Fred Red Ale - Blue & Gray Brewing Co.

nukem5

Pennsylvania

4.6/5  rDev +27.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Passing thru and got a very nice tour and some taste samples we chatted for awhile.The Fitzpatrick's are really great people .Took 4 growlers to go and some bottles.

A: Pours a wonderful ruby color with a nice head very creamy.

S:Instantly the nose is overpowered with caramel goodness sweet and sticky malts.

T: Sweet caramel and matly notes explode in the mouth, very little hops flavor but note of apples make it a great tasting beer suitable for the fall.

M: Nice full body.

D: Very drinkable, outstanding beer!

Serving type: growler

04-24-2010 03:19:26 | More by nukem5

Huhzubendah

District of Columbia

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

03-17-2013 17:08:18 | More by Huhzubendah

ZachKelly

Virginia

4.5/5  rDev +25%

01-21-2013 01:59:18 | More by ZachKelly

cliff1066

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

12-26-2012 07:03:44 | More by cliff1066

superneoncj

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

12-24-2012 01:05:56 | More by superneoncj

stereosforgeeks

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

12-17-2012 22:53:33 | More by stereosforgeeks

AndrewDeci

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

11-10-2012 01:43:14 | More by AndrewDeci

PoolFishGolf

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +4.2%

10-08-2012 00:59:26 | More by PoolFishGolf

tjsjostrom

Virginia

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%

09-11-2012 01:46:56 | More by tjsjostrom

Bubbalito

Virginia

3/5  rDev -16.7%

08-04-2012 12:41:37 | More by Bubbalito

beergoot

Colorado

3.8/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Tasted at the Hyatt Regency Washington Article One Lounge under the name "Article One Ale". Per the Assistant Food and Beverage Manager, this is contracted from Blue & Gray Brewing and is their Fred Red Ale...review taken from notes...

Dark amber, no head...

Dark malt, rye-like. Light coffee...

Toffee and caramel, faint cocoa, nice medium malt sweetness w/warm complimentary bitterness...

Clean, dry finish...

A satisfying amber ale; nice malt notes...

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2012 23:36:47 | More by beergoot

avisong

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

04-07-2012 05:03:04 | More by avisong

wbillw

Washington

4/5  rDev +11.1%

03-28-2012 21:37:21 | More by wbillw

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%

03-18-2012 20:42:45 | More by TMoney2591

Rhettroactive

Virginia

3/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

From 22oz bomber to nonic pint glass on 1/14/12
*From notes

A: It looks more like a clean, pale brown ale and not a traditional amber. A firm pour yields a dissapointing .25 finger head that fades quickly, giving it a cask-like look.

S: Earthy. The grain presence is a bit intense. It smells like you've just walked into a brewery.

T: It tastes just like a classic brown ale. Put a blindfold on me and I'd swear to it. Very earthy malt bill all over this. There's a light hopping to it, but it doesn't mesh well with the malt profile.

M: Meh. It doesn't wow me.

O: I'd rather they call this "Benjamin Brown", as it really does come off like a traditional brown ale. This is about as middle of the road as a beer can be. If you're merely looking for a glass of beer, something to quaff without a lot of thought, this will surely suffice.

Serving type: bottle

01-28-2012 20:38:06 | More by Rhettroactive

DeutschesBier

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -2.8%

11-29-2011 01:29:48 | More by DeutschesBier

Chaney

District of Columbia

3.48/5  rDev -3.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I had this on tap at Blue & Gray (Lee's Retreat).

A: Poured a glistening ruby red color, ultra clear, with a slight white froth that retained itself like a rat bastard from hell.

S: Very faint puffs of red velvet cake batter and melted cherry lollipop. Subdued, yet still okay.

T: Bitter on the backbit, but the fruit component in this brew tasted somewhat stale to me, and a tad thin overall. VERY yeasty!

M: Like many of the Blue & Gray brews I've tried, the carbonation was too low for my tastes. The lacing was nill.

O: Even though I'm only giving this a B- rating, it has gotten increasingly better the last couple of times that I've tried it. Was there a reciped change or merely a change in my tastes? I tend to gravitate towards the later.

Serving type: on-tap

10-02-2011 03:08:45 | More by Chaney

mocktm

Virginia

3.9/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this on tap at the brew pub last night along with a few other beers, including a new kick-ass Hefe that I'll add into the system later. Any who...

Pours a deep amber red with about a half of a finger of tan head that quickly dissipates. Looks incredibly creamy...

Aroma is full of bread like malts, light fruits and spice: mostly clove and cinnamon. They claim this to be a very malt forward beer, which I have to agree with, as I can't really detect much hop presence.

Tastes fairly sweet up front from the malts with the mildest hop presence in the back. As in the nose, light fruits such as cherry are present to complement the spices, as well as a nice caramel presence. Real good stuff.

