Big Red IPA - Ram Restaurant & Brewery

sweemzander

Illinois

3/5  rDev -14.3%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

On tap at the Ram.

(A)- Pours a reddish amber color. Some white froth.

(S)- A classic amber/caramel malt profile. Bits of cracker and grains.

(T)- Drier and hoppier than the smell. Has a rather "grassy" bit to it in reference to the hop profile. Caramel-like malty backbone.

(M)- A good carbonation level. A decent balance too, though far drier and "grassy" than expected.

(D)- Overall, an average amber/IPA. Very grassy and green for my liking, but some may like that.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2012 22:57:45 | More by sweemzander

Kyrojack

Indiana

4/5  rDev +14.3%

05-14-2013 21:45:09 | More by Kyrojack

bralston345

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev 0%

02-16-2013 22:47:07 | More by bralston345

Theniz

Indiana

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

02-14-2013 11:08:21 | More by Theniz

JRBecks

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev 0%

09-17-2012 19:40:15 | More by JRBecks

DeMaria

3.5/5  rDev 0%

07-11-2012 16:52:28 | More by DeMaria

draheim

Washington

3.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

On tap in an American pint glass. Pours a nice copper color with a decent had that leaves respectable lacing. Looks good but nothing spectacular.

Aroma is strong floral hops and pale malt. Hops are more on the floral/herbal side rather than citrus/pine.

Taste is tongue-scouringly bitter hops and pale malt. The balance seems off here in favor of straight-up hoppy acidic bitterness, almost as if the brewer wanted to create a caricature of the classic American IPA. It's not that I don't love super-hoppy beers, I do; this just lacks the finesse and balance of really good IPAs.

Mouthfeel is OK, but really it's difficult to tell anything because of the one-dimensional bitterness.

Overall, it's a good beer to wash down the mediocre barbecue at this restaurant but that's about it.

Serving type: on-tap

06-17-2012 04:23:30 | More by draheim

RWNay

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev 0%

04-20-2012 00:38:36 | More by RWNay

mychalg9

Illinois

3.75/5  rDev +7.1%

04-03-2012 13:17:10 | More by mychalg9

jenray

Texas

3/5  rDev -14.3%

11-30-2011 18:23:47 | More by jenray

dsauter

Florida

3.5/5  rDev 0%

11-20-2011 23:14:30 | More by dsauter

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.5/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Served in a shaker pint glass at the brewpub.

I don't know why, but I immediately go to the beginning of Bring It On when I hear the name of this beer. Go figure. It pours a clear copper-amber topped by nearly a finger of white micro-foam. The nose comprises orange peel, light lemon zest, and light caramel. The taste holds notes of pine, orange peel, and some very light toffee. The body is a hefty light, with a light moderate carbonation and a slightly sticky finish. Overall, an okay IPA, nothing all that great but tasty enough.

Serving type: on-tap

12-07-2010 04:44:32 | More by TMoney2591

grittybrews

Washington

3.3/5  rDev -5.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured a deep copper into a pint glass with around a finger of frothy white head. Very mild aroma of slightly bitter citrus.

Moderate carbonation and thin, watery mouthfeel. Tart grapefruit presence with a bit of caramel sweetness and a vague metallic taste. Felt like the body could have used a bit more malty fullness, though the finish was pleasantly bitter. Drinkable, but nothing too memorable.

Serving type: on-tap

08-05-2010 04:58:42 | More by grittybrews

RJUGA03

Illinois

2.95/5  rDev -15.7%
look: 2 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A-Extremely cloudy/hazy deep golden yellow body with a 1" pasty white head.
S-Notes of sweet and some aromatic hops.
T-Nice semi-sweet beginning moving into a bitter noticable hopped midsip and then smoothly getting away with little lingering hop flavors.
M-Nice somewhat "thick" (reference syrup)beginning with a simple dry puckering after taste.
D-Well @ $5/ Growler on Fri/Sat. it's quite drinkable.

