Monteith's Celtic Red - Monteith's Brewing Co.

Hoppsbabo

United Kingdom (England)

3.78/5  rDev +24.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

This is an edit cos I had a cold when I first reviewed it. Not sure what qualifies this "Irish-style red ale" as a Munich Dunkel Lager.

A: Clear amber with a large clingy off-white head.

S: Smells positively Belgian, in fact it smells like dry figs and raisins, like a quad. A bit of vomit in there too.

T: Dry, easy on the carbonation. Light but apt bitterness. The bottle describes a chocolate malt flavour, and I think it has that but it's fruity more than anything, like berries of sorts, but not too pronounced. Tiny bit of butter scotch. A bit of cardboard as well. Oh, some nice lemon in the aftertaste.

O: I like it a lot. Like the Australian Coopers pale ale, it has a distinct Belgian quality. It'd go down very well with a ploughman's in a pub at lunchtime. I live in South Korea and beggars can't be choosers here, and finding this in the supermarket was a treat.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2012 11:06:48 | More by Hoppsbabo

eric5bellies

Australia

2.78/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Drank form my Duvel tulip

A - Pours a ruby colour witha white head that reduces to a film.

S - A little roasted malt.

T - A dark larger style with a little sweet malt.

M - Medium body and carbonation.

D - Ok but nothing special, makes a decent session beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2011 15:49:14 | More by eric5bellies

keitho

New Zealand (Aotearoa)

3.25/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance-Pours dark amber with big frothy off white head.Lots of carbonation.left good lacing and the head stayed on top of the beer all of the way down.
Smell-a slight sweet apple smell.
Taste-Slight bitterness,coffee like flavour at the end,short but not unpleasant.
Mouthfeel-Starts out o.k but thins out towards the end of the glass.
Drinkability-Good session beer, easy to drink and would buy again.

Serving type: bottle

09-16-2010 01:15:15 | More by keitho

ADZA

Australia

3.33/5  rDev +9.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

First of all i dont know who reviewed this beer as a munich as it clearly states on the back of the label "Monteiths Celtic Red is an Irish-style ale,in the heritage of burnt red beer"anyway it pours a burnt red amber with nice carbonation that leaves behind a frothy two finger head with average lacing,the aroma is a sweet mix of caramel and toffee malts with a xmas fruit pudding background,it has a rather light mouthfeel for an Irish Red but is quite sessionable which oozes tastes of toffee,raisins,caramel and some dark plums,overall its an average brew thats very sessionable and couldnt really knock it at the right price as i wouldnt pay the price they are asking for this right at the mo.

Serving type: bottle

07-06-2010 14:59:25 | More by ADZA

hunteraw

China

3.48/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Drnak with a weekend lunch at the Viaduct.

A: ruddy garnet in color, thin white head.

Smell: light aroma, just a hint of roast

Taste: non-descript dark lager, nothing really jumps out.

Mouthfeel: medium body and carbonation.

Drinkability: Moderate.

Serving type: bottle

03-20-2010 00:27:48 | More by hunteraw

CrazyDavros

Australia

2.68/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5

Copper pour, head faded rapidly.
Aroma is malt based: toasted/dark malt, molasses, bread, weet-bix, vegemite. Might be a hint of hops in there somewhere...
Flavours are similar, with sweet dark malt, more bread vegemite. But then it just ends... leaving a very watery sensation. Almost no bitterness or hops...

Serving type: bottle

06-13-2009 10:28:56 | More by CrazyDavros

LittleCreature

Australia

3.68/5  rDev +21.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

Appearance - 4.0
Poured two fingers of cream coloured head over a clear, amber-red body.

Smell - 4.0
A very appealing aroma, lots of malty sweetness, a little banana, slightly buttery. Probably a bit off for the style, but I like it.

Taste - 3.5
Very pleasant, mild amber ale flavour (although it's actually a lager?). Starts moderately sweet, with crystal malt, slight nuttiness and some fruitcake. Finishes dry with light hop bitterness.

Mouthfeel - 3.0
Carbonation is low to moderate. Slightly watery although the carbonation feels rough over the tongue.

Drinkability - 4.0
I see this as highly sessionable - only 4.4%ABV, easy to drink, interesting enough to come back to.

OVERALL - 3.7
This is not dissimilar from James Squire Amber Ale, although it lacks the creaminess of Chuck Hahn's brew. Quite complex, very easy to drink and like all Monteith's beers, well priced. I will probably be drinking this again.

Serving type: bottle

07-09-2008 03:51:26 | More by LittleCreature

brendan13

Australia

3.03/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

A - Dark cooper colour poured into a pint glass with a few centimetres of light beige head that falls away almost immediately.
S - Some roasted, chocolate malt aromas.
T - Quite a roasty flavour dominating. Some floral hops too.
M - Quite light bodied, medium carbonation.
D - OK but nothing to get excited about.

Serving type: bottle

11-03-2007 10:52:22 | More by brendan13

goatherder

Australia

3.53/5  rDev +16.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Deep copper in colour with a slight red hue. Fine white head which laced the glass right to the bottom. Some roasted malt aroma on the nose along with some esters. Quite dry in the mouth with some caramel, chocolate and roasted malt flavours. Dry in the finish with a balanced bitterness. The malt seems to fall away at the end, feeling a bit thin. Very drinkable, this is a pretty good beer.

Serving type: bottle

11-02-2007 08:31:42 | More by goatherder

vancurly

Australia

2.75/5  rDev -9.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

"Munich Dunkel Lager" (above) and "Irish-style Ale" (label) are not quite congruous...
Dark amber, copper-hued. Beige, dense head, which fades.
Fruity aroma, some complex malt notes, hint of powdered yeast. Flavours of hazelnut chocolate, a charred note, some faint hop character.
Lightish, fizzy mouthfeel. Quite dry. Slips away quickly. Kind of a soapy aftertaste, slightly perfumy also.

