Double Dread Imperial Red Ale - Mad River Brewing Company

Ryan011235

Ohio

1.98/5  rDev -47.2%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 2

Poured into an Allagash glass on 10/2/12

Murky rust and mud brown with thickish specks and clumps of sediment hanging throughout the beer. Three finger head. Pretty strong retention overall. Good, sporadic lace.

The aroma smells malty and old. Caramel, figs, raisins, plums and some doughy bread notions. Overtones of floral hops. Almost seems oxidized. At best, this smells like a dead-hop barleywine.

This tastes as murky as it looks and as old as it smells. Dirty notes of caramel, dark fruits and burnt bread. Earthy hops with a long lingering, harsh bitterness. Any decent hop flavor is gone.

The feel is sluggish medium-full sort of thing. Carbonation is on the low side like I prefer, but all that does here is let the less than pleasant flavors stay past their welcome.

Granted, I have no idea how old this bottle is, but it is disappointing regardless. I might be inclined to tough it out, but all the sediment has convinced me to let go this one early.

Serving type: bottle

10-09-2012 05:40:35 | More by Ryan011235

PDXHops

South Carolina

2.05/5  rDev -45.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

12 ounce bottle poured into a LaChouffe tulip. We're almost out of amber and into brown territory here; it's a reasonably handsmome brew with a dense off-white head on top, but not a ton of lacing.

Nose has a bit of hmm? about it. Caramel malt with a (perhaps faded) assortment of piny, floral and soapy hoppy notes and muted fruitiness. The flavor's not altogether pleasant, either, although one wouldn't go so far as to call it bad. Awkward, yes. Scorched sugars and yeast with a big bitter burn, but little in the way of hop flavor. Kind of stale maltiness; one wonders if this isn't a bit past its expiration date (although no dating is to be found on the bottle). There's just enough carbonation to keep the palate somewhat scrubbed, but the mediocrity lingers.

Serving type: bottle

10-13-2012 18:13:02 | More by PDXHops

harrymel

Washington

2.15/5  rDev -42.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 1.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2

Bottled: unk
Pours dark brown with red hues in the murky ale. Some surface tan foam. Nose has some spicy hops and plenty of malt character which is a tad sharp. Some hints of spiced pear and brown sugars. Sweet flavor with obvious alcohol and little hop presence IMO. There a bit of an acetone character - not impressed with the flavor here. Medium bodied with moderate carb and a wet, chemical finish. I'm not going to purchasing another one of these.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2012 15:01:57 | More by harrymel

TheDudeRules

Minnesota

2.4/5  rDev -36%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

From a bottle to a pint glass.

Smell was of a bit of pine,a touch of molasses and a hint of hops,and a tad of caramel.

Taste. To be honest I was hoping this girlfriend would be sexier. For me the citrus started up front. Quickly went to a molasses/caramel effect. It wasn't awful,but really wasn't great either.

I was hoping for some moderate bite. False. It ended up creamy. Huh? Yeah,not what I was hoping for.

I pulled one from my four pack,needless to say I'm glad that is all I pulled.

This was recommended to me a good alternative to Furious. There is no good alternative to Furious. That beer is in a class to itself,and this is unremarkable for any class.

Serving type: bottle

01-09-2011 05:53:52 | More by TheDudeRules

TheHoppiest

Ohio

2.73/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Poured from a squat 12 oz bottle into a pint glass. Pours a hazy, silty rust-brown, like thick iced tea or swamp water. This is not what I picture when I think red ale. Decent ivory-colored head, with thick lacing down the sides.

Smell is sweet, citrus hops, with an underlying bready-yeasty aroma.

Taste is, meh. Starts with spice bite, almost metallic. Sweet malt in the middle, with a very astringent unbalanced finish. Not bitter as it is tongue-swelling and dry.

Mouthfeel can't be separated from taste on this one; see above.

Drinkable? Not really; I can barely get through this one. I've heard great things about this brewery, but the two beers I've had so far are no great shakes.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2010 01:48:20 | More by TheHoppiest

Bfarr

Washington

2.73/5  rDev -27.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Dark red with good tan frothy head and good retention. Roasted chocolate and light tea aroma. Tastes heavy on the roasted malts with light tea and a back of the throat bitter and tacky coating. Smooth and sticky feel and a biting sensation.

