Flagship Red Alt Ale - Maritime Pacific Brewing Company

lacqueredmouse

Australia

4.18/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Had on nitro-tap at the brewery's tasting room in Seattle. It's a nice little spot that's definitely worth checking out.

Pours a deep golden amber hue, perhaps not as dark as some, but with character. Firm body supports a smooth, creamy white head that sits solid and compact, not streaming and leaving lace. Carbonation is tiny and firmly created on tilting. Looks fantastic.

Aroma is smooth and creamy, with solid sweetness. Apple pie and custard comes through, with a touch of savoury grain and sweeter roasted toffee characters. Mmm.

Light grain on the front, before a bit of pepper lightens and pricks the palate. Despite this, there's plenty more smoothness to go around, with apple and custard again on the menu. Finish has some classic German phenolic notes which allow the beer to feel fresh and bright despite the ridiculously smooth feel.

Overall, this is a really nice altbier. It has some interesting characters above a very solid base. The nitro-pour is a nice addition too, accentuating all the languid smoothness of the brew.

I don't know if "flagship" is just a name, or if this is their flagship brew, but it should be the latter: this is a beer I'd be happy to fly my brewery's colours from.

Serving type: nitro-tap

07-27-2012 05:03:22 | More by lacqueredmouse

RichH55

Illinois

4/5  rDev +15.3%

03-15-2013 15:46:54 | More by RichH55

jnoelani

Washington

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

07-17-2012 05:02:38 | More by jnoelani

DrNo

Australia

3.5/5  rDev +0.9%

01-22-2012 10:13:38 | More by DrNo

CBlack85

South Carolina

3.05/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Beertunes for this one.

Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a pint glass.

The beer pours a crystal clear deep amber/red color, a vigerous pour yields about one fingers worth of off white head. The head recedes quickly leaving behind spotty lacing.

The aroma is sweet and malty, with a sharp fruity quality. Slightly pungent, with a hint of alcohol. A spicy hop character mingles well with the fruity sweetness.

The taste follows suit with the aroma, fairly sweet and malty, with a sharp fruity bite. The hops are nearly imperceptible, lending just the slightest bit of spicy bitterness to the mix. Carbonation seems just a bit high. The beer is medium bodied and finishes dry with a slight alcohol burn.

Overall, I think this is a decent beer, for an American style Alt. The beer is just a little too sweet, and is lacking the bready/biscuity malt presence that most German versions of the style have.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2011 02:03:53 | More by CBlack85

compass40204

Kentucky

3.28/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Pours a nice coppery color with a modest, off-white head. A tip of the glass and the lace sticks tenaciously to the sides. Smells a bit musty, with some slight grain. I'm not very impressed with the aroma, but it looks good in the glass. First sip is crisp and has a decent bit of bitterness. It's not a hop-forward beer, but has a good hop character that slightly edges out the malt flavors. The finish leans toward sweet malt. Drinking it reveals that the lacing is indeed quite tenacious, impressively so. Highly drinkable, with a medium body and carbonation. A very good sessionable beer. I'm not a big fan of red ales, but I'd certainly drink this one again.

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2011 01:32:13 | More by compass40204

HugePlume

Washington

3.25/5  rDev -6.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

12oz bottle pouted into a pint glass.

A- Pours with a nice 1 finger dusty tan head. Decent retention but very good lacing. Visually appealing beer.

S- Complex aroma of doughy sweet malt and earthy hops. A fun one to sniff out the different essences.

T- Dissapoints a little here. Its complex but I struggled to appreciate the balance of malt and hops. They seemed to fight one another. Slightly bitter, wet finish.

M- Good carbonation, a little watery.

D- Looked promising at first but couldn't pull it off as far as I'm concerned. Was OK, and I'll probably try it again to make sure my opinions are founded, but it was not an ace for me.

Serving type: bottle

02-28-2011 00:54:14 | More by HugePlume

jdense

Oregon

3.55/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

12 oz bottle passed on by beer buddy poured into shaker pint glass 10.16.2010.

One finger off white head, pretty quick dissipation with above average lacing. Clear orangish amber body, on light end of scale for the style, multiple trails of small carbonation bubbles rising lazily to surface. Aroma is bready, a small bit of fruitiness, with some floral hops on the back end which increased as the beer warmed, very faint bitterness. Taste is more sweet than the nose would indicate, stone fruit re light cherry esters, floral hops on back end, not a lot going on tastewise. Mouthfeel is on the light side of medium with above average effervescence, not sticky despite sweetness. OK on drinkability, but not very memorable.

