Rosa Hibiscus Ale - Revolution Brewing Company - Brewpub

matjack85

Illinois

2.5/5  rDev -30.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

I tried this at the brewpub more out of curiosity than anything else. Served in what they told me was a tall, thin bell glass.

The beer had a pinkish/red color to it, pretty clear, and with a ½-finger of white head on top. Head retention lasted about a minute and there was only a smattering of spotty lacing.

Flowery and fruity smell with lots of hibiscus in the aroma.

A little sweet, a little tart, with a cherry-like fruity taste. Also lots of hibiscus flavor which I don't particularly like, but wanted to try anyway.

Light with medium carbonation.

Definitely nothing I would order again, but glad I tried it for its uniqueness.

Serving type: on-tap

12-02-2012 06:39:01 | More by matjack85

kustard

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -9.2%

05-25-2013 03:59:50 | More by kustard

BeerOps

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-25-2013 00:11:18 | More by BeerOps

vande

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -9.2%

05-24-2013 01:32:38 | More by vande

Vlaminck

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

05-23-2013 23:08:45 | More by Vlaminck

OrestesMethuon

Illinois

2.75/5  rDev -23.2%

05-22-2013 20:32:21 | More by OrestesMethuon

jt31914

Michigan

3.36/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.25

Served from a 12 oz. Bottle:
Revolution Brewing Co Rosa Hibiscus Ale
A: A very rosy appearance, with half an inch of quickly dissipating head. The bear looks similar to a rose, and based on the name that is exactly how it should look. The beer has great lacing.
S: The smell is very fruity, reminiscent of a kriek but maybe even a little dryer. The aroma again displays winelike characteristics, but the hibiscus is not really prominent to my nose. It is slightly fruity and herbal, but it
T: It is a lighter taste than I expected based on the smell. The beer isn’t necessarily thin, but it could be more full-bodied and could have more of a punch. The fruit flavor is light but pleasant, perhaps a mix of grape and cherry flavors. It is a nice taste, but I wish that there was more to the beer; furthermore, I wish that there was more hibiscus present in the beer. The brew tastes more like it has been blended with wine than brewed with hibiscus. It is slightly floral, but I still would have liked a bit more.
M: Very drinkable. The beer has a great mouthfeel, it is bubbly on the palate and goes down easily.
O: This beer looks, smells and feels like a great fruit beer, but the lack of overall flavor in the taste of the beer, as well as the lack of actual hibiscus flavor or aroma leaves me wishing for something more. It is a beer with great potential that has yet to be reached.

Serving type: bottle

05-22-2013 00:21:47 | More by jt31914

Davihaw

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-21-2013 00:33:04 | More by Davihaw

BB1313

Ohio

2.66/5  rDev -25.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

12oz can poured into a tulip. Pours a dark pink/ruby red; small off-white head fades quickly leaving nice retention and decent lacing. The aromas are very weak, smells like nothing. There are hints of white wine. Flavors aren't offensive at all, but extremely boring. The herbs don't seem to shine at all. Flavors are tart, but not cloying. Mouthfeel is fine; light, fizzy, and smooth. Alcohol goes unnoticed. Despite being boring, this would hit the spot on a summer day. It's still quaffable.

Weird beer. Very bland. To me, it's nothing more than something to keep you refreshed.

Serving type: can

05-19-2013 18:29:44 | More by BB1313

mychalg9

Illinois

4/5  rDev +11.7%

05-19-2013 04:04:43 | More by mychalg9

ssimpson89

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

05-19-2013 01:43:32 | More by ssimpson89

Hugonaut13

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-18-2013 03:45:59 | More by Hugonaut13

Ebf

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

05-18-2013 00:09:05 | More by Ebf

plumcrazyfx

Minnesota

3.25/5  rDev -9.2%

05-17-2013 21:16:51 | More by plumcrazyfx

Infamous7100

Ohio

3/5  rDev -16.2%

05-16-2013 20:43:07 | More by Infamous7100

MarkFy

Illinois

4/5  rDev +11.7%

05-16-2013 02:20:24 | More by MarkFy

avschmitt

Michigan

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-15-2013 19:27:03 | More by avschmitt

