Elector Imperial Red Ale - New Albanian Brewing Company - Pizzeria and Public House

blackie

Virginia

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

a: served in a plastic hotel cup, the beer is a hazy, deep nut amber in color, sporting a thick khaki head with great retention - props to plastic

s: rich malt syrup nose, lots of dark caramelization, heavy toffee, nutty grain sugar, earthy pine tea hops, fruit esters, almost a sweet raw wort aroma at times

m: carbonation brushes with life smoothly across the tongue, weighty medium-full body

t: body loaded with rich, heavily caramelized malts that bring flavors of sweet, nutty grain and thick, raw malt wort, heavy hop flavors come in about halfway - long-steeped, earthy pine tea flavors dominate, pungent and acidic, sugars continue through but dial back a bit as a moderate bittering balances things out a touch,

o: rich and unrefined, lots of pure caramelized grain character, a nice beer that does well as the rustic type, though scores lower as a result, drinks fine

Serving type: bottle

04-04-2013 04:11:21 | More by blackie

macrosmatic

Florida

3.19/5  rDev -14%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25

Reviewed from notes. Poured from bomber into a Cigar City pint glass.

A: Pours a clear, deep reddish amber, with a one-finger off-white head, and moderate visible carbonation.

S: Toasted caramel, some pine bitterness, with vanilla and citrus in the background.

T: Follows the nose. Big bready malts with some spiciness. There isn't a particularly hoppy flavor here but there is some hop bitterness in the hang. Overall though, the taste seems thin and not overly pleasing.

M: Light bodied for an imperial-anything, moderate carbonation sensation, alcohol very well-hidden.

O: I bought this on a whim - a new brewery to this area, and it does have a pretty cool label. That said, I'm not impressed with the beer. It was drinkable, but I won't buy another one.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 18:41:41 | More by macrosmatic

liamt07

Ontario (Canada)

3.65/5  rDev -1.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Bottle from Deloch's in Indiana, 650ml into a tulip.

Unfiltered brown with some redder/ruby hues. Modest retention and thick lace. Nose has berries, a big red ale malt (heavily caramelized), toffee, light citrusk and spicy hops (although perhaps a bit faded). Taste has and earthy, caramel backbone. Moderate sweetness, toffee, citrus and some general hop bitterness. Malt is quite forward, and quite a nice profile displayed at that. Medium full feel, moderate bitterness. A decent red ale, with nice malt character but the hop flavours aren't as forward as I would've desired - still not a bad beer by any stretch.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2012 01:27:09 | More by liamt07

ChugginOil

Illinois

2.83/5  rDev -23.7%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Picked up at a liquor store near 3 Floyds

Poured into a FFF pint glass

The look is a cloudy reddish brown color that has a finger of off-white head that leaves lots of lace.

The nose is extremely malty. Nothing but malt. No hops or booze scents. Sweet and caramel-like malts dominate.

The taste is just the same. Biscuit-like malt, caramel malt and a bit of butterscotch. A tad bit of hops leave a bitter tingle.

The mouthfeel is medium bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation.

Overall, not very pleasant due to the malt overloads. I doubt this was fresh but there is not a bottle-on-date so who knows. Malt bomb.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2012 06:28:04 | More by ChugginOil

seedsofchaos

Illinois

3.68/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

I've had a few issues with this brewery in the past. Namely, over-carbonation problems in quite a few of my previous bombers. Elector surprised me with seemingly spot on carbonation and a great appearance. Alright, New Albanian, we're off to a good start.

A rich copper, almost barleywine color, sits fantastically with dark ruby highlights. Head adorns my pint glass perfectly with 1/3 inch of off-white foam that just doesn't leave. Perfect viscosity from all those oily hops and great looking legs.

Cascade hops come through nicely in the nose. Plenty of citrus on top of a light crystal malt aroma. This is definitely a Red that's been dry-hopped. Citrus echoes in the flavor as well, but a bit of pine comes through as well, especially playing its part in bittering and aftertaste. The malt bill gains more complexity with a bit of warmth. In fact, the malt and hop bill almost begin to become somewhat reminiscent of a DFH 90 Minute IPA... Almost. Alcohol is masked nicely and the Caramel malts provide a nice, mild sweetness to the brew. A bit over-carbonated (here's that again) in the mouthfeel but at least it doesn't detract from the overall impression of the beer as other offerings have.

