McCarthy's Bane - Knee Deep Brewing Company

Brenden

Ohio

4.21/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

This one is a thick, deep, heavy-looking ruddy orange-brown. It grows a thick, creamy, dense tan head one finger tall that pillows the big brew beneath and never really leaves. It kinds of sits around at half a finger and leaves a few big, heavy, fat rings of lacing toward the top of the glass, legs out a bit, and leaves follows with some equally heavy patching.
Pithy and bready on the nose, the aroma portends some big malts under a hop-heavy foundation. An herbal quality stands out among the bitterness too. There's kind of a dank, earthy quality to it underneath. This is a strong aroma, certainly far from muted.
This one is bout as hoppy as a red gets. At first a touch metallic along with the earthiness, I wonder if some variety of English hops or malts were used here. Otherwise piney and pithy with a pretty good balance from malts, or at least just enough to keep it from teetering over the edge. Caramel and toffee with some breads come out here also.
There's a big body to this brew without going overboard, and it's pretty rich and thick off an initial crispness that stays light but consistent all the way before cutting into a dry, woody finish.

Serving type: bottle

05-23-2013 21:34:26 | More by Brenden

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.7/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

650ml bottle purchased from BevMo in Sunnyvale, CA.

Pours a solidly red hue, almost fruit-like in appearance, with a messy, bubbly head of off-white that sits stark and static atop the beer. Lacing forms in modest streaks. Body has a pleasant weight behind it, and holds fine carbonation when tilted. Overall, it looks pretty good.

Nose is muted, but along the right tracks. Some slightly piney, woody hop notes come through above a gritty grain character. Some rounded, earthy characters are also present: I think more likely from the malt, even though the character is somewhat similar to a dusky English hop aroma. There's a hint of metallic twang as well as it warms. It's ok, but not spectacular.

Taste is also quite muted, here falling towards the malt direction much more than the hops direction. It's pleasant enough with a nutty malt character forming a hill on the palate that is lightly streaked with hop bitterness towards the back to provide some balance. It's all a little bit by-the-numbers, but it's balanced enough, pleasant enough and quite inoffensive. But it doesn't excite me.

Feel is smooth with a tingle from the carbonation.

Overall. Yes, yes, very decent. It's not going to make you gasp in awe, but it's a pretty solid red ale that doesn't really do anything wrong. That's no bad thing.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2013 01:39:11 | More by lacqueredmouse

Samuel906

California

3.64/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.75

I've been on a Knee Deep kick lately, and this was my latest adventure. First of all, I thought the label art was very cool. Second, this beer has an incredible smell, one of the best I have experienced. Sweet maple and brown sugar, plum and fig combined with some mild pine and malt. Pours a deep, dark reddish brown with medium head. Taste replicates the smell to a more mild degree. The hops come out a bit more in the taste, as well as some very slight smoke. I don't feel that the smell quite lives up to how exquisite it smells, but this is still a great all around beer. No booze in the taste. Mild carbonation.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 05:42:37 | More by Samuel906

lsummers

California

4.41/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Poured with a slight head. Color is a dark reddish brown. It's fairly clear but such a dark beer you almost can't see through it.

Smells fantastic, I love hopped up red ales. The piney hops hit first mixed with some caramel malty notes.

Taste is very straight forward hops. I would call this an ipa if it weren't for its pleasant malty background. Piney residuals remain on the end.

Mouthfeel is crisp and clean. Somewhat sticky.

Overall, it's a great imperial red ale. It seems more like a red/ipa hybrid. I would love to try this again and on tap.

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2013 04:01:09 | More by lsummers

AgentMunky

Alabama

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a pilsner glass.

A: Two fingers of tannish head. The beer is red and clear and pretty. Some carbonation. Heavy lacing.

S: Coffee. Dry caramel malts. Soft fruit. Pleasant Imperial Red.

T: Hm. It's okay. Hoppy-bitter, but tritely so. Toasted, buttery malt with apples lurking in the background behind the alleged 80 IBU. Sweetish and strong, but well-balanced.

M: Dry, bitter, and carbonated. I'm a fan.

O: Enjoyable imperial red. Recommended to those who like the style. Would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2013 07:43:49 | More by AgentMunky

Joshpu

California

4.49/5  rDev +16.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a bottle into a duvel glass.

A: Poured a clear dark brownish amber color. Two finger white head. Light carbonation, nice lacing retention.

S: I get the piney hop smell. Smells like malts and dark fruits. Also a caramel presence. Definitely has the more biscuity smell as it warms.

T: Very much like the smell and has the malt taste, but also the piney hop presence. There is also a biscuit tasting note, and a caramel presence. Definitely has the more biscuity and hop flavor as it warms.

M: Medium to full bodied. It's actually more smooth drinking than I thought it would be.
Sort of silky smooth.

