G'Knight Imperial Red Ale - Oskar Blues Brewing Company

PhillyStyle

Georgia

4.28/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

The beer appeared a clear orange with reddish tint with a nice, thick, compact white head that was very well retained with nice lacing and a thin cap after the head settled. The beer gave off a nice robust citrus and pine hop aroma. The taste followed the nose very well, but I did not find it to be overly bitter and there was some malty sweetness in the end. The beer had a moderate feel, sticky, slightly cream, but also slightly oily too, good carbonation and a dry finish. Overall, an excellent beer.

Serving type: growler

01-15-2013 21:55:50 | More by PhillyStyle

BeerDawgs

Georgia

4.43/5  rDev +7.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Amber red with good clarity, 2 fingers of head and sticky lace left all over the glass.

S - A beautiful blend of citrus and pine hops. Huge aroma! Amazing smell.

T - A huge hoppy kick ass brew. Well balanced. Grapefruit, oranges. Nice malty backbone. Is a hop monster, but I think non-hop heads will enjoy this one

M - Medium bodied and well carbonated

O - An awesome imperial red. One of my favorite styles, and one of the best brews I have ever had.

Serving type: growler

12-25-2012 21:53:14 | More by BeerDawgs

Meerkey

Virginia

3.88/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

A: Not quite a finger of off-white frothy head. Lots of bubbles. Bright, reddish copper.

S: Fresh hops. Lots of grapefruit and pine. A little bit of malts and honey.

T: Not as hoppy as it tastes. Pretty balanced. Nice hops and a malty base. May have mellowed

M: I suspect this may have been in the growler a touch too long - it's going a little flat. But still some carbonation.

O: Very tasty beer. Not as fresh as I would have liked, but still good and refreshing.

Serving type: growler

02-11-2012 02:48:25 | More by Meerkey

rka758

Illinois

3.3/5  rDev -20.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Growler poured into a pint glass.
$10 for the growler at Whole Foods

A: Poured a nice copper color with a thin head at the top.
S: Some sweet bread malts and a bit of hops.
T: Sweet upfront with bitter hops in the back
M: Nice and crisp.
D: This is drinkable, but not my favorite from these guys. I'm having a hard time pegging this beer. It seems part red part ipa.

Serving type: growler

03-29-2011 02:40:18 | More by rka758

DoubleSimcoe

New York

4.08/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

TBFKAG (The Beer Formerly Known as Gordon) coming out of a growler filled at The Pony Bar in Hell's Kitchen, New York.

Appearance: Served in a Sierra snifter, it comes with a classic one-finger head, very foamy, lots of bubbles and a pale mantle on top. Magnificent retention, head stays on forever! Outrageous lacing, so thick and beautiful. Color is dark amber, pretty dark for an Imperial Red/Amber/Whatever.

Smell: Nice resiny hops. If you've been out in the woods of Colorado, maybe on a hot day, you know the smell. I even get a tad of sweetness and banana peel/bread at the end. Hops and heat too!

Taste: In the mouth, it comes through as more citrusy than resiny/hoppy. Reminds me of Lagunitas Hop Stoopid, with the orange-juice feel, lemon rind and pomelo. Not really bitter or hoppy.

Mouthfeel: Good carbonation, medium-to-low body and medium flavor. I expected a little more here. It does burn a little at the end, like a pine forest on fire with all the resin melting away and a dry prickliness finish plus some stickiness, like you're licking the sap out of the pine tree, but still, too thin for a big beer like this.

Drinkability: Hard to measure. This afternoon I found it boozy and hot, tonight I think it is almost too mild and definitely drinkable, dangerously so! If we compare it to a Double IPA, it might not be up to a lot of folks' standards. But as an Imperial Red/Amber/Whatever, I think it rocks the style.

Serving type: growler

03-10-2011 05:16:49 | More by DoubleSimcoe

strangefate

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Growler from The Hulmeville Inn, 7/9.

Pours a clear dark amber with two finger head which leaves great lacing throughout and has great retention. The smell is an oily hop scent - pine with some citrus. Taste is similar - floral and piney hops but with a caramel malt character in the back. Medium-bodied and a great carbonation for the style. Very tasty and drinkable.

Serving type: growler

07-26-2010 06:09:26 | More by strangefate

mudbug

Oregon

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a Growler into a pint glass.
Kicks up a nice white one inch head that fades to a thin cap and sticky lacing, color is a brilliant orange with brown tints, very nice looking beer.
Aroma of floral hops, not overly bitter but certainly hop forward
Taste is a bitter rush with a creamy sweet backbone, juicy floral notes slick and sticky. a big beer for sure.
Goes down very easy, I will buy this again. Bravo.

