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Imperial Red Ale (Pilot Series)
Alaskan Brewing Co.
- From:
- Alaskan Brewing Co.
- Alaska, United States
- Style:
- Imperial Red Ale
- ABV:
- 8.5%
- Score:
- 87
- Avg:
- 3.88 | pDev: 9.02%
- Reviews:
- 64
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Retired
- Rated:
- Dec 28, 2017
- Added:
- Dec 06, 2012
- Wants:
- 14
- Gots:
- 50
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by MattyG85:
Reviewed by MattyG85 from Minnesota
4.21/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
4.21/5 rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 22 oz. bottle into a Surly Darkness chalice glass.
Appearance: Pours a deep mahogany amber red with a moderate amount of bubbles. About two fingers of off white head that slowly fade into a thin creamy layer. Leaves a lot of creamy lacing.
Smell: Rich aroma with a good balance of strong malt and hops. Hoppy upfront with earthy hints of grass and pine. Hints of citrus grapefruit, orange peel, pineapple, and lemon. Big sweet malt balance with hints of caramel, toffee, biscuit, yeast, and a mild hint of roast. Some noticeable scents of alcohol. A very solid balanced aroma that is big and sharp.
Taste: Like the aroma hints, a big rich and sharp taste of hops and malt that is balanced. Starts with some sharp hops upfront with notes of earthy grass, spicy pine, and herbal notes. Citrus grapefruit, orange, pineapple, apricot, and lemon. Strong toasty malt balance with notes of sweet caramel, toffee, biscuit, grain, yeast, and toast. Slight undertone of roast. A little alcohol taste is detectable. Very good taste.
Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Somewhat chewy. Fairly drying on the finish. Some alcohol heat is felt.
Overall: A very solid red ale. Aggressive but well balanced mix of hops and malt. Even with a few months on it the hops are still lively.
Apr 06, 2013Appearance: Pours a deep mahogany amber red with a moderate amount of bubbles. About two fingers of off white head that slowly fade into a thin creamy layer. Leaves a lot of creamy lacing.
Smell: Rich aroma with a good balance of strong malt and hops. Hoppy upfront with earthy hints of grass and pine. Hints of citrus grapefruit, orange peel, pineapple, and lemon. Big sweet malt balance with hints of caramel, toffee, biscuit, yeast, and a mild hint of roast. Some noticeable scents of alcohol. A very solid balanced aroma that is big and sharp.
Taste: Like the aroma hints, a big rich and sharp taste of hops and malt that is balanced. Starts with some sharp hops upfront with notes of earthy grass, spicy pine, and herbal notes. Citrus grapefruit, orange, pineapple, apricot, and lemon. Strong toasty malt balance with notes of sweet caramel, toffee, biscuit, grain, yeast, and toast. Slight undertone of roast. A little alcohol taste is detectable. Very good taste.
Mouthfeel: Medium to heavy bodied with a moderate amount of carbonation. Somewhat chewy. Fairly drying on the finish. Some alcohol heat is felt.
Overall: A very solid red ale. Aggressive but well balanced mix of hops and malt. Even with a few months on it the hops are still lively.
More User Ratings:
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont
4.16/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
4.16/5 rDev +7.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Treated as an American Strong ale, this was poured into a snifter.
The appearance was a clean semi-dark amber color with a finger's worth of white foamy head that slid off at a moderate pace. Slight roaming messy lace ran around the glass.
The aroma had a clean sweet caramel/toffee maltiness up front flowing over some herbal to earthy hops. Light grassiness and a gentle brush with dark bread help to round out the entire smell.
The flavor was sweet initially and blended in the earthy components to a super slight spicy fashion. Mild malty aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a pretty good sipping quality about it. ABV noted but not distracting. Nice slick component easing up the finer quality of a stiffer mobility of those malts moving along my tongue - yes, it's not cloying, but just slow moving.
Overall, nicely done as an American Strong ale, but I don't see it as an American amber/red ale. I'd still have again.
Jun 30, 2017The appearance was a clean semi-dark amber color with a finger's worth of white foamy head that slid off at a moderate pace. Slight roaming messy lace ran around the glass.
The aroma had a clean sweet caramel/toffee maltiness up front flowing over some herbal to earthy hops. Light grassiness and a gentle brush with dark bread help to round out the entire smell.
The flavor was sweet initially and blended in the earthy components to a super slight spicy fashion. Mild malty aftertaste.
The mouthfeel was about medium bodied with a pretty good sipping quality about it. ABV noted but not distracting. Nice slick component easing up the finer quality of a stiffer mobility of those malts moving along my tongue - yes, it's not cloying, but just slow moving.
Overall, nicely done as an American Strong ale, but I don't see it as an American amber/red ale. I'd still have again.
Reviewed by Skrumpy from Oregon
3.63/5 rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
3.63/5 rDev -6.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5
Deep red color, foamy, tan head with streak lacing. Aroma is bread malt and spice, honey and oats. A hint of alcohol vapor. The flavor is similar, nutty and earthy notes as well. Very heavy mouthfeel with a big hops bite which is herbal in nature. I wouldn't say this was a smooth beer, but the flavor is not bad.
Mar 19, 2017Reviewed by greshdoghophead from Ohio
4.38/5 rDev +12.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
4.38/5 rDev +12.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25
Older bottle bomber from summer 2015. Poured very dark into snifter but is red when held to light. Not much foam or lacing. Great unique maltiness, not roasty or amber malt but certainly fitting of an imperial red. Nothing overly notable but yet nothing off putting, solid and chewy with a tiny musty dankness, worthy of praise in a social setting.
Mar 21, 2016
Imperial Red Ale (Pilot Series) from Alaskan Brewing Co.
Beer rating:
87 out of
100 with
266 ratings
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