Brenden

Ohio

3.83/5  rDev +7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

A pale pink, Rosa looks like a blush or a white zinfandel rather than a beer, with the exception that a wine won't form a head on it. Rosa does, a pure white one that's pretty loose overall but has good retention once it drops and leaves a little lacing in moderate spotting.
Pale malts with an obvious floral note and a little sweetness from light fruits make up the aroma. Light and pale but not weak, per se.
Very gentle sweetness balances with evenly leveled tartness as some citrus zest pulls through. It's a touch lemony as well. The pale malt holds it up while the obvious floral notes rest over everything without dominating. Actually it's very well constructed, as the task of keeping a beer as light as this one without openly displaying flaws is a difficult one, not to mention making a beer this light that actually has substance.
The feel is as light as I'd expect but gives some depth. The body actually leans toward medium, though it still rests in light-bodied territory. Crispness doesn't disappoint on either the light or heavy end, pretty effervescent but not overly so, and it's pretty smooth as well.

Serving type: can

05-13-2013 16:45:36 | More by Brenden

IMSPEAKNOENGLISH

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

05-13-2013 03:08:38 | More by IMSPEAKNOENGLISH

Stevie_Janowski

Illinois

4.75/5  rDev +32.7%

05-13-2013 01:32:36 | More by Stevie_Janowski

pirmannt1

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

05-13-2013 00:51:59 | More by pirmannt1

briiguy

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

05-13-2013 00:35:14 | More by briiguy

MIA4IPA

Illinois

4/5  rDev +11.7%

05-12-2013 01:45:28 | More by MIA4IPA

JakeMorgan13

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +4.7%

05-11-2013 01:59:43 | More by JakeMorgan13

csparace

Illinois

2/5  rDev -44.1%
look: 1.75 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.25 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.75

I had to write this review to justify the bastardly low rating I gave it. I love Revolution and basically everything else they've made but this one is not like the others and doesn't belong. I never want to have to slam a beer like this again.

Appearance (1.75) – This is the first sign that something terribly wrong has occurred. Out of the can you can immediately see this girly pink color which is exactly like that cheap pink champagne that chicks buy for their sorority reunions. A huge, bleach white head foams up to about 3 full fingers (insert second sorority joke). Once the head settles you can see no carbonation rising to the top. The pink glow turns into a glassy, red whisky look. Still cant get the idea of pink bubbly out of my head.

Smell (2.00) – Light and slightly yeasty. Reminds me of the Belgian style. Slightly floral. Also smells pretty much like Busch light – that slightly metallic cheap beer smell. After the first few gulps, the smell fades completely.

Taste (2.25) – Welcome back to freshman year boys. All those terrible descriptions of [insert any adjunct lager here] you have sealed away in a vault hoping never to need again all come rushing towards you. I'll spare the language. I guess what I'm tasting could be attributed to the hibiscus plant but it really tastes more lemony than anything. I get relatively no malt profile and hops seem to have been forgotten.

Mouthfeel (1.50) – “This is kind of like having sex on a boat.... its near water” Revolution claims this is a “highly drinkable ale” I can't really argue with that. If right this second I was faced with a life or death situation in which I had to for some reason shot gun a beer – I'd grab one of these out of my fridge. The very mild carbonation in conjunction with the lack of taste this beer has makes it incredibly unsatisfying.

Overall (1.75) – Right now I'm really fighting the urge to throw on a toga and crush this can on my head. There is essentially nothing to this beer. I hate to slam such an awesome brewery but I just can't ever let a friend buy this beer – not when a sixer costs that of a comparable beer case. There is no taste, no smell, and the appearance is demeaning. It is exactly 5.8% better than water. I was so excited to try a new beer from Rev but damn.... I have to ask myself, how is is rated as high as it is????

Revolution is definitely still one of my favorite breweries. Basically EVERYTHING ELSE I have ever had from them has been great or even outstanding. The level that this beer came out is just so far below what they are capable of that it really makes me sad. Even so, Anti-Hero, Eugene-Porter, Galaxy-Hero, and A Little Crazy will always be stocked in my fridge.

For the love of god though – spare yourself.

Serving type: can

05-10-2013 23:59:55 | More by csparace