Betrayal Imperial Red - Speakeasy Ales & Lagers

metter98

New York

3.78/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 3.75

A: The beer is clear dark reddish amber in color and has a moderate amount of carbonation. It poured with a finger high dark beige head that has good retention properties and consistently left a short dense head covering the surface and lots of lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of alcohol and caramel malts are present in the nose.
T: The taste has flavors of caramel malts and pine resin hops along with hints of alcohol. It has a moderate amount of bitterness that particularly lingers through the finish.
M: It feels a bit more than medium-bodied and relatively crisp on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation. Hints of warming from the alcohol are perceptible.
O: This is a rather bold imperial amber ale, but the smell and taste of alcohol is somewhat of a turnoff.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2013 00:44:19 | More by metter98

mactrail

California

3.59/5  rDev -7.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Clear, ruby amber color in the New Belgium snifter. Big foamy head with a pleasant mouth-filling sudsiness. Big aroma of that fruity mango hop.

A sweet maltiness greets the lips, followed by a boar-load of hops. Qite bitter initially and long into the aftertaste. Quite acidic along with the fruit. A little dank but mostly pineapple, pear skins, and mango. Big dark roasted malt flavors dominate the rest of the story. An interesting variation on the Imperial Red that should please the hop lover. From the 22 oz bottle bought at Beach Front Liquor in San Clemente.

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 06:20:08 | More by mactrail

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

To date this is probably the nicest screen printed bottle I have seen. I wish that they did the design in 12 ounce bottles.

Oddly, this bottle is a gusher. Nice flavor profile. A bit boozy. Still carries a good earthy tone with leafy fruit as well. Easy to drink, in spite of the burn to it. I like it.

Serving type: bottle

03-31-2013 04:27:17 | More by RblWthACoz

LiquidAmber

Washington

4.05/5  rDev +3.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Poured into a Seattle Beer Week pint glass. Pours a dark russet amber with a nice two finger light brown head with good retention and massive lacing. Aroma of caramel malt, piney hops, chocolate and an interesting estery component I can't identify. Flavor is dominated by pine and citrus hops, developing into caramel malt and finally to grassy, piney hop bitterness. Hints of chocolate and toasted malt. Very nice creamy, medium body. A different red ale with an interesting flavor progression; very hop forward, but supported by the caramel and toasty malt. Nicely done. My first introduction to Speakeasy and now certainly not my last.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 05:10:54 | More by LiquidAmber

facundoCNB

New Jersey

4.26/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

a deep clean amber in color with a finger of beige head that stayed for the whole glass. smells of caramel, honey, wheat, lots of grapefruit/pine/grass notes. a delicious tasting sweet bready malt profile with tons of flavorful and floral/citrus hop notes. getting a hint of grapefruit and coriander. medium in body, moderate in carbonation. creamy and sticky on the lips. i think this is my favorite beer from this brewery. they've all been awesome so far but this one stands out.

Serving type: bottle

01-31-2013 02:33:22 | More by facundoCNB

BeerLover99

New Jersey

3.38/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 3.5

A: dirty rust body, trace tan head,
brilliant lacing

S: sweet malt, rock candy, big rye

T: same as nose, slow oily bitter finish
mild boozy in finish, hint of metallic taste

M: med body, solid oily mouth,
hint of bubbly on front of tongue

O: Don't know how old this is, but
the odd metallic aftertaste is holding me
back from truly enjoying this brew.

PRETTY GOOD; NOT MUST HAVE!

Serving type: bottle

01-25-2013 20:50:30 | More by BeerLover99

BlurryVisi0n

New York

4.23/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Served in a snifter glass.

Appearance: It is a dark amber somewhat cloudy which dives it a little bit of an opaque appearance. Head which is an off white to white-orange rises to maybe 1/3" of an inch.

Smell: Deep caramel scent with a slight of hops coming off a little floral.

Taste: Complex with a little sweet meeting a little bitter. Floral with caramel.

Mouth: Medium carbonation, with an everlasting sticking after-taste.

Overall: Not described as one but if you're a fan of double/imperial IPAs this is for you. It is robust and rich...with so much going on; it just feels right when it hits your lips. Salud!

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2012 03:10:20 | More by BlurryVisi0n

RonfromJersey

New Jersey

4.28/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

$6.99 bomber purchased in Warwick, NY.

Dark, almost murky maroon amber body. Two fingers of bone china colored whip cream foam. Drippy lace.

Big bread and biscuit aroma. Whiffs of alcohol and licorice. Deep soaking fruits bubbling up.

Big fat caramel maltiness bulldozes the tongue. Dump truck of earthy hops. Sense of alcohol but not a burn, more of a late tingle.