There are hints of good flavor but are muddied and lost in the roasted tackiness. Really fairly hard to even finish this one and nothing to look out for.

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 18:40:48 | More by Bfarr

semibaked

Kentucky

2.93/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 2 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Poured into a Pint Glass.

A - Down right scary with the tons and tons of floaties in it, never have seen that many before. It is dark copper in color with a nice inch of head on top.

S - Big smell of malts, biscut and light caramel. I was expecting more hops because of the Imperial in the title but I am not disappointed though, smells really nice.

T - Nice sweet maltiness up front then a sharp bitterness after that, don't know if it is because of the huge amounts of sediment on the bottom, but it wasn't pleasant.

M - Nice creamy richness probably the best aspect of this in my opinion.

D - I won't be drinking this again because on the large amount of sediment in it and the very sharp bitterness in the taste.

Sorry not impressed!

Serving type: bottle

02-25-2010 22:40:39 | More by semibaked

birdypowder

Oregon

2.93/5  rDev -21.9%
look: 1.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

What could have been...

This beer needs some adjustments to make it worth trying again. The huge size and quantity of floaters made it very unattractive to look at, the perceived lack of late hop additions made the malt stand out too much and the large amounts of bittering hops make the finish unpleasant.

Appearance:
Pours up with a nice finger and a half of tan foam that resists annihilation from the elements as long as possible. Color is a deep amber. Things are starting off right. However, it was impossible to get past the beta fish sized floaters that appeared to group together like schools of bait fish, roaming about their new 12oz clear sided world. Very unattractive.

Smell:
Initially some appealing piney and citrus hop aromas shoot out of the glass and are then followed by a strong blanket of malt sweetness with notes of toffee and molasses. Estery alcohol notes waft up as well.

Taste:
The sweetness greats you right away and then introduces you to the alcohol which faithfully stays with you on the entire journey to the somewhat harsh bitter grassy finish.

Mouthfeel:
Basically what is expected for style...substantial thickness, everything is in order here.

Overall:
Needs some work, or I need to go to Blue Lake California and try it fresh.

Serving type: bottle

04-17-2011 18:57:17 | More by birdypowder

TCgoalie

Michigan

2.95/5  rDev -21.3%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 2.5

Pours a murky brown with chunks of yeast floating around. An off white head and splotchy lacing adds something good to the appearance of this beer.

The smell is malty with burnt tones, caramel, and fig. I can detect some west coast hops there as well.

This is a malty bomb to the face. Burnt Scottish style malts, tobacco, pine hops, and dirt round out the flavor. The aftertaste is unpleasant.

The feel of this beer is the best aspect. Full in the mouth with ample drying.

I cannot find a date on the bottle, so I must assume that this was past its prime. Either way, the only way that I will drink this again is if someone offers it to me for free.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2011 03:01:45 | More by TCgoalie

aquatonex

New York

2.98/5  rDev -20.5%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours deep auburn, almost no light can go through. A short, 3/4 finger head that is also tinged red/brown. Nose is immediate roasted coffee and malts, then some alcohol and slight sweetness (also I would assume from the malts). Taste follows with a thick, roasted flavor. After the first few sips I noticed there was a galaxy of floaters throughout the beer. Looks like this bottle was around for a bit too long. So, I took a few more sips and dumped the rest as I wasn't in the mood for chunky beer. Overall, I would try this again if I found a fresher beer but rating it middle-of-the-road for now.

Serving type: bottle

10-18-2012 00:04:05 | More by aquatonex

cocogan

Minnesota

3.13/5  rDev -16.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Visual: One finger white head. Creamy bubbly. Spunky lacing

Nose: Cherries, floral, pine, pollen, pineapple, wood, chocolate.

Taste: Cherries, alcohol, smoke, raisins, alcohol, slight citrus, grain, bitter wood after taste.

Mouth: milky smoothness. bit frothy.

Drunkability: I was purty pumped for this beer. I saw "imperial red" so I had to buy it. Looked good in the glass and the aroma was pretty pungent. However, the taste has way too much alcohol booziness to it. It tastes more like cough syrup as I get towards the bottom of the glass... upsetting. O well at least its 8.6 abv.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2011 02:53:48 | More by cocogan

nickfl

Florida

3.18/5  rDev -15.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Pours with one finger of off-white foam on top of a hazy, dark brown body. The foam settles fairly quickly and leaves light traces of lace.