All in all, a decent representation of an Imperial Red/Amber. The semi-aggressive hop bill sits well in the bouquet as well as in the flavor. This is, by far, the best offering from New Albanian that I've had to date. I'm hoping for more of this as time goes on. I'd definitely be willing to buy another bottle of this in the future. Good job, NA.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 01:38:01 | More by seedsofchaos

t420o

California

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

New Albanian elector

Consumed: Aug 25

A- pour produces a 1-1/2 finger off white head that's rests atop a hazy copperish red body. Leaves nice
Lacing decent retention 4  

S- cherries, mollases, twizzlers, some citrus and bitter hop smell, a wine type scent I get in a lot of imperial reds. Very good 4

T- very nice bitter hop taste in nice balance with the sweet malty flavors. There is definitely a cherry and wine type taste. Some citrus also. Ends with a nice bitterness. The flavors come in nice waves. 4

M- very good moutfeel. Very smooth nice carbonation. 4

O- I'm a big fan of imperial reds and while this may not be the best one it is a damn good beer. It would have a place in my fridge anytime if it were available to me. Wish I would have shipped another one back. 4

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2012 19:55:56 | More by t420o

BeerAdvocate

Massachusetts

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Review from BeerAdvocate Magazine Issue #55 (August 2011):

Tall portion of head, and the dark chestnut color is clear enough for the light to shine through. Big aroma of toffee, baked apples, ripe plums, raisins, brown bread and alcoholic esters. Malty body is not too thick, but certainly is very smooth. Massive toasted malt foundation, so lush, with a broad stroke on the palate. Hints of toffee and ripe fruit within—modest hopping drops some herbal flavor in the back ... broth as well? Warming esters in the sweetish finish. Bold flavors and big malt profile may take away from the drinkability, but it still ends up being a good sipper.

Serving type: bottle

12-15-2011 13:27:24 | More by BeerAdvocate

bobhits

Kentucky

2.23/5  rDev -39.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 1 | overall: 1

Well after a night of talking politics, hearing the thoughts of one of our Republican candidate's staffers, well this beer feel appropriate. With the elections burning and the political talk peeking...just a great time for beer and good discussions!

Pours red and very cloudy. There's a yeast haze that I really really can't see through and this is a thin glass. Nice head and great lacing.

Really just a big red aroma. Caramel, hops, fruity esters, and well just a red. This doesn't give off a huge hop aroma as the bottle indicated.

Bready biscuit like taste dominates. A bit of hops at the end and they add a fruity element throughout.A bit of bitterness lingers but this is a pretty simple imperial red.

Way way too thick! There's something about this that is making this really hard to drink. It's odd as it is well carbonated and should be very drinkable.

This one needs more hops or less body...the blend here is just not working in anyway shape or form. There aren't any real bad tastes but I can't get into this.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2011 17:03:15 | More by bobhits

brown2cu

Ohio

4.2/5  rDev +13.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

Thanks for the suggestion from my local bottle shop!

A: Pours a deep mahogany and is initially topped by a half finger of head. However, it dies down into near nothingness. a moderate amount of lacing is present.

S: Piney earthy hops are present in the nose at the forefront. At the back there is a strong dark fruit backing with a slight tinge of caramel.

T: Hops are more assertive than I would have guessed but it cuts into the caramel rather nicely and creates some balance. There is some fruity aspects in the taste as well.

M: Well rounded; creamy but not heavy slight alcohol burn in the mouth.

Overall, I enjoy this beer and will get again and definitely make an effort to try more of their beers

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

11-17-2011 04:18:46 | More by brown2cu

TheBeerAlmanac

Kentucky

3.48/5  rDev -6.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bottle poured into a tulip

A: Pours a dark amber, reddish hue with a foamy creme colored head. My bottle exploded upon opening, which means it could be ill-preserved or it could be excessively carbonated. Or maybe I shook it on accident, but I’m sure it’s the bottle’s fault.

S: Smells of sweet caramel maltiness and pine and earthy hops, almost barleywine like.

T/M: There is a low amount of carbonation (from the bottle exploding possibly, which of course, wasn’t my fault), thick biscuit malt, rum raisin, some graininess and a clean bitterness. Not a hoppy bitterness, but but something from a long boil that lingers in the finish, like a pilsner or German lager. The alcohol is well disguised.

It’s not a complex beer, but is still a good, weighty brew. Serving this beer at congressional meetings would work wonders.

TheBeerAlmanac.com

Serving type: bottle

11-10-2011 02:51:15 | More by TheBeerAlmanac

Ghenna

California

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Received as part of /r/beertrade with guytyping

Pours deep copper, fluffy off white head.