Smooth creamy mouthfeel.

An imperial red leaning more toward malt, but still a winner with this hophead. Well worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

06-07-2012 04:01:10 | More by RonfromJersey

Greywulfken

New York

4.25/5  rDev +9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

A: deep mahogany, tan head - I poured it into a frosted tulip glass and saw a lot of the head lacing to the sides

S: mild; hop and malt aromas

T: wasn't sure what to expect in an imperial red ale - never even had a red ale - and it reminded me of Double Bastard and Devil Dancer - it has an almost food-y taste - meaty, if you will, with the malts and hops present and balanced; lots of flavors meld together - may be too bold for some, but it was right up my alley

M: filling, solid, "chewy" beer - medium body; leaves a savory aftertaste on the tongue

O: very pleased - would buy this beer again; strength was good, making it drinkable and worthwhile abv-wise

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2012 01:22:45 | More by Greywulfken

Ratman197

Colorado

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber from Half Time poured a clear reddish amber with a small lingering amber head. Aromas of carmel, earthiness, floral notes and citrus. Mouthfeel was medium bodied and crisp with a dry finish. Flavors of carmel, floral notes, earthiness, citrus and light tropical fruit with a crisp dry lingering floral finish.

Serving type: bottle

01-07-2012 01:23:40 | More by Ratman197

DarthKostrizer

California

3/5  rDev -23.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Thanks to Alucard4 for this one

Look: Dark mahogany color with a 1/4 inch tan head and ok retention

Smell: Piney and citrus hops upfront with some malt sweetness

Taste: Very piney resiny flavor backed up with a nice caramel back bone

Mouthfeel: Medium body and ample carbonation

Overall: A decent example of the style. For me this was a bit of a one way street and pretty uninteresting to drink.

Serving type: bottle

11-26-2011 22:32:22 | More by DarthKostrizer

stakem

Pennsylvania

3.38/5  rDev -13.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3

Thanks to MexicanSkittel for the chance to try this. Poured into a snifter, this brew appears a dark burnt copper to amber color. It initially looks quite hazed but when held to the light displays quite a bit of clarity and more of a reddish look. The finger's worth of creamy head is caught between a yellowish stain and dark tan. It provides patches of lacework on the glass and decent retention.

The smell of this brew is quite filled with toasty malt sweetness. It has almost a burnt aspect about it, somewhat like toffee and caramel and a bit of a mustiness about it. The alcohol is present with a bit of a solvent kick. The hops display themselves with a fruity and floral aspect that includes quite a bit of vegetable aspect as well.

The taste of this brew is modestly bitter with a toasted malt inclusion that is somewhat burnt in flavor. Hops present themselves with a veggie flavor just like the aroma indicated. There is a light fruited and floral somewhat reminiscent of raisins included with a warmth of alcohol that is fusel in character that really warms the back of the throat. The aftertaste is a combination of cooked veggies and a bit of burnt caramel sweetness.

This is a medium bodied brew with a modest level of carbonation. It is a bold brew with an expected bitterness and maltiness to contend with the alcohol level. However, it seems a bit disjointed and doesn't meld together all that well. I am not a big fan of hoppy beers that have a solid vegetative feel in either the aroma or flavor and unfortunately this one displayed it in both. Worth a try if you have the chance but not something I would seek out or drink on a regular basis. I greatly appreciated the opportunity to give this one a try.

Serving type: bottle

10-28-2011 01:08:05 | More by stakem

Bryanjpg

California

3.98/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Look
Betrayal presents a misty deep red orange.

Smell
The sweet smell of toasted malts joins the bitter smell of hops and gets tossed around with dark chocolate covered orange aroma's

Taste
the hoppy bitterness maintains the whole time as oranges and caramel toasted malt flavors alternate. Medium finish with lasting bitter taste

Feel
Medium thick body, could be a little thicker.

Overall
Great beer, solid flavors. This beer is great for fall. It reminds me what winter has in store for us. Without immediately jumping to a thick stout. It has a nice balance of flavors, and a lasting bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

10-21-2011 21:00:55 | More by Bryanjpg

Kendo

New York

4.03/5  rDev +3.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Poured into a pint glass. Body is reddish coppery-amber with a 1-finger bubbly tan head. Leaves good thick rings of lacing.

S: Nice. Strong caramel malt backbone but also a touch of juicy hops. A nice balance of malt and hops, which is what I like in an Imperial Red Ale.

T: Follows the nose - still balanced between malt and hops. Sweet caramel malt foundation, along with some brown sugar, and then hops - tropical fruit, citrusy and piney all come to mind at various stages of the sip. I get a touch of alcohol spice at the finish too.