Serving type: growler

03-27-2010 08:42:18 | More by RJUGA03

Spikester

Oregon

4/5  rDev +14.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured clear copper with a one finger white head. Good amount of lacings. Aroma is citrus-floral hops.
Taste is citrus grapefruit bitter hops with a good sweet malt presence.
Right on the money for an IPA. Maybe a touch sweeter due to some extra malts. Nice dry bitter finish. Drinkability is quite good even at 6% abv.

Serving type: growler

03-23-2009 04:09:31 | More by Spikester

robbyc1

Illinois

3.23/5  rDev -7.7%
look: 2.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

-Standard draft offered at the Wheeling RAM, came nice and cold in a pint mug, medium wheat colored, expected some red, Ok head, nothing special looking.

Whiff of hops and some undistinguished malt, balanced, finished dry, good hop finish but flavor had me wanting more.

Nice feel in the mouth, full and well carbonated, very drinkable and refreshing. I would judge this higher if it was styled as an APA, it doesn't have the hop heft or malt to be a good IPA, but not bad. I would try some others here before fixating on this particular beer, but as a gateway brew or summer refresher it's OK.

As a side note I paid $2.50 for this pint, a good value.

Serving type: on-tap

02-18-2009 16:06:25 | More by robbyc1

3.83/5  rDev +9.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

On tap at the Ram.

Hazy, orange/amber in color. Medium, creamy, light tan head. Not much lacing or legs.

Served pretty cold, so aroma was muted. Decent whiff of citrus.

Taste was very good, nice hop blast right out of the gate. Citrus, maybe a bit of pine. A bit out of balance, in that the malt seemed very shy. Could have been a function of the temperature of the beer, but didn't seem to change a lot as I drank it. Fine with me, I lean more towards hops than malt, anyway.

Mouthfeel was light to medium in body. Carbonation was medium as well. Fairly dry.

I drank a few of these over the course of our dinner. Went down easy, and I didn't get tired of them. A bit high in alcohol for a session beer, but otherwise, worked for me.

Serving type: on-tap

06-08-2007 18:12:01 | More by

ILhophead

Illinois

3.05/5  rDev -12.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Drinking from a Big Horn Mug Club 2005 mug, ~20 oz. poured from a growler. Both were gifts from the Ram. Thanks guys!

Appearance - Bright orange/copper color, 1 finger off-white head, light carbonation bubbling up

Smell - Beer is served at about 35 deg. F, much like it is served at the Ram but without the frosted glass. This makes it hard to pick up any aroma. Some caramel malt and citrus hop detectable after warming.

Taste - Light caramel malt flavor up front followed by bitter hop and light citrus hop flavor through the finish. Bitter hop lingers a bit.

Mouthfeel - Light-Medium body, meduim carbonation, med-high astringency

Drinkability - I could put down a few of these but the lingering bitterness makes me want something else after the first one.

Not a terribly impressive IPA but not bad either.

Serving type: growler

02-08-2007 19:47:17 | More by ILhophead

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.73/5  rDev +6.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

This was served in a frosted glass 8={} (grrr), but it still had a big, white head. The color was a mostly-clear medium amber with copper highlights. The nose had a decent hoppy aspect to it, no doubt muted by the glass. The mouthfeel was medium and I gave it a chance to warm to better experience the hops. They were decent, but not great. Don’t hold back! The finish was still decently hoppy, but not really enough to satiate the likes of me.

Serving type: on-tap

09-24-2006 16:16:16 | More by woodychandler

Viggo

Ontario (Canada)

3.85/5  rDev +10%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours a cloudy orange/red, tiny white head forms, some lacing on the glass. Smell is floral/citrus hop aroma, some sweet caramel malt as well. Taste is floral, with a citrus middle, some grass, caramel malt and a clean bitter finish. Mouthfeel is light to medium bodied, medium carbonation, smooth, pretty decent beer. Better than expected.

Serving type: on-tap

10-19-2005 05:17:29 | More by Viggo