Serving type: growler

07-09-2010 23:38:47 | More by mudbug

aerozeppl

New York

4.18/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

$8.99 for the growler fill.

A: Classic copper colored DIPA. Very clear and well filtered. Around a quarter finger of head with nice lacing. Visible carbonation which is always nice for a growler fill.

S: Great nose. Even better than in the can. Grapefruit up front. Tangerine as well. This one is all citrus. No malt as all. No mercy.

T: Just like the nose all grapefruit with barely any hints of malt. The bitterness is there but not that strong. Really nice.

M: All their beers have a great mouthfeel and this is no exception. Smooth. Creamy. Well carbonated.

D: Very nice beer. So much so that my cup is empty and must be filled again.

Serving type: growler

02-05-2010 22:33:43 | More by aerozeppl

rtratzlaff

North Carolina

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Gordon pours a clear deep reddish amber with little head, perhaps from the growler fill. The aromas are strongly of pungent citrus hops. Grapefruit and lots of it.

The flavor hits you up front with a slight caramel malt sweetness then overflows with grapefruit hop resins that coat the tongue just after a whiff of alcohol warmth. WIth warmth that alcohol heat subsides a bit and the sweet caramel malt starts to shine with a lush flavors of caramel. This has to be somewhere in the 80 ibu range, but balanced well with loads of malt.
The mouthfeel is full without being heavy. The alcohol could be hidden a bit better, but still a great imperial red nonetheless.

Serving type: growler

09-11-2009 19:45:38 | More by rtratzlaff

scootny

New York

4.7/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

An even smoother experience than the can. As explained to me by the rep from O.B. this is actually and Imperial Amber. Given that definition I had to notch a 5 on taste. It defines that genre for me.

Look is good with a rich ruddy appearance and a thickish head, acceptable lacing. Clear and inviting.

Nose is piney with a deep malt backing that tilts away from an IPA and into the amber road. Sweeter and less edgey in its' hoppiness.

Taste smooth, smooth, smooth with hops. A big rich malt backbone with the hops featuring pine in the front and a light dusting of grapefruitiness in the finish. Mild and quick they fade into a bready taste in the back of the throat. Feel is a light effervescence and slightly heavy but still giving a crisp swallow.

Drinkability is superb. This goes down like a session beer and then you feel it. Just wonderful on tap or in the growler. Seek it out whenever possible.

Serving type: growler

06-29-2009 04:59:29 | More by scootny

cavedave

New York

4.4/5  rDev +6.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

First note, my buddy at K&E bev. warned me this is boozy. He's usually right. Not this time.

Second note, usually I review in the looksmelltastemouthdrink order. Not this time.

I'm on my second pint of this way too quickly. It is exceptionally and dangerously drinkable. Everything about this brew incites the desire for the next sip. Gordon is insanely drinkable. Could be a session brew for people highly resistant to alcohol, it's that drinkable.

The appearance is nothing exceptional. Nice golden amber clear look to it. Thin, light beige, one-finger head which subsides to a cap, and leaves a coriolis ejection ring of lace around the snifter

Nose also is less than superb. It is a light aroma of peach, flowers, citrus, even lighter aromas of Belgian sort of yeast, mild spice, and grain. Absent is the alcohol I was warned to expect. Likewise there is no bitter bouquet. While not as strong for the style as expected, it is sweet.

Taste. Wow. How to describe it? Succulent, luscious, sensual. The sip starts with a bright flash of peaches, yeast, and mild spice, crests with a citrus flavor that doesn't overwhelm as it mixes, and finishes with a sweet, slightly alcohol herbosity that lingers with slow motion pleasure in the mouth. I lack the palate to adequately describe the fruity underflavors that dance in the background of this. There is a marvel of complex and wonderful flavor here. It is like all the blatant goodness of estery Belgian yeasts kicked down a notch with no trace of sourness. This beer is complex in an understated way that is stupefyingly delicious. It is what sets this beer apart in this style.

Mouthfeel is perfect, what can I say. I like lower carbonation in big brew, this has it. I like a lighter mouthfeel to a highly dextrinous beer. This has it. I like a resinous cling that holds, then clears without a cloying or metallic feel. This has it.

If you can get a growler fill of this, do so by all means!!!!

