Red Zone
Prism Brewing Company

Red ZoneRed Zone
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From:
Prism Brewing Company
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
Herb and Spice Beer
ABV:
6.6%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.52 | pDev: 17.9%
Reviews:
17
Ratings:
82
Status:
Active
Rated:
Mar 13, 2021
Added:
Jan 11, 2010
Wants:
  3
Gots:
  11
Formerly known as "Red October".
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Photo of JohnniEMc
Reviewed by JohnniEMc from Pennsylvania

3.58/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
Wow! There's a surprising amount of life left in this 12 oz. bottle. As it's poured into a clear pint glass, there's so much carbonation the pour needed to be paused. This, from a brew just pulled from the depths of a refrigerator, with a freshest by stamp 1/15/15. Compete with that, historians. Really pretty, a dark caramel brown with a sufficient and enduring tan head. There's a little malt behind a blast of nutmeg, ginger, clove and something sweeter that's syrupy. All together, it's not bad. The spices work well against the sweetness, now reading the label, specifically maple. Now defunct, Prism often tried to work unexpected flavors into their brews, often and apparently unsuccessfully. This is one of their best efforts. If their successor, McAllister Brewers would like to revive anything from their inheritance, they can't be faulted if they don't, this would be recommended. A decent blast from the past that may be the final review of this at B.A.
Mar 13, 2021
Photo of rudiecantfail
Reviewed by rudiecantfail from Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
12 oz bottle into a tulip glass.

A-- Hazy, caramel brown look. Light brown, creamy head that had a lot of staying power.

S--Strong with spices like nutmeg and cinnamon, maybe some others that I'mnot good enough to identify.

T--Full of spices. I think they really went for the "fall" flavors here. Although I find their effort a bit lightweight, I still found the taste to be excellent. Damn them.

M--Creamy mouthfeel with medium carbonation. I liked this part of it.

O--I wanted to dislike it as a whitegirl pumpkin latte sort of thing, but dammit, I guess I'm a whitegirl and it was good.
Oct 09, 2016
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

3.78/5  rDev +7.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Prism Brewing Co. "Red Zone"
on tap at the brewery, 9 April 2016

ESPN Red Zone! Football!!! I get it! Malty, caramelish, and spicy - how could you go wrong? Well, the "rim job" of spice and sugar ruined it for me, and perhaps I shouldn't even review it because of that, except that that's how the brewery serves it.

It's a dark amber-russet brown in color beneath a creamy head of khaki. The nose, well I don't really know, all I could smell was cinnamon and sugar from the "rim job". The flavor is nice, and I think they've got a very pleasant blend of grainy malt, yeasty fruitiness, and spices. It's reminiscent of apple pie, toasted bread with butter and honey, cinnamon toast, and chewy maple candy. It's nice, and it somehow finishes dry despite its malt sweetness. Medium bodied with a median carbonation - not too crisp given there's spice involved. Altogether a pretty decent pint.
Apr 15, 2016
 
Rated: 3.65 by TLA from Pennsylvania

Jan 30, 2016
Photo of Franziskaner
Reviewed by Franziskaner from Missouri

3.81/5  rDev +8.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Brown to a bit amber in color with a fingernail of beige covering most of the top. There nose is crowded with cinnamon, allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and maple syrup. I taste a bold blend of spices and flavors in order that I picked them out: nutmeg, cinnamon, allspice, maple syrup, and ginger. The mouth is lightly sticky and dry.
Jan 30, 2016
Photo of jmshipe
Reviewed by jmshipe from Delaware

2.45/5  rDev -30.4%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.25 | overall: 2.75
Pours a cloudy caramel color with thin lacing. Mouthfeel is fizzy and thin. The nose is pleasant, but lacking depth. The taste is slightly sour, leaning toward vinegar. Notes of tart fruit and maple, followed by an unpleasant bitterness from the spice.
Jan 18, 2015
 
Rated: 3.53 by hp2skater from Pennsylvania

Jan 13, 2015
 
Rated: 3.25 by InspectorBob from New Jersey

Dec 13, 2014
 
Rated: 3.5 by SocalKicks from California

Nov 23, 2014
 
Rated: 1.75 by TheBigBoy from Pennsylvania

Nov 17, 2014
Photo of ShaneHarris
Reviewed by ShaneHarris from Pennsylvania

4.5/5  rDev +27.8%
This was one of the tastiest ales I've ever had. The brown sugar rim on one half, all the spices. It had the perfect balance of spices, and I would recommend this beer to everyone (whether they like beer or not).
Nov 07, 2014
 
 
Rated: 3.64 by BeerForMuscle from New Jersey

Nov 02, 2014
Photo of wattoclone
Reviewed by wattoclone from California

4.25/5  rDev +20.7%
If someone told me this was a pumpkin ale I would have believed them. Aroma of yams with caramelized brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg. Taste is malt forward with intense brown sugar roasted squash and a sweet cinnamon finish. I hope Prism can produce more brews as good as this one.
Oct 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3.25 by baconfromwalmart from Pennsylvania

Oct 18, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by LoveStout from New York

Oct 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3 by acurtis from New Jersey

Oct 06, 2014
 
Rated: 3.56 by mpalestino from Pennsylvania

Oct 03, 2014
Photo of Bouleboubier
Reviewed by Bouleboubier from New Jersey

3.61/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
(best by 12/25/14 - poured into a balloon)

L: deep reddish, ruddy brown in color... not quite as cloudy as some of their others, more of a mild haze... tight, dense pad of tan foam

S: mild, candy/gum-like cinnamon and perhaps dried sweet orange peel... potpourri and light brown sugar... good bit of fresh-cured leather... overall, very potent

T: tastes like it's more suited to be sipped warm than cool like this... luckily, it's not terribly sweet... the cinnamon and ripe dark fruit flavors are most dominant, the blend of spices being a muddled one, as none other than the cinnamon really stick out... the ginger (powdered?) and a bit of musty phenols emerge in the aftertaste... the overall taste can be likened to a malty, bitter-sweet leveled toddy

F: big, medium-thick, smooth, with a sly suggestion of roundness... moreishly soft and dry in the finish like the rest of their beers

O: they market this as a fall beer... Nov. through Jan. is probably when you'd be in the mood for something like this - maybe even through Valentine's Day... taste it and see if that makes sense... again, an interesting brew from Prism - keeps me looking forward to the next new sample, though
Sep 23, 2014
Red Zone from Prism Brewing Company
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 82 ratings