Serving type: bottle

09-18-2006 06:28:11 | More by vancurly

btmo

New Zealand (Aotearoa)

3.63/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Montieths are a bit of a legend here in New Zealand, and have a fanatical following amongst the faithful. Personally, I find their beers a cut above most of the macro style beers, but not stunning. Good, certainly - but not stunning.

That said, their Celtic Red is surprisingly drinkable. There is a synergy that comes from good appearance, fair smell and taste. The whole is certainly greater than the sum of the parts.

This beer responds well to a good chilling (yes, I know that that kills some of the flavour) and is the sort of beer you should consider when having a few friends around for a couple of drinks, or with food - especially on a hot day.

This beer complements pasta dishes quite well (I am eating and drinking as I type this), and it is also certainly a beer you can just tip your head back and enjoy.

Colour and appearance have been addressed very ably by other reviewers, so I will just say that the reddish brown fluid looks good in a glass and the smell is quite acceptable.

Mouthfeel is good, but again, not stunning.

OK - I grew up on beers like this (you should meet my mum...), and I can see what Monteiths were trying to achieve with this (I think), and overall, I think they did a reasonable job. Kiwi beers *aren't* amazing by world standards, but this is one of the better ones.

If you get the chance, give it a try. Just don't expect to hear angels singing...

Oh yes, and one minor gripe about the packaging. It is the 21st century for crying out loud! It should be possible to create a twist top cap for this stuff! It is a long way to the bottle opener...

:-D

Serving type: bottle

08-25-2006 07:12:01 | More by btmo

revdrjbob

Australia

3.13/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured a dark amber/brown into the glass, with a thin white head. Aromas of dark fruit, chocolate, malty roastyness, and old leather. Tasted nice, chocolate, diacetyl, raisins, malt. Sadly no hop showed through, only the bitterness from the darker malts. Nice, but a let down on the malt side.

Serving type: bottle

09-29-2004 08:08:34 | More by revdrjbob

BenConnery

Australia

3.2/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

I am a big fan of the red ale so I looked forward to trying this one, having enjoyed their summery spiced and golden offerings.
The colour was good, a traditional ruby red with a decent head fading away. Their was a little more carbonation than I really like in an ale but I've come to expect that from southern hemisphere offerings.
Quite smooth and very drinkable. The label talked of it being kilned and so I was expecting more of the malty flavour to come through.
A good effort but not up to the standard of a true Irish red...

Serving type: bottle

01-06-2004 05:26:43 | More by BenConnery

koolk

Australia

2.78/5  rDev -8.6%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Never really had an Irish red before, so this was a chance to discover a new'species' of beer styling.

A well lit and vibrant red-slight orange in colour. Small head, no lacing, good carbonation.

Nose had a light mixture of roast, smoke and touches of floral hops. Intresting, just not very powerful.

The palate was dry and short. Only a hint of roast with a touch of bitterness.

Not bad, just a little thin and lacking for my taste.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2003 23:41:18 | More by koolk

diablo14

Australia

3.25/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

this beer is a fair effort from monteiths, but just doesnt quite hit the mark, particularly compared to the truly great irish/celtic red ales.

fantastic ruby red color, with a nice solid head. the nose is slightly malty, with a hint of fruitiness. very smooth drinking, and the flavor is a nice biscuity type, but lacking in the robustness necessary for a red ale. i always think red ales need a dryish finish, but this just finishes a tad too sweet for my liking. its smooth, a all new zealand beers are, but id like just a bit more bite on the back palate. and well, if ever pride of ringwood were needed to add a bt of character, its here. i think theyve been a bit restrained in thier application.

ive had a few sessions on this and the drinkability is good, but i like to be challenged by this style, and it just doesnt quite cut the mustard in that department. a bit better than average, but as with a others in the monteiths range, i cant help but feel they could do a lot more with this.

Serving type: bottle

10-16-2003 16:11:04 | More by diablo14

ALEBOY

Australia

3.35/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

I would have liked a bit more body to back up the colour of this beer but not all wishes are granted. A taste that reflected the possible use of a small amount of crystal and toasted malts. Hop flavour was very low (would like more). Though having said that, the taste was certainly not objectional. I could easily drink a session of this beer, but, I wouldn't go out of my way for it.

Serving type: bottle

07-27-2003 04:17:30 | More by ALEBOY

rastaman

United Kingdom (England)

2/5  rDev -34.2%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2

Really really weak and watery. No real body, or hop or malt character, but i suppose it leans more towards the malt, but its hard to tell.

Serving type: bottle

06-21-2002 05:37:05 | More by rastaman

TubaManJack

Illinois

2.68/5  rDev -11.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Appearance- Dark amber with a series of red highlights. Proper carbonation and a small white head.
Smell- Limited roasted and caramel malt
Taste- A malt driven brew where the roasted flavors preside over the chocolate and caramel. But no hops to be found in any quanity.
Mouthfeel- A sapping brew that leaves you thristy and it seems to dry my mouth out. Its the most aggressive of the Monteith's lineup.

Serving type: on-tap

05-06-2009 02:42:46 | More by TubaManJack

alexgash

Connecticut

2.65/5  rDev -12.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Dark golden to warm reddish hue; light khaki head. Malty, chocolate notes, slight soap, dull hops. Slightly roasted chocolate notes, faint bread malt. Not as malty as would be good though. Also not that complex. Like all Monteith’s, overcarbonated. Light-medium body. Not terrible, but I've already forgot about it.

Serving type: on-tap

03-03-2006 00:29:27 | More by alexgash