Serving type: growler

06-13-2009 22:43:15 | More by cavedave

LennyV

New York

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Growler purchased at halftime. Pours a burnt copper into my Corsendonk glass healthy creamy head, some great lacing.

Smells piney and sweet.

taste is so very well balanced. Nice and malty in the begining, finishes is the hoppy bitterness.

Fells great in the mouth, nicely carbonated medium bodied.

Another brew which is a high ABV but no alcohol taste. Enjoy in moderation. This is a great beer try it out.

Serving type: growler

02-08-2009 00:55:40 | More by LennyV

PEBKAC

New York

3.88/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Growler fill from Whole Foods. Poured into my Ommegang Anniversary glass.

Awesome clarity. Lightly steeped tea/dark amber color, coating lace that eventually thins out into even wavelengths.

Resin & pine dominate the scent. A whole level fumier then anything I've had in the can. Alcohol & sticky malts, turning towards bitter tangerine at the end of the whiff.

Plenty of resin & grapefruit dominating the taste. A sharp sighting of malt right through the middle, finishing off with a doughy & dusty patting of bread crust & a linger of juicy rind.

Definitely drier & more reminiscent of an imperial amber/red as the consensus here believes. Though not to the point the canned variety is. That version would probably score a little duller in regards to intensity. A sure stronger vibrancy to this serving.

A growler wasn't too bad. No vertigo that a plate of leftovers can't cure. $10 later & Mondays still suck, but who'd remember?

:P

Serving type: growler

01-27-2009 07:12:30 | More by PEBKAC

biking4beer

Colorado

3.63/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I've been trying to hunt down cans of this without success, so I went up to the brewery and got my growler filled. Poured into an oversized wine glass.

Poured a very sligth half finger head that dissapaited quickly to some nice lacing. Beer was a deep, hazy red and a little orange around the edges. As it poured it definitely looked to have an oily consistency.

The smell was all pine. In my hand written notes, I wrote it three times. Slight lemon, and after taking a few more whiffs, got a strong alcohol smell.

The pine really comes through on the first sip. Very hoppy without a lot of malt to balance. I don't know what else you would call this, but I'm not sure if I didn't know what I was tasting that I would call it one. I think Oskar's does good on it's promise of making this a mix of an "Imperial Red and Double IPA."

This beer had a little too much carbonation for my taste on the first poor from the growler. The next day was much better. Drinkability was so, so. It's an enjoyable beer, but I didn't want to consume much more than one glass at time. As I mentioned before, it could use a little more balance. To me it just didn't have the right hop flavor for it to stand alone on them. I've heard this is a better beer when pouring for a can. Maybe I'll track some down and re-review.

Serving type: growler

10-26-2006 03:58:54 | More by biking4beer

WesWes

New York

4.5/5  rDev +9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

The beer pours a dark gold/amber color with a thick frothy offwhite head that slowly fades to lacing. The aroma is great! It has a solid malt scent that boasts of pale and crystal malts along with a powerful hop aroma that's floral and quite refreshing. The taste is good. It has a nice bitter hop taste that is complimented with a complex malt flavor. It goes down easy and finishes hoppy and slightly warm. This is a big brew with lots of flavor. It's rich and well balanced. The mouthfeel is fine. It is a full bodied beer with adequate carbonation. This is a damn fine beer. It's all around good; another wonderful offering from these guys.

Serving type: growler

06-08-2006 21:28:10 | More by WesWes

jorjoria

New York

3.9/5  rDev -5.6%
look: 3 | smell: 5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Big dry hopped nose with lots of floral and citrus notes. The first thing you notice is a big grapefruit flavor it slowly fades away to a nice matly flavor. As the malt flavor leaves your pallet it leaves a dry alcohol flavor. There is also a very sweet note to the beer it leaves me wishing it was a little drier. But other then that a very good DIPA.

Serving type: growler

05-24-2006 01:00:45 | More by jorjoria

Flounder57

Massachusetts

3.96/5  rDev -4.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Having on draft at the Union Brewhouse.

Appearance: This beer poured a small head that reduced to a thin layer. It is a copper color with great clarity and bubbles coming up through the glass. Nice lacing on the glass as the beer was drank.

Smell: Caramel and bready malts with some citrus hops and grapefruit in there.

Taste: Same as above. Very tasty and balanced.

Mouthfeel: Smooth, balanced, drinkable, medium carbonation, and medium bodied.

