. Light carbonation.

S- Very malty sweet

T- Very bright. Sweet malt with a rye bread finish.

M- Medium

D- A good middle of the road beer. Enjoyed it with a spicy sausage and it paired well. Would be glad to get more of this beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2009 13:44:09 | More by mobud