Medium bodies with a nice creamy consistency. Very drinkable and a great session beer.

I've never been a huge fan of reds, but have always found this as a dependable go to beer. Maybe I'm just biased because it's brewed in my home town, but I certainly think its a solid offering.

Serving type: on-tap

06-11-2011 16:12:18 | More by mocktm

goldbot

District of Columbia

3.55/5  rDev -1.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Clear, coppery red color. Thin head that fizzles out quickly. Fruity, malty aroma with a nice floral hoppiness. The flavor is fairly sweet, with fruit notes of cherry and apple. Some bready or grainy malt and only a touch of bitterness. The mouthfeel is pretty good, just enough crispness to balance the medium body of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

05-02-2011 23:23:11 | More by goldbot

jale

Michigan

3.23/5  rDev -10.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

On tap at the brewery.

A: Pours a light brown with red hues and two quarters of tan head.

S: Sweet malt aroma and just a hint of hops.

T: Starts slightly sweet with very light malt. Mild hop bitterness with a dry finish.

M: Light body with and creamy.

O: Just OK for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

04-19-2011 11:44:30 | More by jale

TracyfromVA

Virginia

4.83/5  rDev +34.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

Stopped by the brewery and had a sample of the Fred Red Ale (among others)....LOVED IT! Went into the brew pub and had a pint. Delcious and excellent session beer. Dark red in color. I ended up getting a growler to take home and we finished it that night!

Serving type: nitro-tap

11-28-2010 15:36:57 | More by TracyfromVA

Thorpe429

Illinois

3.03/5  rDev -15.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Amyliz4 for grabbing this growler on her way home.

Pours a moderate amber with an off white head and not too much lacing. Smell is amber malt with a bit of biscuit as well as a slight diacetyl presence. The buttered popcorn makes its way into the taste as well, but isn't too bad, especially in this style where it almost tastes like a British amber or some other style where a small amount of diacetyl would be acceptable. A bit of biscuit malt and some slight sweetness, though mostly a bit dry. Feel is of a medium body with decent carbonation, although the taste lowers it a bit. Same with the drinkability. I really would like to love this place, although the APA is all I've had so far that really worked.

Serving type: growler

10-15-2010 22:52:24 | More by Thorpe429

nickd717

California

3.25/5  rDev -9.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Bomber thanks to billab914. I felt an instant connection with this beer. It's from an unassuming Civil War-themed brewery not far from where I spent much of my childhood, made with local ingredients. I love the commercial description - "Fred Red is the best beer you've ever tried." Is it, now? I'll say one thing - it's a pretty unique beer, and a very tough rate. Why? Well, it's sour. But here's the catch: it's not that bad. Anyway, on to the review...

The color is indeed a stunning garnet red, and a two-finger creamy tan head leaves a half-finger of foam for a long while.

The aroma is...uh oh...infection. Definitely some lacto/pedio stuff going on here. A definitive metallicity complements the soured caramel malt base.

The flavor is tart and slightly metallic, although the metallicity is nowhere near as strong as on the aroma. Sweet caramel malt transitions into a vinegary red berry tartness reminiscent of a Flanders oud bruin.

The palate is not bad. It's very dry and rather tart, and the finish is clean. Medium-bodied.

I honestly think that if you put this beer in, say, the bottle of an Allagash sour, and didn't tell people what it actually was, you'd get some high ratings. This definitely isn't great, but it's one of the better unintentional wild ales I've ever had.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2010 04:13:12 | More by nickd717

jjboesen

Maryland

3.05/5  rDev -15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked up a bomber during a recent trip to this historical city on the Rappahanock River, the one where Little Georgie Washington threw a silver dollar. The Fred Red pours a deep caramel body, one that emits little light. The head is a little spongy; the lacing, minimal. The nose can pick up some whispy alcohol fumes as the palate detects a mild raisin-brown sugar combination. The mouthfeel came off as a bit cidery - not sure if the bottle was bad .... It was average, in any case. Still, Fredericksburg makes for a great weekend from DC - and it is home to the outstanding Capital Ale House. (See My Reveiw.)

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2010 23:32:18 | More by jjboesen

drabmuh

Maryland

3.8/5  rDev +5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap at some restaurant. Beer served in a plastic shaker pint glass.

This is a red ale? OK. Beer is brown...I guess its reddish at the corners. Off white head with a little lacing and low carbonation. The beer is mostly clear. Looks OK.

OK, the aroma is quite good. A nice surprise. Lots of carmel. Mild sweetness.

Beer is medium in body, lots of carbonation on the palate, very silky smooth, almost nitrogen like. Mild sweet caramels in the mid palate and a nice back end roastiness, very subtle. This is a brewing trick. Add patent malt to the mash out and you'll get red color but only mild roasty bitterness.

Serving type: on-tap

06-03-2010 15:44:30 | More by drabmuh