Serving type: bottle

10-17-2010 23:29:46 | More by jdense

SodoSyco

Washington

3.95/5  rDev +13.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A- Kinda reddish amber.

S- A little spicey and citrusy. I really like the smell of it.

T- Pretty much straight foward but has a bit of bite to it. Slightly metallic in a good way.

D- Pretty smooth but not all that smooth.

Over all I like this one and would defniately drink more of it.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2010 00:02:05 | More by SodoSyco

industrialswill

Washington

3.73/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Found a bottle at the local discount food store.
This beer has a murky, amber color. I had to stop the pour to keep it from foaming over the glass. I'm met with a malty aroma with floral hops present.
Taste is nice. I'd be mighty proud to brew a batch this good. The taste is straight forward "beer", there is nothing fancy or memorable about it..it's just good.
For somebody who does not like a lot of hoppyness, this beer might get a better review than what I've done here. IPAs have spoiled my ability to appreciate lower strength ales to some degree.

Serving type: bottle

09-10-2010 22:15:50 | More by industrialswill

appenzeller

Washington

3.18/5  rDev -8.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a reddish amber, thin head and little lacing. Aroma is malt forward. Tastes of caramel, apple, white grapes. Mouthfeel is fairly light, almost watery, refreshing. Drinkability is above average for the style. This beer is fine, nothing remarkable but neither is there anything particularly flawed with it. It's just an everyday decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

08-09-2010 06:08:43 | More by appenzeller

flagmantho

Washington

3.68/5  rDev +6.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at the Hooverville in Seattle.

Appearance: murky red amber hue with one finger of creamy ivory head. Looks appetizing.

Smell: sweet malt with bright citrusy hops. A little one-dimensional, but quite good within that dimension.

Taste: malt is complex with some dry character and some sweet. Hops are citrusy and floral but this beer is not particularly bitter. I still rather like it.

Mouthfeel: medium body with good carbonation leading to a nicely creamy texture.

Drinkability: tasty and drinkable. Maritime Pacific rarely dissapoints me.

Serving type: on-tap

07-20-2010 15:06:45 | More by flagmantho

Lexluthor33

New York

3.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Hazy amber with orange red tint. Good looking head and lace.

The aroma of malts,dates and fruit. Hint of grains with hops.

The taste begins with a caramel tone followed by malts,citrus/fruit,toasty notes and figs.

The feel is medium body,dry finish and medium carbonation.

Notes: I am not inclined to usually buy this style and I while I can not say it is my preference I will say it was a decent beer.Very malty and well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2009 23:41:51 | More by Lexluthor33

HopHead84

California

3.35/5  rDev -3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Received as an extra in a trade with Cannabanaceae. Poured into an imperial pint glass. The beer is dark red with a one finger white head. It quickly recedes and there is a very small amount of lacing.

The aroma is your typical Alt. Toasted, bready malt with some sweet sugar. The flavor is bready, sugary malt, with a hint of citrus and spices. The alcohol is noticeable in the finish, which is slightly bitter.

Medium bodied with good carbonation. The mouthfeel is crisp.

Serving type: bottle

04-21-2009 07:04:27 | More by HopHead84

RedDiamond

Oregon

3.9/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Maritime's first ever beer, and mine too during my first visit to the Jolly Roger. Somehow it seemed to compliment the essence of the taproom: clean, uncluttered, and with a relaxed demeanor devoid of pretense. The Red Alt is a smooth drinking ale to be certain, though it's hardly red. The body is more of a polished ruddy bronze with modest suds. A faint doughy aroma made a brief appearance.

This ale includes a bit of wheat in the bill and performs an admirable balancing act with crisp bittering followed by a gentle brush of cherrywood sweetness. The flavor is not dramatic, but the overall design is smart and shows good session sense.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2008 02:42:12 | More by RedDiamond

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.6/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly clouded amber. No head. Nose is slightly sweet with a touch of a dry leaf character. It is definitely a smooth flavor profile though. Feel is good on the liquid and the carbonation as well. Overall a good drinking experience. I just have to say that every altbier I have tried, I don't really dig so much. Maybe the style isn't for me.

Serving type: bottle

12-31-2007 08:22:44 | More by RblWthACoz

barleywinefiend

Washington

3.03/5  rDev -12.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Had on tap at Maritime..Poured a deep red color with a small white head, carbonation is good. Nose is malty, fruity and very sweet. A medium bodied beer. Taste is sweet, spicy and a little fruity. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is smooth.Very good.

Serving type: on-tap

12-30-2007 15:43:57 | More by barleywinefiend

Litterbean

New York

3.6/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a hazy reddish orange. Head is minimal and leaves some foam on top once it dissipates.