M: Call it medium in heft, with a slight slickness to it.

D: A solid beer. Doesn't blow me away like Nugget Nectar or even Cascazilla - it's more balanced and malty than hoppy - but I'm enjoying it.

Serving type: bottle

10-15-2011 21:46:02 | More by Kendo

dwilson01

California

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Poured from a bomber into my figueroa pint glass. The body color is a deep red/caramel brown topped with a slightly tan head about a finger thick.

The scent is a refreshing hop in the forefront that also lends to a nice bitterness in the middle of the smell. The very end finishes with a hint of malty sweetness, enough to tell you there is some body to this brew.

The flavor is exactly what I expect out of an imperial red, and nice malt backbone providing maple brown sugar throughout the taste. This is balanced by a hopping that starts off floral, fades into a more bitter type and then ends with a crisp combination of bitterness and aromatic hops the finish you off.

The mouthfeel is solid, not too thick and goes down smooth with the spicy hop bite to keep you coming back for more.

Solid brew, not the best imperial red I've had but it's worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

10-12-2011 02:35:49 | More by dwilson01

Arbitrator

California

1.88/5  rDev -51.8%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1.5 | overall: 1.5

Chilled bottle into a glass. This was an impulse purchase at Whole Foods Redwood City. $7.

A: Pours a maroon-amber body capped with a fluffy, beige head. Retention is decent, and the beer leaves curtains during a sip. No lace that sticks.

S: Caramel, roasted malt, chocolate, and lots of grass and herbal notes. Chocolate is a nice touch; my preferred approach to this style is a little infusion of cocoa to offset a dominantly pine / citrus bouquet. This one opts for some different hop varieties, and it incorporates more roast; interesting, but not to my liking.

T: As in the nose, this is noticeably sweet, with a prominent malt backing that incorporates elements of caramel, roast, and chocolate. Hop varieties aren't so much flavorful as strikingly bitter, leading to an odd clash where the sweetness hits you up front and some grassy, root-like bitterness brings the taste to a close. It was bearable while the beer was cold, but as it warmed, it became less and less endearing.

M: It's medium-bodied. It finishes sweet, but there's enough bitterness that it gives the impression of dryness. The mouthfeel needs some tightening up.

O: I really need to stop impulse-buying beer. It doesn't work out most of the time. I drainpoured half.

Serving type: bottle

09-26-2011 05:32:55 | More by Arbitrator

Philousa

California

4.08/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Pours a deep ruby red against the light, almost brown in ambient light with one finger head and good lacing from beginning to end. Sweet malt in the nose up front, mixed with earthy, slightly tangy hops. Taste is, in a word, chocolaty. Some burnt caramel notes give way to bitter hops with the chocolate lingering throughout. The mouthfeel is very nice and balanced.

For such a big beer, this is very delicate. Delicate in the way it's balanced, that is. It could have easily been too malty and felt like a brown, but the alcohol content and hop presence prevents the malt from taking over. The burnt caramel and dark chocolate dominating the palate make this an uncomplex beer, but those are the ones I love. The balance actually makes this a bit of a dangerous beer, when you consider the ABV. Speakeasy didn't reach too far for this beer and instead made a palatable, easy to enjoy beer. Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

09-20-2011 02:46:23 | More by Philousa

Zorro

California

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.5

Have the bottled version. The bottle says 8.2% Alc/Vol.

Reddish brown colored ale with some chill haze evident. Small tan colored head.

Smell is sweet and full of roasted malt. Fairly strong German chocolate cake aroma. Chocolate coconut and caramel are quite strong. Strong hop scent mostly it is mint and menthol.

Starts out sweet and bitter with some chocolate and coffee flavor. Bittersweet is the one word that describes the taste. Slight savory flavor here but not to the point of soy sauce. Besides the chocolate and coffee there isn't much other flavor here.

Mouthfeel is good and fairly thick.

Overall this is pretty tasty but not super-outstanding.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2011 22:58:46 | More by Zorro

notchucknorris

California

3.25/5  rDev -16.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A: Dark amber color with a thin cream colored head.

S: Caramel, oak and some citrus hops.

T: Tons and tons of oak here along with caramel and a hint of dark chocolate. Overall, pretty messy tasting and way too oaky for me. I would not have this one again.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 23:10:25 | More by notchucknorris

argock

Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +11.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from 22oz brown bomber into a Duvel tulip. No freshness date. Purchased at Wine Warehouse (Charlottesville, VA) for $5.99.

A: Opaque rusty burgundy with thick, frothy, rocky beige 2-finger head with very good retention and a thick craggy line of lace with scattered spots.