Overall: Delicious beer that I will enjoy more of in the future.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2013 17:17:15 | More by Flounder57

trxxpaxxs

New York

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A: Pours a semi-translucent red/orange. There is a half finger of slightly off-white head. The foam settles quickly, leaving spotty lacing on the glass and a thin ring along the edges of the beer.

S: The nose is sweet malt, caramel, strawberry fruit roll ups, and a touch of spice. I get the fruit roll-up flavor a lot in beers and I don't know how to describe it. It's not too boozy. Good balance in this beer.

T: The flavors in this beer seem to follow the nose pretty close. I get sweet malt, a good bit of spice, and a touch of that berry note. It's not huge berry, but I just can't explain how it tastes. It reminds me of a goji berry? I don't even know anymore. The finish is a mix of sweet, spice, and mild alcohol. Solid.

M: Medium bodied beer. The flavors are bold and envelop the palate wholly. It's solid. The alcohol is known at the end of the beer, but it doesn't dominate from the start.

O: Good beer. I'd drink this again in a heartbeat. I've probably overlooked this beer 1000 times in the past, so I'm glad I took the time to try it.

Serving type: can

05-10-2013 01:12:50 | More by trxxpaxxs

alaimoa

Connecticut

3.76/5  rDev -9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

My first Oskar Blues beer (I have some Ten Fidy's downstairs for another day). Overall the pour was a nice fairly translucent red with a big head. Smell was mostly an alcohol aroma and initial taste was hit with a fairly large burst of alcohol. Tough to pick out any key flavors and left with a dry mouthfeel. I didn't love it but I didn't hate it. I'd probably buy it again

Serving type: can

05-08-2013 21:28:11 | More by alaimoa

jhutch31

California

4.11/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Had this beer with some sashimi last night and enjoyed it very much. Another fine offering from Oskar Blues.

Appearance: Poured a burgundy red color, very polished with lots of foamy sticky head.

Smell: light hop aroma with the smell of strong, bready malt and caramel. Notes of biscuit and honey malt as well.

Taste: very good. Again, a strong blend of malts with a good balance of hop flavor. Not over powering one way or the other. Floral hops mixed with some slightly spicy and citrusy hop bursts as well. Strong caramel malt backbone with sweet honey like flavors as well as bready.

Mouthfeel: Medium to full bodied beer. Thick on the tongue yet not too thick to enjoy even on a summer day.

Overall: This is a great beer. Can't wait to have this again next time I see it.

Serving type: can

04-18-2013 00:54:23 | More by jhutch31

midnitesun11

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a really nice almost see thru medium dark amber color. Has a thick, mountainousy, foamy two finger head. Leaves a huge lace trail and has zero carbonation bubbles.

The inital aroma i got was of hops and a bit of citrus maybe grapefruit? Maybe even orange and I'm getting a sweet smell of caramel too.

It tastes sweet at first, then you get a citrusy, caramel flavor after. Has a definite hoppy taste to it too.

Heavy mouthfeel with a slight lingering bitterness in the finish.

Overall this is a really good beer! It was my first from the Oskar Blues Brewery and I look forward to try the others!

Serving type: can

04-11-2013 03:18:03 | More by midnitesun11

jrenihan

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev -6.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Canned on Jan 21, 2013.

Beer is reddish-brown in colour with a small off-white head.

Smell contains sweet caramel, bready malt and a good dose of fruity, vaguely citrusy hops. Hard to pick out particular fruits- perhaps orange and tangerine, maybe a slight bit of pineapple.

Taste is rather malt focused, although the hops are certainly present. Bready, caramel malt flavours, as well as a bit of a herbal flavour, coming from the hops. A noticeable spicy flavour - not sure if there is any rye in here, but it feels that way a bit. Some fruit flavours, orange mainly. Aftertaste has some apple in the flavour, and some more of the herbal element.

Medium to full bodied, moderately carbonated. Bready.

Overall, pretty good but not particularly impressive. I like it but it is certainly not as good as I expected from the reviews.

Serving type: can

04-06-2013 03:15:33 | More by jrenihan

TwelveOunces

Kentucky

3.98/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

16 oz can poured into a tulip
Sadly this was bottled on 10-16-02 (a wee bit old)

A- A lightly hazed deep orange. A half finger of an off tan head.

S- A big caramel note in this beer. A malty dark fruit presence. A slight floral note and what remains of what was surely a lot of hoppiness.