Smells pleasant, a light fragrance of floral hops with a fruity bouquet. Juicy.

Taste is more complex than I expected. Starts out a bit spicy and bitter, which then gives way to a mild buttery flavor on the back of the tongue. Apples and pears at the finish and a burnt, roasted quality that lingers for a bit in the throat.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2007 04:20:06 | More by Litterbean

RJLarse

Washington

3.28/5  rDev -5.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I picked this one up at a grocery store in Seattle. Poured in to a pint glass.

Pours a clear copper/red color with a sticky white one-finger head. Headbretention is average, but it does lace the glass nicely even after most of the head is gone.

Smell is faint, a little peaty and earthy smelling.

The taste is initially about caramel malt, but then there is a dry woody flavor, and a mild bitter finish.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, and a smooth.

This is a drinkable beer I suppose. I'm not much on the style, and I'm not sure this is one of the best Red's I've had. It's just OK.

Serving type: bottle

02-11-2007 01:12:43 | More by RJLarse

benito

Oregon

2.38/5  rDev -31.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

The label on the bottle says "Brewed in the Northwest with Imagination." An equally ept tagline might have been "Brewed in the Northwest without Hops." MP's Flagship Red is a mainstream amber/alt, heavy on malts and lacking in the bitterness department. It pours a dark copper with good carbonation and a nice looking head. The bouquet is mostly molasses with a hint of alcohol and some floral presence. The mouthfeel is characteristically dry, with a medium, flowery maltiness up front that continues with only a touch of deep tea bitterness toward the back of the tongue.

As such, I think the beer's greatest flaw is its lack of balance. The malts have no foil, and the body lacks any real depth or complexity. It's also fairly straightforward flavor wise--what you taste on the first sip is what you taste on the twentieth.

Perhaps I've had one too many good alts lately, and this one is suffering by comparison. But Flagship Red never really came together for me. Not recommended.

Serving type: bottle

06-19-2006 15:46:09 | More by benito

woemad

Washington

3.4/5  rDev -2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12oz bottle purchased at Jim's Homebrew in Spokane for $1.25. Judging from the freshness notches, this was either bottled on or was to be consumed by July, 2002.

Poured a copper/amber color, with a very slight off-white head. Modest amount of lace. What foam there was stuck around for a while, though.

Smell was a little weak. Basically it was a sweet, caramel-molasses maltiness. No hop odor was detected.

Taste was a little bit more substantial than the smell. It begins with a mildly sweet maltiness, then a very modest hoppy dryness comes into play and quietly takes over for the finish. I can't help but think that the age of this bottle is helping to restrain the taste and smell of this beer. I wouldn't mind a fresh one to compare!

This is a medium bodied beer, as it should be. No surprises here.

This is tolerably drinkable from this aged bottle. I suspect a fresher example would be better, though. Should I encounter one, I'll revise this if the taste calls for it.

Serving type: bottle

09-22-2004 18:29:28 | More by woemad

beertaster13

Washington

3.08/5  rDev -11.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Pours a nice dark amber with a slight off white head. The smell is of caramel and thinly toasted bread. The taste is smooth and sweet, with slight sweet dark molasses tastes. A bit fruity in the end, a bit of hops blends well and calms down the sweetness. Not bad.

Serving type: bottle

09-19-2004 03:33:56 | More by beertaster13

beerguy101

California

3.05/5  rDev -12.1%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Reddish brown color. Small white foamy head. Aroma is malty, fruity and very sweet. A medium bodied "amber/alt" beer. Nicley roasted malts, some spicy hoppyness. Mouthfeel is full and round. Finish is smooth. Aftertaste is crisp and slightly bitter

Serving type: bottle

09-01-2003 01:49:20 | More by beerguy101

Gusler

Arizona

3.45/5  rDev -0.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

The beer pours a crystalline red to brown color, persuasive head, and the lace in nice sized sheets that cling to the glass. Nose is mostly malt, clean and fresh, lightly fruit sweet, with a start that is sweet malt, top skimpy, perky hop spicy bite, middling on the carbonation, the aftertaste dry, a drinkable, clean and a decent beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-19-2002 06:40:14 | More by Gusler

jreitman

California

4/5  rDev +15.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Nice red/amber color with good carbonation. White/tan tangy head that rides the glass all the way to the bottom. Hints of fruit and berries in the nose. Nice malt character with faint fruit undertones. Slight burnt character. Nice crisp finish. The more I drank, the more I enjoyed it.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2002 20:17:57 | More by jreitman