S: Strong earthy aromas of pine resin and wood are greeted by slightly sweet maltiness with caramel, vanilla, cocoa, and toffee. Alcohol give a little nostril heat.

T: The flavor is a great mix of spicy, piney, and woody-herbal hops component with a strong somewhat sweet malt contribution with chocolate, roasted malt, and sweet raisiny caramel notes. The alcohol is masked very effectively. The aftertaste is herbal and earthy but with a definite pine-wood character.

M: A little sticky and a little too much carbonation but all in all the body is nice and its easy to drink.

O: I was really impressed by this beer - most imperial red ales are overly sweet alcohol bombs. This brew really solves that problem well and moves into the realm of supremely smooth beers with an exceptionally well-balanced mix of big hops and big malt. It is an imperialized Prohibition Ale with the same raisin and caramel notes that I really like in an amber ale. I wish this was priced a little more in the range of Arrogant Bastard at $4.50/bomber. It is one of Speakeasy's best beers and one that I will try again a couple time before it fades away for the year. This beer is one of the biggest surprises of the year for me.

Serving type: bottle

09-13-2011 04:39:19 | More by argock

Klym

California

4/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Thanks to my sister for this unexpected bottle! Poured into a Surly darkness snifter.

This poured a translucent dark cherry red with a big, slightly dirty head composed of big bubbles that left patchy lacing everywhere. The nose is very caramel maltiness with big cocoa and hop notes. Still some malt and cocoa notes and sweetness in the mouth, but hopes take over with a real grassy, hay-esque hoppiness that bitters with a pine feel. The bitterness never gets nasty, though it bites hard. I always approach speakeasy expecting disappointment but this was a pleasant surprise. A very drinkable imperial red with some interesting character, something worth hitting on tap or picking up a bottle of if you cant find anything else too interesting.

Serving type: bottle

09-06-2011 04:19:27 | More by Klym

brotherloco

California

3.93/5  rDev +0.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

22oz Bomber. ABV is actually 8.2%.

Pours a half-opaque deep brown with a big dark-beige pillowy head. Hangs around for a nice long while. A good bit of fine lacing.

Aroma of caramel and bready malt and some metallic tangerine hops. A bit of alcohol.

Initial taste is fairly sharp, but backed up with a nice dose of caramel malt sweetness. Tastes better than the nose. Middle dries up to a very dry, slightly metallic bitter finish. Alcohol emerges in the middle and sticks around through the finish, but isn't overwhelming.

Medium light body with medium-sharp carbonation. Quite drinkable.

Serving type: bottle

09-05-2011 01:05:12 | More by brotherloco

JayQue

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev -3.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Nice Red Ale. Not an overly sweet, mild boring one. Pours a hazy red color with a lot of light coming through. Small white head with worse than aerage retention. Some lacing. Spell ispiney hops and caramel malts. Fairly strong. Tastes good. Strong piney hops presence balanced by a strong caramel malt presence. Kind of like a barleywine lite. Very impressive for a red ale.

Mouthfeel is crisp. I assumed it was 5.9% but if this is an 8% beer, it is very smooth with no hint of the alcohol level.

A good Red Ale, I would drink this again.

Serving type: bottle

09-03-2011 18:42:49 | More by JayQue

Beerandraiderfan

Nevada

3.95/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Light brown and light red appearance, good head, another quality looker from Speakeasy. Mild aroma of toastiness and hops, a little nuttiness to it.

Great taste, smooth, still kept a hop mouthfeel, but stayed away from just making a super bitter nugget hopped red or something along those lines. Rich, toffee, even vanilla. A little bit of citrus as well.

Very good mouthfeel, alcohol not noticeable at all. All those nuances. Great balance, hoppy, yet not bitter, smooth, not high alcohol, a little bit of everything.

Where did BA get 5.9% for this? Says 8.2% on the bottle. Maybe because it tastes like 5.9%?

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 20:37:53 | More by Beerandraiderfan

DovaliHops

California

4.08/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

This bottle says 8.2%...not 5.9. Pours a dark crimson red color with a medium, off-white head. Scent is very malty with a nice balance of hops and tropical fruit. Boy does this beer remind me of something...I can almost promise I'm not the only one who finds this very similar to Bigfoot with a little age on it. Definitely reminds me of a hoppy barleywine. Strong dark fruit flavors with bitter hops and caramel malt. Just a pinch of alcohol flavor. Very bitter hop finish with brown sugar. Mouthfeel is full bodied with a creamy finish. Drinkability is high. This is definitely one of the better offering I've had from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

08-20-2011 07:18:28 | More by DovaliHops