McIlhenney's Irish Red - Alpine Beer Company

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.95/5  rDev +7.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Thanks to BdubleEdubleRUN for the generous extra in our Alpine beer trade. Poured from a bomber into a snifter, this brew appears a clear amber red with a creamy yellowish tan head. It fades slowly holding close to the edge of the glass leaving spotty lace. A swirl revives the cap back to a finger of tan coloration.

The aroma of this brew is hoppy with a fruity scent. Plenty of noticeable alcohol fuels the fruity esters. There is a noticeable amount of sweet smelling toasty caramel malt that balances out the fruited aspect of the hops and alcohol. There is almost a vanilla-like sweetness that comes out as the brew warms. Overall very fruity sweet smelling.

The taste is toasty caramel malt that is thick and toasty with a sweet flavor that is somewhat reminiscent of vanilla. A little bit of a grassy aftertaste from the hops and a mild alcohol warmth. The grassy hop aftertaste is balanced with the residual flavor of toasted malt.

This is an easy drinking brew. It is medium bodied with a modest amount of carbonation. Very smooth throughout with plenty of malt and balancing hop flavors. A very solid representation of the style, I would drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

04-25-2011 15:50:27 | More by stakem

JRO

Wisconsin

3.25/5  rDev -11.4%

06-11-2013 18:11:54 | More by JRO

JMScowcroft

Vermont

3.44/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Alpine Beer Company - McIlhenney's Irish Red

Snagged one of these as an added bonus via a trade, figured it was Alpine so why not.

Look - Pours a hazy deep amber red with a small soapy head that doesn't stick around. No noticeable lacing, not much retention.

Smell - Malty caramel and chocolate meets typical Irish Red tang on top. Hearty aroma. Fruity, zero on the hopometer.

Taste - Thinner than expected but a wave of creamy caramel and chocolate hits first, then fades into a roasted chocolate finish. Interesting take on a red.

Mouthfeel - On the dry side, but sweet, the chocolate roast dominates the feel, which is the best part of this brew. Bread and butter. On the boozy side for a 6% but it is not a major deterrent. Medium bodied.

Overall - Interesting brew, the mouthfeel makes this maybe worth a shot. Very unique in the land of Irish Reds but not anything to write home about, strange overall.

Serving type: bottle

06-04-2013 12:13:32 | More by JMScowcroft

PlinyBeMiney

California

2.5/5  rDev -31.9%

06-02-2013 03:33:29 | More by PlinyBeMiney

moonknight31

California

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

05-21-2013 21:15:45 | More by moonknight31

GRG1313

California

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

05-20-2013 04:59:50 | More by GRG1313

kevanb

Illinois

3.81/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

650ml bottle poured into an Alpine Pint Glass.

The beer pours a nice red brown color, slight haze but generally clear. A thin, fizzy off white head appears, about a finger high that dissipates immediately, no lacing or retention. The aroma is very malt forward, very sweet and rich, some mixed berry aromas pop out and lend themselves to the sweet and almost fruit forward maltiness. Hops are pretty much out of the picture here, not what I really want to see from Alpine, but true to the style. The flavors match the nose nicely, lots of rich malt, slightly sweet and mildly fruit forward, a bit of brown sugar pops out as well that plays nicely with the fruitiness. Touches of berry at the finish that is creamy and sweet. The body is nice, rich, light zestiness from the carbonation with a great creamy finish.

Verdict: A nice Irish Red from Alpine, but obviously this isn't going to turn any heads when compared to their hoppy line up. Still a nice beer for someone who likes a sessionable, malty beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-24-2013 01:09:53 | More by kevanb

SDStoneEnthusiast

California

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

04-13-2013 20:36:18 | More by SDStoneEnthusiast

2beerdogs

California

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

04-13-2013 15:21:36 | More by 2beerdogs

stereosforgeeks

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

03-28-2013 02:40:33 | More by stereosforgeeks

hpthebull

California

4/5  rDev +9%

03-22-2013 05:24:10 | More by hpthebull

Cazlo

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

03-16-2013 02:38:42 | More by Cazlo

bmmortale

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

03-06-2013 10:51:09 | More by bmmortale

bca115

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

02-20-2013 07:02:16 | More by bca115

DIPAFAN

New Jersey

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

02-18-2013 19:09:48 | More by DIPAFAN

Twal

Colorado

4/5  rDev +9%

02-17-2013 17:40:48 | More by Twal

jvillefan

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

02-16-2013 07:03:56 | More by jvillefan

surfotog

California

3.75/5  rDev +2.2%

01-18-2013 22:53:42 | More by surfotog

spycow

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

01-12-2013 03:42:04 | More by spycow

dianimal

California

2.75/5  rDev -25.1%

01-07-2013 02:33:20 | More by dianimal

AverageWhiteGuy

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

11-29-2012 00:04:54 | More by AverageWhiteGuy

djaeon

California

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

09-30-2012 21:59:05 | More by djaeon

Hophead717

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -18.3%

09-27-2012 23:44:39 | More by Hophead717

Tom-Peters

California

3.5/5  rDev -4.6%

09-13-2012 20:22:24 | More by Tom-Peters

RuckusDu

Colorado

3.15/5  rDev -14.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A - Just a half finger of light beige head that quickly falls. The body on this thing is moderately cloudy. Color is a rusty red, maybe indian red. Slight lacing

S - A malty freshness to it. Some banana and raspberry compliment the bready backbone.

T - Here is where the fruitiness doesn't help. A sour-milk flavor in this one. Raspberry still there. Biscutiness does not go well with the sour-milk.

M - Strong carbonation which holds up a bit weaker body.

O - The flavor just seems off on this one. Some weird berries don't go well with the rest of the beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-26-2012 17:52:10 | More by RuckusDu