Lots of caramel and sweet malt on the nose- very much like liquid malt extract for those of who you have smelled it. Citrusy hop as it warms.

Not what I was expecting in the area of taste. Burned caramel, very dry, pine resin hop finish.

Kind of a weird beer. The nose, especially when cold, doesn't really hint at the taste at all. The taste- well that was like what I would expect in an imperial irish red, but sort of not too. A little lacking in the area of malt.

Serving type: bottle

10-26-2011 02:42:14 | More by Ghenna

Brent

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

I would add some sort of "imperial" or "double" designation to the red ale categorization for this beer, as it is bigger than the average bear. Nicely hopped, with both citric and herbal hops notes. If I was to compare it to antoher beer, I'd say a bigger Troeggs Nugget Nectar. Malt sweetness was on the lower side, and the hopping was very bright and engaging.

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 13:39:58 | More by Brent

TheGordianKnot

Tennessee

2.58/5  rDev -30.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

No bottle dating. Poured from bomber into NB tulip glass... Huge props to the bottle art- I love New Albanian labels so far!

A- Deep ruby red, approaching dark mahogany with a finger of beige head that only appeared after an incredibly aggressive pour.

S- I think something is off here. This is just full of soap and DMS. There are some sweet toffee red malts hidden beneath the vegetative aroma, but it is just too taxing to try and get to what may be part of the imperial red smell. Some pseduo-belgian hints in here also.

T/M- Ok, taste isn't as bad as the aroma led me to think this would be. There is a soft sweetness instantly that is quickly broken up by a medium level of bitterness and a grapefruit/citrus flavor. As the bitterness floats away, a toasted biscuit flavor comes in full force that transitions to a smooth coffee finish. Definitely a large spectrum of flavors present in this; some are typical of red ales while others are atypical. Also, still a bit of vegetative flavor comes through here and there; but not present throughout the entire tasting. The feel is medium to full bodied with a slick oily feel and just on the short side of a moderate carbonation level.

O- This beer is the epitome of hit or miss. Some sips were decent, others bleh, others not great. Many different flavors came together to form the overall profile, but it had too many instances that kind of made my palate twitch. The coffee finish is definitely the best part of this; but with flaws and other flavors that are not becoming of the style... ehhhh, I'm not sure I fully enjoyed this beer and I definitely would not purchase again. Lastly, though it isn't bottle dated I know it isn't old because I got this bottle the day after the bottle shop got it in stock which was just over a month ago...

Serving type: bottle

10-03-2011 00:06:58 | More by TheGordianKnot

jsh420

Illinois

3.8/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

pours dark copper amber with a 1/2 finger off white head that left lacing all down the glass

smell is very faint little biscuit malt

taste is solid - biscuit caramel malt semi sweet with a little hop bitterness to balance

mouthfeel light medium body with ample carbonation

overall throw out the score on the nose this amber is very good and this is coming from a guy who is not an amber fan

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2011 03:06:32 | More by jsh420

oline73

Maryland

3.58/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a bottle into a standard pint glass. I got this bottle from a trade at Dark Lord Day.

Appearance: A lot of carbonation here. I don't know anything about how fresh this is, but it tastes good so I'll keep going. There is a whole fist of tan head. The beer is a slightly cloudy reddish amber. The head left some lacing on the glass once it decided to go down. Nice color, too much carbonation in this bottle.

Smell: Sweet and malty, hints of bread and perhaps some honey. Not much hops in the smell.

Taste: This is where the beer shines, which is what you hope for. Bitter citrus peel hops are there, but still let the malt do it's work. There is a nice malt sweetness with some fruit notes. The finish is quite bitter.

Mouthfeel: Medium body with a good amount of carbonation and a slightly slick finish.

Overall: The taste of this one really wowed me. When I poured the beer I was worried, but I was pleasantly surprised. I'd have another to see how it compared to this bottle.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 00:09:21 | More by oline73

glid02

Georgia

4/5  rDev +7.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bottle shared by Dan – thanks!

Pours a hazy deep amber color with a light tan head that leaves solid lacing.

Smells of robust caramel malts with very slight hints of deeper toasted malts. Also present are solid amounts of medicinal hops - similar to those found in beers a bit past their prime – and hints of deeper herbal and citrus hops.

