Big Red (Imperial Red) - Southern Tier Brewing Company

FickleBeast

New Jersey

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bomber poured into a Mad Elf snifter

Bottle lists this as 9% ABV vice 9.5% that BA lists here.

Pours bright orange in color, cloudy, with a finger and a half of sticky foam that dissipates slowly and coats the glass

Smells like noble hops up front - also picking up some passionfruit / sweet citrus.

Initial flavor is a rush of sweet citrus / tropical fruits that is quickly followed by a strong metallic bitterness that lingers in the back of the mouth

This beer looks great, smells great, but only tastes good due to the unbalanced bitter aftertaste. While there is a good amount of malt to this brew, and a nice, viscous mouthfeel - it just needs a little smoothing out.

I will say this is pretty darn drinkable, and the 9% ABV is expertly hidden within its depths.

Serving type: bottle

12-24-2009 04:01:08 | More by FickleBeast

jkane101

New Jersey

4/5  rDev +2.8%

05-15-2013 00:41:27 | More by jkane101

blknikon

Massachusetts

4/5  rDev +2.8%

04-30-2013 19:13:34 | More by blknikon

neckbracesub

Indiana

4/5  rDev +2.8%

04-28-2013 12:54:20 | More by neckbracesub

Eaglefan344

Missouri

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%

04-19-2013 21:52:04 | More by Eaglefan344

DaPan

Ontario (Canada)

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%

04-11-2013 17:14:09 | More by DaPan

ejimhof

Pennsylvania

3/5  rDev -22.9%

03-23-2013 16:24:22 | More by ejimhof

Chrily

Norway

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

03-14-2013 12:41:32 | More by Chrily

DmanGTR

New York

4.25/5  rDev +9.3%

01-30-2013 18:29:10 | More by DmanGTR

Schwerzpunkt

3.35/5  rDev -13.9%
look: 3 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a snifter....

Appearance: Pours a hazy orange-amber color with a large, rapidly dissipating head. A swirl of the glass leaves moderate lacing which also disappears quickly.

Smell-This was my favorite part of the beer. The malts dominated the aroma. Smelled very yeast and very much of biscuits. Almost like a dog treat...but in a good way. It was also somewhat sweet smelling with moderate fruity notes (especially apple, but some citrus as well) and a hint of caramel. Very pleasing.

Taste-Malts were very much on the forefront. Sweet was the predominant flavor, with notes of caramel and fruits, such as apple and citrus. Some hop bitterness present, however, it seemed more of an afterthought and outweighed by the malts to the point of being unbalanced. It left a faint, bitter, slightly medicinal aftertaste. Finally, there was a faint presence of alcohol flavor towards the back.

Mouthfeel- High carbonation with and moderately full bodied. Noted a slight alcohol burn as it slid down the throat.

Overall- The best part of the beer was the aroma, which I absolutely loved! Alcohol was definitely present in the taste, and there was the slightest burn, however, I think it worked with this beer and was not unpleasant. The malts were very much on the forefront and dominated the hops to the point of putting this beer out of balance. That being said, one must keep in mind that this is a retired beer and past its prime, so some of the hop flavor could have faded. I'd wager that a fresh version of this beer would be a bit more balanced.

Serving type: bottle

11-29-2012 03:39:27 | More by Schwerzpunkt

MrBoh

Maryland

3.5/5  rDev -10%

11-12-2012 02:05:39 | More by MrBoh

Molson2000

Ontario (Canada)

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%

09-09-2012 23:43:43 | More by Molson2000

Hbat68

3.5/5  rDev -10%

09-09-2012 14:23:57 | More by Hbat68

6demonbag

Missouri

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%

07-31-2012 19:54:32 | More by 6demonbag

rlee1390

Indiana

3.9/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

A-Cloudy deep orange, good carbonation, one finger head.

S-Lots of malt, a lot of caramel with floral and grassy notes.

T-Very sweet and malty. A lot of caramel with dirt, grass and a tad bit of floral notes. Some bitterness still.

M-Medium bodied, a tad on the lighter side, some carbonation.

O-I know this beer is retired and this one seems like it may have turned. It is still good but the fresh presence of the hops might have made this a little more balanced.