T- A slight bitterness at first but an overall clean and crisp flavor. A big caramel presence and toffee at first. There is a lot of dark fruit in this beer and a nice grapefruit presence. A slight floral hoppiness but not at all like I assume it once was. A nice balance to this beer and remains very drinkable.

M- A sticky mouthfeel. It has become and big, thick, malty beer over time.

O- A solid beer, I assume this was quite hoppy. Not anymore, but the malt has come though and made this something quite nice.

Serving type: can

04-03-2013 22:56:43 | More by TwelveOunces

nUgZ

North Carolina

4.64/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.5

16 ounce can poured into a snifter.

A: Pours a mostly clear amber color with a two finger head and excellent lacing.

S: Sweet malts up front along with some nice floral and citrus hops to balance it out. There are also some mild bready aromas in the end. Smells nice and inviting.

T: Very much like the smell, the first thing I taste are the sweet malts balanced nicely with the florall and citrus hops. Not too hoppy and not too understated...just right. The alcohol is completely hidden.

M: This is on the thicker side of medium bodied with just the right amount of carbonation. Ridiculously smooth!! Just about perfect.

O: This is a very enjoyable offering from Oskar Blues. Very tasty, well balanced, super smooth, and packs a decent punch. Nice job!!

Serving type: can

04-02-2013 21:06:45 | More by nUgZ

StoutHunter

Michigan

3.89/5  rDev -5.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

I picked up a can of Oskar Blues G'Knight Imperial Red Ale last week for $3.39 at The Lager Mill. I'm still working my way through the Oskar Blues lineup and I randomly chose this one o try tonight, so lets see how it goes. Canned on 2/20/13. Poured from a 16oz can into an imperial pint glass.

A- The can looks pretty nice, I think the green and silver colors look good together, but I'm not too sure about the name. It poured a nice bright amber color that took on some red and ruby hues when held to the light with two fingers worth of off white head that died down to a thick ring that stayed till the end and it left lots of nice lacing behind. This is a pretty good looking beer, I have no complaints at all.

S- The aroma starts off with a higher amount of sweetness followed by lots of hops, it's a nice combination of floral, resiny, and citrus hops with the citrus seeming to stick out just a little more than the others and it imparts some grapefruit and pineapple like aromas. Up next comes the malts which are pretty sweet and impart a mild grainy and bread like aromas that seem to be a little overpowered by the hops. This beer had a nice aroma, but I wish the malts stuck out just a little more to bring better balance to the aroma, It's got more IPA than Red Ale aromas.

T- The taste seems to be pretty similar to the aroma and it starts off with a medium amount of sweetness followed by a good amount of hops that are the same mixture that I got in the aromas with the citrus hops still sticking the most and imparting some nice grapefruit like flavors. Up next comes the malts which seems to show up a little more then they did in the aroma and they impart some slight grainy and bready flavors with just a slight bit of caramel. On the finish there's a medium amount of bitterness that's slightly on the lighter side, and it has a floral and citrus hops aftertaste with some malts also showing up. This beer tasted good, it was much more balanced than the aroma led me to believe, i liked it.

M- Smooth, creamy, a little crisp, on the thicker side of being medium bodied, and it had a lower amount of medium carbonation that was just barely enough. I thought the mouthfeel was nice, but it could have used just a little more carbonation.

Overall I thought this was a good beer and a good example of a hoppy Red Ale, I got worried when I got to the aroma since it was very IPA like, but when I got to the taste there was enough Red Ale aspects to balance out the hops and it makes this beer truer to style. This beer had decent drinkability, it went down smooth, and the flavors held my attention, but they didn't really keep me coming back for more, so I think one pint can would enough for me, I don't think I would want two in a row. What I liked the most about this beer was the appearance and how balanced it was when it came to the taste, both of those aspects were pretty good. What I liked the least about this beer was the lower amount of carbonation, I think a little more carbonation would make for a pretty good mouthfeel. I don't know if I would buy this beer again, I for sure wouldn't rule it out if I was in the mood for a hoppy Red Ale, but I don't think I would seek it out. I recommend trying it if your a fan of hoppy Red Ales, it's good for what it is. All in All this was a pretty decent beer, I didn't love it, but I sure didn't hate, but I still think Lagunitas Imperial Red Ale is my favorite of the style. This was a pretty Solid beer from Oskar Blues, but I have yet to find one that I really like, maybe that beer is right around the corner, who knows, but for now I'm still on the fence about this brewery,

Serving type: can

03-30-2013 02:46:43 | More by StoutHunter