Tastes similar to how it smells. Slightly dry caramel malts up front are joined by herbal and citrus hops. Midway through the citrus hops fade, and more bitter leafy hops come into play, carrying through to a solidly bitter ending. Mouthfeel is good, with smooth carbonation.

Overall this was a good beer, however I have to imagine it would be better fresh (assuming of course that it is indeed past its prime). Yet another example of how bottle dating is helpful.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2011 17:12:20 | More by glid02

bluejacket74

Ohio

3.4/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3.5

22 ounce bottle. Served in a snifter, the beer pours a slightly hazy reddish/amber color with a huge light tan head. The head lasts forever, and there's a good amount of lacing. I bought a bottle of this for one of my friends, and he warned me that it was a gusher, so I made sure to open the bottle as carefully as I could. It didn't gush out but even after a slow pour the glass still ended up being 80% head and 20% beer. So once the beer finally settled enough to drink, the aroma is bready and caramel malt, cloves, yeast, and some earthy hops. The taste is the same as the aroma, but with the addition of some herbs. Mouthfeel/body is medium, it's a bit creamy and coating, but has way too carbonation. I think it's a solid beer, but the way too high carbonation hurts it. I'll have to try this again in the future, maybe this bottle was a bit bad. I don't think it was supposed to be quite as carbonated as it was.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2011 23:15:15 | More by bluejacket74

machostacos

Indiana

2.25/5  rDev -39.4%
look: 4 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from 22oz bomber into pint glass. No freshness date to be found.

A: Pours a nice rich amber/copper with some ruby highlights and an absolutely massive, mountainous beige head that just simply will not give up. Took me at least 5 minutes just to be able to fill my glass 3/4 of the way, and i was being perfectly gentle (yet undecided if that's a good or bad thing.) Crazy lacing.

S: Umm...I think either this has been mislabeled or New Albanian needs to re-categorize this brew. My first honest reaction was wondering whether this was a bad batch, but judging from the most recent reviews, it doesn't seem to be. Smells decidedly Belgian pale ale-esque - in no way do I get "Imperial Red" from this. Sort of yeasty and herbal, with a sour vomit-like tang. Maybe a little grapefruit rind and spoiled vegetables. Not that great for a straight-up Belgian beer, and certainly not within bounds for an Imperial Red.

T: Same as the nose - tangy Belgian funk with some caramel malt sweetness cutting through in a nearly failed attempt at balance. The flavor is more pleasing than the aroma, and I can *maybe* catch a tiny glimpse of a perfectly decent Red Ale that's been bastardized.

M: Quite full, creamy, with champagne-like carbonation. This and the appearance are the only things going for this one, sadly.

O: I think it's safe to say this convoluted, politically-charged experiment didn't really work, if it is indeed an experiment. The label is confusing and honestly, quite misleading. When you spend $9 for an Imperial Red you expect an Imperial Red, not a Belgian somethingorother. I'm not an unreasonable guy, but I'm sorry to say that this just ain't worth it.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2011 04:35:51 | More by machostacos

Cresant

Kentucky

4.03/5  rDev +8.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served this 22 oz. brown bottle in a large Sam Adams perfect pint glass. NABC has just started bottling their beers and this is from the first batch. (Picked up at The Keg at the release party). A huge yellowy tan head rested on a deep leather, amber/brown body. Clear and rich. The head left ample lacing and a cap remained.

The smell was mulled apple cider and organic matter "stinky" hops. Hard candy and fresh grains. Stewed, syrupy fruits. There is quite a lot going on here.

The taste was bold. Leafy, crunch hops and sweet malts. Bread crusts and oranges. A bit of cherry too. Bold but well balanced.

The mouthfeel was solidly medium. Plenty of carbonation, not too fizzy.

The label states that the malts used are: "Special Pale and Simpsons Medium Crystal". The hops are: "Nugget and Cascade finished through hop-back with whole cone Cascades". The yeast is: "House English". O.G. 18.5 and the I.B.U. is 62. My mouth waters just reading that!

I have had this beer on tap many times but reviewing it without distractions at home I realize how well constructed this beer really is. (maybe I'm a bit of a homer too!)

Serving type: bottle

04-29-2011 13:28:26 | More by Cresant

daliandragon

North Carolina

3.75/5  rDev +1.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Picked this up across the border at Papa Joe's in Richmond; my official Indiana beer. I was on the hunt for Three Floyd's but am quite pleased with this. To start with, the label grabs you. I've read the intro five times and I'm still not sure what election night has to do with democracy being pointless or with a hot female devil in a business suit. And don't get me started on the possible implications of the background being a ballot from the historic 1896 election. I know, it doesn't matter. Review the beer, idjit.