Serving type: bottle

07-30-2012 01:28:29 | More by rlee1390

hardcor33

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.8%

07-27-2012 15:41:53 | More by hardcor33

PorterLambic

Florida

3.6/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy dark orange color with a big, fluffy, nearly two finger high head, light tan in color. Great retention. Nice amount of lacing.
Smell is malty with floral and hop notes and maybe a hint of citrus. Nicely balanced.
Taste is malt, citrusy hops and a floral note. Balance is good here as well.
Fairly full bodied with a short-lived medium effervescence. A slight medicinal note crops up in the aftertaste after about 30 minutes or so.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2012 05:50:09 | More by PorterLambic

steve8robin

Massachusetts

3.5/5  rDev -10%

07-07-2012 01:35:15 | More by steve8robin

marlinsfan4

Maryland

3.43/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Pours a slightly hazy orange color, very little head or carbonation to it. Smell is of faint caramel malts. I'm a big fan of red ales, especially imperial ones, but I was a bit let down by this one. Taste is very sweet upfront, caramel and hops bombard you. A bit unbalanced, isn't the smoothest drink. Not a bad taste in the aftertaste and plenty of taste for this bigger ABV beer, but the initial sweetness knocks this one down a few pegs. Had high expectations for this, still a pretty good beer but not the caramel deliciousness I was expecting.

Serving type: bottle

06-28-2012 22:14:16 | More by marlinsfan4

mweso2000

Georgia

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%

06-08-2012 23:08:01 | More by mweso2000

philistinedream

New York

4/5  rDev +2.8%

05-18-2012 01:43:02 | More by philistinedream

jondeelee

Massachusetts

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Big Red opens with a malty, yeasty nose that bears a strong resemblance to floury baguettes, wheat toast crust, and yeasty rising bread dough. The aromas at first are largely breads and grains--perhaps eighty percent--but some touches of orange and apricot come through, as does a sprinkling of lemon, grapefruit rind, and pine resin from the hops, and a touch of brown sugar, caramel, and vanilla. But then something strange happens: after the beer has been let to air for a minute or so, the aromas suddenly take on much sweeter tones, with Jolly Rancher-like cherry and watermelon candies bubbling to the surface in syrupy goodness, and the hops sprouting forth with greater pink grapefruits and lemon candies. As a whole, I was at first unimpressed with the nose, but the sudden rush of candied sugars reversed this opinion rather suddenly, and the beer now smells delicious and very drinkable.

On the tongue, the first notes are of breads and toast, but these are joined a split-second later by orange, cherry, apricot, melon, and berry fruit esters, supported well by vanilla, caramel, and brown sugar. The flavors are largely sugary sweet here, but not overly so, for a peppery spice and some toasted nuts linger just beneath the surface, and the hops, while they do contribute some sweet lemons and pink grapefruits, also bring in a nice countering dose of pine resin, dandelion stem, and eucalyptus. As the beer remains on the tongue and the sugars slowly die off, a larger bread and grain base emerges, and just at the end the hops add a pleasantly bitter dash of dandelion stem and pine sap. The aftertaste is largely these latter hop notes, with touches of bread and sugar, and lingers on the tongue for a good while. Mouthfeel is medium, and carbonation is medium.

Overall, this is delicious beer, being very nicely balanced so that the sugars, bitters, and breads work in near-perfect harmony, emphasizing and building off each others' flavors. It says much that the 9% ABV is hardly noticeable during the mouthful, being mostly present as a light alcoholic vapor on the breath after swallowing. But as another mouthful quickly resolves even this tiny problem, the beer obviously boasts enough flavor--flavor that, by the way, doesn’t diminish from mouthful to mouthful--to overcome any problems. Recommended.

Serving type: bottle

05-09-2012 15:06:11 | More by jondeelee

avisong

Virginia

3.5/5  rDev -10%

05-07-2012 01:15:00 | More by avisong

craig220

4.5/5  rDev +15.7%

05-05-2012 22:26:24 | More by craig220

Beerenauslese

California

4.35/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

22 oz bomber, this has been in my cellar at least a year, probably going on two.

Popped the cap, surprised it is a light gusher. Poured into a Bruery tulip glass. Looks good: has a clear orange body, poured to a 1 inch beige head that dissipated to a ring and cap, with some sticky lacing.

Smells of sweet malt, sweet caramel and brown sugar, and orange. Nice orange aroma.

Tastes of sweet pale malt, orange, with an herbal bitterness. There is just a touch of dark malt and milk chocolate. Finishes clean and dry. Love the high dosage of Hallertau with its orange flavor and a grassy bitter finish.

Body is medium and the carbonation is moderate and round, giving this a full, creamy mouthfeel.

I enjoyed this red ale. The alcohol level, malt sweetness, and hops push it into imperial territory, yet the alcohol is well contained and the brew is well balanced and interesting. Too bad ST is not making this any more.

Serving type: bottle

05-01-2012 03:07:10 | More by Beerenauslese