S - An aroma of pine hops and caramel malt.

T - Sweet malt and musty hops up front. Some toffee and pine in the middle. Finishes with pine, grapefruit, and burnt caramel with fairly strong bitterness.

M - Medium body, moderate carbonation, and a balanced finish.

D - Not bad, but it is a bit muddy both is looks and flavor. The malt is bland and it kind of smothers the hops, leaving a flabby character to the finish that doesn't really satisfy.

Serving type: bottle

06-05-2012 04:56:46 | More by nickfl

beertunes

Washington

3.33/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Poured into 10oz glass. Poured a cloudy red with almost 2inches of dark khaki colored head that had good retention and lacing.

The first scent was pine hops, then was some malt sweetness and a bit of citrus in the background. The flavors were similar mostly piney hops, with some citrus notes, and some malt foundation.

The body was average for the style, as was drinkability. Overall, a decent but unspecial brew. I like Red Ales to have more of a malt presence and this was a hop forward brew. Worth trying if you see it.

Serving type: bottle

05-27-2011 02:21:45 | More by beertunes

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.38/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

A big sturdy red and moreso brown pour. Aroma, meh, alcohol, maybe fusels, but I'll let it slide.

Taste, sticky, chewy, hops transforming to heft. Didn't come across too sweet, which is nice when you already know that this isn't super fresh. Holding up counts for a lot in the real world. Its big all around, red color, bitterness, hoppiness, alcohol. Its a big sticky red ale, and if you don't wanna tangle with ol' willy, stay home!

Serving type: bottle

10-24-2010 05:51:13 | More by Beerandraiderfan

bnes09

Illinois

3.38/5  rDev -9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Bright ruby colored ale. Descent depth of off-white head. Good retention. Big yeast flakes suspended in the brew.

Complex nose of deep caramel and pine-like hops.

Lots of malt flavor, mostly caramel, toasted bread and almonds. Malt flavor is good but the hops are a little rough. They are very pungent and soapy and leave a strange aftertaste. Tastes like an unbalanced barleywine.

Full bodied but not syrupy. Snappy carbonation. Dry finish.

An ok beer. A little rough around the edges. As stated before, a little balance would do a great deal at improving this beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-28-2011 02:10:33 | More by bnes09

DrDemento456

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Not bad for almost a year old (I suspect since the sediment and brewed once date) Dark copper brown with a slight bit of head that has a very sticky lace ring.

S - Subdued hops (mildly pine) apple or pear and mild caramel and toffee malts. Hope it's not oxidized.

T - Mild hops with some bitterness. Caramel sweetness and toffee. Kind of subdued but it's not terrible. No noticeable ABV.

M - Medium bodied but seems to have fallen off a bit.

Overall I had no idea this was so old when I bought it. It's not terrible but it definitely has fallen off a bit with the flavor profile.

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 00:16:51 | More by DrDemento456

emerge077

Illinois

3.43/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Glad to finally get a single of this at Food N' Fermentation in Godfrey, IL.

Copper caramel with a ton of floaties. Lots of sticky lace too. Ok retention with a broken skim after the initial pour.

Old crystal malt, super sweet and caramelly, kind of off-putting. Spicy residual hops, but they seem faded. Full feeling, some light hops in the back that seem faded from former glory. A big beer that seems to suffer from largesse. Not harmonious or easy to drink, it comes off as an aged imperial SNPA.

Serving type: bottle

02-21-2010 03:47:56 | More by emerge077

atr2605

New York

3.43/5  rDev -8.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A-pours a dark amber with a tan head with average retention and lots of floating sediment
S-faint caramel aroma, low hop aroma
T-Lots of malt met with balanced hop bitterness, leaving a bit of bitterness on the palate along with caramel flavor lingering
M-medium-full bodied
O-Not a bad beer but definitely not the best red ale that I've had. Don't regret trying it but probably wouldn't seek it out again

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2012 02:18:59 | More by atr2605

hobojon

California

3.48/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at brewery.

A- hazy. amber to red with off-white head.