Pours an attractive translucent tawny orange with a mountain of creamy beige head that shows impressive staying power. Lacing is likewise stellar.. Nose is a mystery as the label plainly says English yeast but this sure smells Belgian to me. Otherwise, I get pear and grapeskin.

Still definitely feeling that Belgian theme, especially early in the sip. Some late herbal hops return it briefly to familiar territory but I'm having trouble thinking of this as a red ale. Some fruity flavors, a little booze. Something of a champagne texture. I'm not getting the strong caramel malts and piney balance that I'm expecting.

It's definitely not bad, but it just defies easy pigeonholing. I definitely like this beer and applaud their way outside the box thinking. That said, a simple re-branding as a Belgian pale might dispel some of the confusion, although I suspect confusion may be part of the point.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2011 03:31:05 | More by daliandragon

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

4.13/5  rDev +11.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap in a regular pint glass

Pours clear deep red with a nice head and decent retention. Not much on the nose but a decent scent of caramel and earthy malt notes. Taste is smooth and flavorful, very malty but not heavy at all which I expected from the word imperial. easy to drink and hides the 7% quite well. Flavor is well rounded and not really out of the box but well done and certainly memorable. This is readily available in my area and I will surely order it again in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

04-18-2012 01:14:32 | More by TwelveOunces

nrbw23

Ohio

3.53/5  rDev -4.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours a deep dark red with a nice foamy cream colored head. Head has pretty solid retention and leaves some nice layered lacing.

S- Smell is a bit of piney hops, quite a bit of dark fruits, toffee, and bready malts.

T- Hops are more apparent than I expected, and creates a good balance between the hops and malts. A nice amount of toffee, light on the dark fruits and a great amount of biscuit.

M- Fuller side of medium in body and on the lighter side of carbonation.

O- Not too bad of a brew by any means.

Serving type: on-tap

04-15-2012 01:31:53 | More by nrbw23

Mitchill

Kentucky

4.35/5  rDev +17.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Another great offering from New Albanian. Although Hoptimus is definitely my favorite local beer this is a good session beer for a hop head like me. Upfront you get herbal and earthy hops followed by a nice malt backbone which is just enough to create balance while still allowing your taste buds to wander into different taste profiles. All in all a solid beer but best enjoyed fresh from the tap

Serving type: growler

10-06-2011 03:20:46 | More by Mitchill

Badbobx

Indiana

3.83/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

At Tomlinson Tap, I received this brew in a glass tulip. The color was a light amber. There was about a 1/2 inch of foam. An intense lacing followed this well carbonated beer.
The aroma was rich with hops. I was sensing grapefruit and some ginger.
The taste was an intense tangy citrus with a bit of a bite. I could taste a bit of the malts initially, but the hops overwhelmed.
The characteristic I most enjoyed was the mouthfeel. There was a lot of carbonation to this beer that gave a full foamy sensation that was very pleasing.
This was only my third encounter with New Albanian beers, but I am certain to try more. I especially liked the finish.

Serving type: on-tap

08-27-2011 11:57:25 | More by Badbobx

alleykatking

Indiana

4.15/5  rDev +11.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had this on tap at Barley Island Tasting Room in Broad Ripple.

A- Pours a deep amber color. One finger white head shows good retention. Sheet style lacing on the sides of the glass.

S- Big malty aroma to this one. Caramel, toffee, and something else I can't quite put my finger on. Bitter piney hops in the ending of the aroma. Simple but works very well.

T- Huge amber style taste to begin with. Lots of deep caramel taste with notes of toffee. There seems to be a almost roasted malt (very light) in the middle of the beer. Nice hop bitter bite toward the ending of the beer that helps to counterbalance the maltly sweetness.

M- Medium mouthfeel. Carbonation is good for the style. Deep caramel malts with a hint of hop balance on the palate. Aftertaste is mostly caramel malts with a hint of alcohol and faded bitter hops. This beer is balanced toward the malty side which it should be for the style. No off flavors were present. Medium alcohol drying on the palate.

D- This beer was a nice drinking beer. I could see having a couple pints of this easy. The flavors were bold but not over the top fo this Imperial Red Ale. ABV doesn't seem this high since the alcohol is not present at all in the beer.

Serving type: on-tap

02-02-2011 20:28:33 | More by alleykatking