Roasted Red Ale
Switchback Brewing Company

Roasted Red AleRoasted Red Ale
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Switchback Brewing Company
 
Vermont, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
Ranked #79
ABV:
5.6%
Score:
86
Ranked #19,781
Avg:
3.8 | pDev: 11.84%
Reviews:
26
Ratings:
138
Status:
Active
Rated:
Oct 05, 2023
Added:
Aug 20, 2008
Wants:
  8
Gots:
  28
Roasted Red Ale (First sold November 2007)

Switchback's Roasted Red Ale is a deep mahogany red colored ale. Unfiltered and naturally carbonated, this ale uses a combination of caramel and roasted malts and specially selected hops to create a beer with a flavor that leads with a rich malty sweetness balanced with a bold hop signature, followed by a luscious chocolate/cocoa roasty finish.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by swinyeju:
Photo of swinyeju
Rated by swinyeju from New Hampshire

4/5  rDev +5.3%

Jun 13, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.69 by Rainintheface from Florida

Oct 05, 2023
Photo of jonphisher
Reviewed by jonphisher from New Jersey

3.85/5  rDev +1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours mostly a chestnut like brown, minor hues of red; mostly clear, off white head that is quick to form, leaves a nice film as retention, minor initial lacing.

Nose is noticeably toasty to me, grain like as well, a yeasty dark fruitiness is also present, just the slightest hint of very light pine.

The taste is mostly toasted malts, with same little bit of yeast driven dark fruit, much happier in taste; earthy with hints of pine.

Soft mouthfeel, can conditioning shows, light to medium body, nice bitterness, clean drinking beer, finishes pretty dry.
Jun 26, 2023
Photo of ANIMOUL
Reviewed by ANIMOUL from Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +11.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Poured from a 16 oz can into a pint glass; born on 3/3/23. Pours reddish amber brown with plenty of foamy head that rapidly recedes. Nice bitter hoppy taste upfront that mixes with an equally nice roasted malt taste; also tasting notes of grapefruit. A big fan of this style and it doesn't disappoint. Great!
Mar 31, 2023
Photo of 1009
Reviewed by 1009 from Massachusetts

3.88/5  rDev +2.1%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
We love the original Switchback, so when I saw this even more toasty version, I was overjoyed. This beer pours into a crimson glow with a fluffy white head. To the nose and you are met by the toasted malt, with some fruitiness from the hops. The malty taste is evident with a sweet caramel touch. Some dark fruit and cocoa richness follows at the end. I drank this on a warm lake day and was pleasantly surprised by the sweet refreshing nature of this beer. A great red ale from the people that do red ales best!
Aug 25, 2021
 
Rated: 4 by Velivolus1 from Vermont

Aug 09, 2020
 
Rated: 3.75 by EatonHops from Massachusetts

Apr 18, 2020
Photo of SABERG
Reviewed by SABERG from Massachusetts

3.92/5  rDev +3.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
Poured from a 12 oz bottle dated 3/20/19 into the test glass
A - Dark cedar colored, excellent clarity, pillowy off white frothy cap. Nice lacing throughout the experience. Carbonation is lively and determined.
S - Roasty malts, some dark fruit, bready yeast in the nose as well. Some conifer hops, and earthy grains
T - Stays in a narrow lane, malt driven nice hop bite, leaning toward the pine side, yeast adds a fruity element in the best way
M - Thin in body, sweet start nicely balanced bitter wave, and then a really nice linger of piney goodness
O - A really nice red ale, malts are solid, hop bite is nice, and the yeast adds some fruity notes.
Aug 04, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by bluehende from Delaware

May 21, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by ajdemma from New York

Jan 27, 2019
 
Rated: 3.75 by zotzot from Vermont

Jan 23, 2019
 
Rated: 3.63 by dpgoblejr from New Hampshire

Nov 03, 2018
Photo of DarkDragon999
Rated by DarkDragon999 from Rhode Island

4.17/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
Actually tastes how a red ale should. It's not overly hopped like a "red ipa."
Feb 19, 2018
 
Rated: 4 by Velivolus from Vermont

Jan 15, 2018
Photo of Lone_Freighter
Reviewed by Lone_Freighter from Vermont

3.75/5  rDev -1.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
On tap at Vermont Tap House. This was poured into a pint glass. The appearance was a glossy semi-transparent amber/copper color. Bar pour’s kind of slim white head slides quickly into the beer. The aroma breathes in a very nice balance of roasted nuts to sweet caramel/toffee malts, very clean and smooth. The flavor is pretty much the same with that nice balance of roast to sweet nuts and malts smoothly running into each other and sliding into the aftertaste and finish. On the palate, this one sat about a light to medium on the body with a nice sessionable quality about it. Nice carbonation. Overall, well done amber ale that I would love to have again.
Jun 24, 2017
 
Rated: 3 by SpAiReArGsEonNE from New Jersey

Mar 27, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by Hendry from Vermont

Mar 04, 2017
Photo of Holderness
Reviewed by Holderness from Massachusetts

3.47/5  rDev -8.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.25
L -- Lovely reddish brown with a two finger off-white head that has good retention and moderate lacing
S -- Nice balance between caramelized malts and fruity hops.
T -- Bitter herbal hops, mild roasted malts, bread, and a hint of citrus on the finish. Slightly too hoppy and bitter for the style, in my opinion
F -- Strong mouthfeel with an astringent and bitter finish
Mar 02, 2017
 
Rated: 2.58 by mscudder from Georgia

Feb 18, 2017
 
Rated: 3.85 by oriolesfan4 from Maryland

Feb 06, 2017
Roasted Red Ale from Switchback Brewing Company
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 138 ratings