Alaskan Imperial Red Ale (Pilot Series) - Alaskan Brewing Co.

sparx1100

Minnesota

4/5  rDev +4.2%

02-22-2013 05:23:38 | More by sparx1100

arizcards

Arizona

4.25/5  rDev +10.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Picked up a bomber from Total Wine at the end of May for $7.99. Best by 051513. I am always up for a big red ale even if it is a bit past expiration.

Beer poured a reddish brown with a nice beige head that is hanging around quite well.

Nose is full of caramel malts and citrus hops.

Taste is well balanced, big bready malts greet the palate followed by a generous citrus and tropical hop finish.

Mouthfeel is full, rich, and satisfying.

Overall this is an excellent representation of the style. Suspect the hops have faded a bit since bottling which has led to a wonderfully balanced flavorful brew. Definitely will look for this in the future!

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2013 01:17:16 | More by arizcards

Devinph

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

06-10-2013 01:52:01 | More by Devinph

itracy63

Alaska

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

06-02-2013 01:55:02 | More by itracy63

dtivp

West Virginia

4/5  rDev +4.2%

05-21-2013 00:01:26 | More by dtivp

Alieniloquium

Florida

3.81/5  rDev -0.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

650 mL bottle poured into a snifter.

Appearance - Amber body with a nice off white head. Settles to a nice collar and surface foam.

Smell - Grapefruit and pine hops. Nice caramel malt backbone. Smells good.

Taste - Has almost a hoppy American barleywine taste. The malt flavor is very similar. Aggressively hopped. Lots of deep caramel but not sweet. Medium bitterness in the finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium body. Medium carbonation.

Overall - Aggressive malt and hop character. I like it.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2013 00:36:17 | More by Alieniloquium

jimmah120

Minnesota

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

22oz bomber best by 5/15

Murky dark amber look. Fine sediment; good lacing, retention ok. smell is very 'red ale'. dry leaves, vegetation, fermented apples, and carrot juice. Feel/taste is silky smooth, coats the tongue with oak, english hops, leafy, li'l roast.

Solid beer, but not for $10 a bomber.

Serving type: bottle

05-08-2013 03:35:41 | More by jimmah120

JackieTH

Minnesota

3.99/5  rDev +3.9%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Garnet red with a half inch of khaki foam that fades leaving nothing for coverage and just a trace of lacing. Smells quite strongly of caramel malt with earthy and spicy notes. Taste has a washing of bitter hop, earthy and spicy elements across the tongue with a heap of caramel malt. Zingy carbonation adds rather than distracts to the flavors present. Body is adequate for heft. Dry and lightly bitter finish keeps the palate fresh.

Serving type: bottle

05-04-2013 02:52:09 | More by JackieTH

pperez38

California

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

05-02-2013 10:18:07 | More by pperez38

cre83

Washington

4/5  rDev +4.2%

05-01-2013 19:03:30 | More by cre83

twelveinches

Washington

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

04-28-2013 06:02:01 | More by twelveinches

mmilyko

Nevada

3.5/5  rDev -8.9%

04-28-2013 03:39:48 | More by mmilyko

KiMiRaiK

Washington

4/5  rDev +4.2%

04-21-2013 20:35:00 | More by KiMiRaiK

YieldToNothing

New York

4/5  rDev +4.2%

04-15-2013 02:05:13 | More by YieldToNothing

MattyG85

Minnesota

4.21/5  rDev +9.6%
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.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 07:00:36 | More by MattyG85

jmccraney

Washington

4/5  rDev +4.2%

04-06-2013 04:12:12 | More by jmccraney

SeanSweeney

Michigan

4/5  rDev +4.2%

04-04-2013 01:30:00 | More by SeanSweeney

t0rin0

California

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

04-04-2013 01:10:35 | More by t0rin0

LiquidAmber

Washington

3.73/5  rDev -2.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a medium russet amber with a half finger off-white head that dissipates quickly to patch foam and a ring around the glass. Light aroma of bready malt and light piney hops with a hint of alcohol. Flavor is piney and citrus hops with light malt up front, fading very quickly to a lingering light piney hop bitterness. Medium bodied with decent carbonation. The hops are pleasant and appropriate for a red ale, but they are not quite supported by the malt body. Finishes too abruptly, although the residual bittering and lightly aromatic hops keep it interesting to drink. In the end, a bit unbalanced.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 03:39:45 | More by LiquidAmber

fivetime

Idaho

3.75/5  rDev -2.3%

03-30-2013 06:30:07 | More by fivetime

brotherloco

California

4/5  rDev +4.2%

03-22-2013 03:01:58 | More by brotherloco

GuzzLah

Illinois

3.44/5  rDev -10.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

A - pours a clear dark amber with a beige head and some lace. No bubbles.

S - grapefruit, roasty malt and mild diesel fuel

T - grapefruit and mild roasty malt with a hint of chocolate malt in the finish. Smooth.

M - medium-full body and low-medium carbonation. Low-medium bitterness with a short sustain.

O - decent, but not one of the better Imperial Reds. I'm not a fan of diesel in the aroma. The flavor is good, but not outstanding for an Imperial Red. The 8.5% is well hidden.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2013 23:35:35 | More by GuzzLah

kingmaker

Louisiana

4/5  rDev +4.2%

03-19-2013 17:38:36 | More by kingmaker

cjatc

District of Columbia

4.5/5  rDev +17.2%

03-13-2013 00:44:19 | More by cjatc

JCF25

District of Columbia

4/5  rDev +4.2%

03-10-2013 21:03:36 | More by JCF25