A- pine, citrus, Amarillo, some alc, burnt caramel, resin. still good as warms.

T- big citrus bite/grapefruit and resin. dark heavy caramel. alc is present but clean. very little vegetative taste. great hop character.

M- dry and balanced, slightly astringent. med carb.

D- impressed for Mad River. good overall. malt could be simplified, a lot going on.

Serving type: on-tap

08-23-2009 06:11:47 | More by hobojon

mactrail

California

3.48/5  rDev -7.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Attractive amber in the tulip glass, lots of head. Rather hoppy, nice rich bitter mouthful. Fairly austere after a few sips. Take a mediocre red and double it. Not bad, but not an appealing style. Sort of an imperial pale ale.

This is a hoppy and likeable beer with an aromatic nose and long bitter aftertaste. Resiny and a bit astringent. Drinkable but a bit winey.

Serving type: bottle

07-22-2011 05:18:50 | More by mactrail

vegantreats

Hawaii

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This beer pours a cloudy red with pieces of yeast floating throughout the beer that somehow don't really settle, as is the beer was gelatinous.
A ring of white creamy foam was left around the glass.
This ale smelled of alcohol with a light hint of pine.
I don't often drink red ales, and, therefore, am not certain if most reds are bitter, this one was with a definite alcohol finish.
AS far as the taste goes, a decent beer, yet the real show is in the appearance of this beer, not certain is every bottle has the chunks of yeast, or if I was treated to a rare show.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2009 04:17:48 | More by vegantreats

Glibber

Idaho

3.5/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

My first Mad River beer despite being at the brewpub. It was a nice pour- a dark copper colored cloudy beer with a thick off white head that left some lacing. A nice creamy mouthfeel, with low carbination, burnt wheat with a slight hop kick. A decent balance.

Serving type: bottle

06-06-2012 02:53:54 | More by Glibber

cindyjeffsmith

Georgia

3.53/5  rDev -5.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

appearance: Red and cloudy. Pretty thick tan-red lacing.
smell: Subdued piney hops. An even more subdued malt profile.
taste: A bit more of a hops bite in the taste. Some grapefruit with malt taking the edge off slightly. Finish is a little smoother.
With all the great beers out there i may be getting too picky. This is a good beer but not something i'll likely pick up again given all the fine choices available.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2011 00:37:30 | More by cindyjeffsmith

beachbum1975

Ohio

3.55/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Saw this single on sale at the local bottle shop so thought I'd give it a shot.

Pours a ruddy, murky brownish color with a tancolored 1/4 inch head. Creamy and big bubbled in spots.

Smells of molasses and sweet caramel. Slight notes of bread yeast, as well.

The flavor matches the nose. Moderate carbonation in the mouth. Thick and chewy bodied. High caramel and sweetness with a lingering woodiness in the mix, as well.

Nice, but not the best Imperial Amber I've had.

Serving type: bottle

09-24-2010 22:22:11 | More by beachbum1975

OldSchoolGamer

Ohio

3.58/5  rDev -4.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

I have only had the Mad River Serious Madness Black Ale before, which was very good. This is their Double Red Ale.

A: Pours a real murky amber/red color. Lots of sediment floating around. Head is tan and leaves very nice lacing on the glass.

S: Pretty typical for an Amber Ale. Lots of caramel and toasted malts. Hops are there, but not as prominant as the malts.

T: Again, pretty typical for an Amber Ale. The hops in here are very herbal and earthy. Almost tea like. Not citrusy or fruity like in many IPAs. Lots of toasted malts with a caramel undercurrent. I will admit, I do note care for hops that give off a tea-like presence. But still, a solid tasting beer.

M: Mouthfeel is actually pretty full. Bordering onto Barleywine territory. Somewhat syrupy. A little too heavy to be refreshing.

D: Again, bordering onto Barleywine territory. Somewhat cloying and full, this is one to sip on. One is enough for the night.

Overall, a pretty solid beer. Not nearly as good as a lot of Double Red Ales out there, this one is true to the style and worth checking out. My biggest complaint about the beer is the hop variety used, but thats all down to personal taste. Too much of a tea-like flavor going on here for my taste. Similar to Rouge St. Rogue Red.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2009 17:42:53 | More by OldSchoolGamer