Overall I think its a great beer. I think it is well balanced. Normally the caramel and malty tasting beers are not my favorite but this tastes very good. With that being said though, it also definitely has the hop presence, which I love.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2013 06:15:09 | More by Joshpu

CommanderOfAwesome

California

4.13/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

22 oz bomber poured into a Snifter.

A: Pours a deep reddish golden amber one to one.5 finger head. Plenty of lacing.

S: Pine, resin, sweetness and more pine.

T: Thin malt base which is a bit surprising, otherwise close to the aroma. Pine, bitter ness from the hops.

M: Medium bodied, decent amount of carbonation. Bitter dry clean finish with a bit of lingering effect to let you know it packs a punch.

O: Very tastey, very similar to an American strong ale in the light of a Stone Arrogant Bastard. Not sure the difference between imperial red and american strong ale, but never the less this is a good beer.

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 03:56:45 | More by CommanderOfAwesome

Topher78

California

4.08/5  rDev +6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

As with just about everything from Knee Deep Brewing this beer rocked my palate. The brew poured a very dark crimson red verging on brown with about half a fingers worth of a khaki head. The aroma has plenty of spice, toffee and a hint of citrus. The taste is earthy with a blast of bitterness of the front of the tongue, slightly sweet and bready on the middle of the tongue and finishes dry. It's medium bodied beer and masks the 8% ABV very well.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 18:21:38 | More by Topher78

WesM63

Ohio

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a 22oz bottle into a tulip.

A: pours a very dark brown with slightly red hue. 2finger off white head. Moderate amounts of retention, plenty of lacing.

S: Smells of pine, resin and sweet malts.

T: Close to the nose. A little hop forward, pine and resin. Followed by sweet, caramel malts and finishes slightly bitter.

M: Medium body and carbonation.

O: Overall, this is a solid imperial red. Plenty of hop bitterness and malty sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

11-15-2012 02:39:16 | More by WesM63

srandycarter

California

3.88/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Fairly clear ruby brown, small off white head, lots of spotty lace.

S - Malty, with a slight under smell of hop.

T - Packs flavor, but mostly bitter. Fairly thin on the malt compared to what I was expecting. A very hoppy beer. Leans towards the bitter in the end.

M - Medium body. Chewy beer. Good carbonation. Nice balance and finish.

D - Dangerously tasty for a pretty high ABV.

Serving type: bottle

11-06-2012 03:18:23 | More by srandycarter

TheSixthRing

California

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Poured aggressively, this ruby brown brew produced an off-white, 3 finger head with good retention. Fair, sticky lacing.

Smell - Noticeable citrus hop aroma, mostly grapefruit, backed by notes of caramel.

Taste - Follows the nose. Caramel malt, a faint hint of roasted coffee malt character, and a strong, oily grapefruit hop presence, with hints of pine, which start small and grows in dominance as the beer heads toward the finish. Lingering bitter pith aftertaste.

Mouthfeel - Medium to full body, with a fair amount of carbonation. Somewhat velvety in smoothness.

Overall - Fairly impressive Imperial Red. If I had to describe the flavor in three words, I'd call it 'Arrogant Bastard Light'. They share similar flavors, though AB is more complex, aggressive and bitter. This for $8, or AB for $5? Give me the AB.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2012 04:29:38 | More by TheSixthRing

mactrail

California

3.18/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Color is a dark brownish amber in the tall Saxo tulip. Not much pressure in the bottle, but seems reasonably carbonated and pours a thin foam. A whiff of aromatic hops like Cascades greets the nose.

You also get a nice splash of the big hops at first sip, but bitter is the main flavor. There is some rather murky malt, but it's a very thin flavor in spite of the fairly robust mouthfeel. Ends on a hot and dirty note. Seems like they took an undistinguished red ale recipe and super-sized the hops but not the malt.

From the 22 oz bottle bought at Barons Marketplace in San Diego.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2012 03:26:12 | More by mactrail

ngeunit1

California

4/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Pours a dark red-brown with a finger of frothy tannish head. The head fades down at a normal pace leaving behind some nice lacing.

S - Aroma is a mix of sweet caramel malts with some grapefruit, pine, and grassy hops and some caramelized sugars and dark caramel malts.

T - Starts off with a mix of sweet caramel malts with some grapefruit and citrus hops, some bitterness, and some dark caramel malts. Through the middle, some caramelized sugars come through with some pine hops and some more bitterness. The finish is a mix of sweet caramel malts and caramelized sugars, grapefruit and pine hops, some bitterness, and some light smokey flavor.

M - Medium-plus bodied with moderate carbonation. Feels smooth with a sweet, bitter, and lightly warming finish.

D - Very drinkable. Good complex red ale. Nice overall balance.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2012 05:08:06 | More by ngeunit1