Red Chair IPA - Deschutes Brewery

Ryan011235

Ohio

3.6/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured into a snifter on 10/5/09

Best by 10/17/09

A - Dark amber color. Slightly cloudy with a few floating particles. About 1/8th inch layer of retention. Ok lacing.

S - Rather on the light side. Floral hops are mostly what's there. Some citrus juiciness, too.

T - Very bitter. Cutting & harsh; a razorblade of pine hop lacerates the palate. Watery swaths of floral & citrus (grapefruit, orange peel & maybe a bit of lemon peel). Faint hints of dry & burnt bread.

M - Thin mouthfeel with potent & prickly carbonation. This is a scrappy critter. Dry bitterness on the finish. Almost off-putting. Almost. The beer becomes a tad more forgiving as it warms.

D - This is an odd one for me. I would think twice about recommending this for someone not acclimated to hops. This would be an interesting beer were it ever on cask.

Serving type: bottle

11-07-2009 06:41:10 | More by Ryan011235

GilGarp

Colorado

4.13/5  rDev +6.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Best before 8/19/09.

Poured from the bomber into the tulip with a beautiful red color, great clarity and nice thick sticky head.

Aroma is wonderful and smells just like fresh hops before throwing them in the boil. There's lots of citrusy pine smell.

Flavor starts off sweet with a roasty toasty almost burnt taste. There is some very grassy hops and some bitterness but not overpowering. This beer is supposed to have all the hop flavor without the bitterness but I find that to be incorrect. There is still enough of both and I find the whole thing to be pretty well balanced.

Mouthfeel is fine with medium body and ample carbonation. I could definately enjoy a bomber of this. In fact, I think I will.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2009 04:32:14 | More by GilGarp

brdc

Wisconsin

3.4/5  rDev -12.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

From notes. Poured a bit too cold, it shows an amber color with a decent off-white head. Average retention and lacing.

Nice but standard aroma, piney hoppiness, some citric notes, minimal biscuits.
Medium bodied, refreshing, with mostly a piney hoppiness, biscuity malts, but also a somewhat annoying metallic taste.
Decent, but nothing special. The metallic taste eventually limits drinkability.

Serving type: bottle

05-12-2009 16:10:55 | More by brdc

SkeeterHawk

Texas

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

This beer was a gift to me from one of my customers after I helped them a little in planning a beer party off hours. Anyway, this is probably not a beer I would have bought myself, so, thanks, Natalie!

Appearance: Pours a mostly clear slightly burnt ornage color with a small, but thick, head of off white bubbles. The bubbles are tight and fall slowly leaving a decent amount of lacing on the glass when it falls.

Aroma: I initially get the (to be expected) "C" hops in the aroma along with a rather pleasant toasty malt aroma and some sweetness from crystal malts. It has a nice complexity and balance so that you can actually pick out some of the malts.

Taste: The beer itself is pretty good with a decent interplay of malt and hops pretty much the whole way through and especially in the finish. The malt takes a supporting role as it should in this style, but still is able to add balance in the finish. There is a slight chalky feeling left on the back of the throat that lingers for quite some time with the bitterness...this is a little unpleasant to me. Overall the beer has a pleasant mouthfeel and finishes with enough body and sweetness to let you know that this beer is not very small and shouldn't be taken lightly.

Opinion: This beer is actually pretty good for this style. I am not a hop-head, so I am sure that I am not appreciating this beer as much as others would...however, it is an easy drinking brew with a nice overall aroma and flavor profile. I will certainly finish this bomber bottle, but I don't know if I will be buying it in the near future.

Serving type: bottle

12-10-2009 01:16:52 | More by SkeeterHawk

TheSarge

Illinois

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Note: Reviewing this a month and a half after its "best buy" date. Also a shout out to my Captain for bringing me this back from the States.

Produces a massive amount of light tan head, with a slightly hazy copper colored body... Decent lacing.

Aromas are hints of grass, pine, and is very citrusy as well. Not too much in the way of a malt character that is detectable.

Taste wise this has a good caramel flavor upfront, which is quickly kicked to the side by the lemony/piny hops.

Good CO2 prickliness and dries the palate out quite a bit. A hint of alcohol warmness is here too.

Serving type: bottle

09-15-2009 15:19:26 | More by TheSarge

koopa

New Jersey

4.15/5  rDev +6.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

22oz bomber purchased at liquid solutions

Appearance: Fairly transparent body that is just a touch too orange to call full blown red. Lush 2 finger crown comprised of fine bubbles. Some retention and lacing.

Smell: Very nice subtle yet complex nose. Lots of herbal, minty, floral, and citrus hops creating a nice bouquet.

Taste: A bit less complex than the nose. Orange tangerine note that gives way to wet hopped goodness.

Mouthfeel: A bit thin for my liking and for the style.

Drinkability: Its thin, has a 6.40% abv, and doesn't taste bitter so it gets high marks.

Serving type: bottle

06-17-2009 22:52:47 | More by koopa

woemad

Washington

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Big-ass bomber purchased at a local grocery store for $3.99(?) about a week ago. Best by August 19, according to the label.

Poured a burnt orange color, with lots of good clarity and a big, creamy slightly off-white head. Foam hung around for a while and left a thick webbing of lace on the sides of the glass. Probably the best looking IPA I've seen for a long time.

Super fruity in the nose. I get grapefruit, which I sort of expected, but there's also a lime-like flavor, which I, at least, find rather unusual. Beyond the citrus flavors, there's a herbal hoppiness, but it's very subordinate to the fruit.

The taste starts out with citrusy hops that are quickly paired up with an unobtrusive bready malt flavor. The more herbal, "green" hops are present as a faint background flavor. Slightly dry at the swallow. Odd tasting beer. What's here tastes good, but it seems like a DIPA that somehow lost half it's flavor.

Oily, coating yet somewhat thin mouthfeel.

Odd tasting beer, but not in a bad way. I don't like this as much as Hop Henge, but I might drink more of this in a sitting, as it's much more sessionable. Still, it's a little too fruity for me to want to drink a lot of it.

Serving type: bottle

06-15-2009 00:11:32 | More by woemad

froghop

Washington

3.93/5  rDev +1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

pours a clear amber with a small off-white head, and good lacing.

smell of light grapefruit, spice, floral, some caramel, and pine in the back.

taste is crisp, caramel, citrus, pine, and roasted nuts, ends nicely bitter.

a very nicely made IPA, well balanced.

Serving type: bottle

06-03-2009 01:33:01 | More by froghop

younger35

Minnesota

3.75/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Picked up a bottle of this goodness at the Co-op in Boise. I'm glad this is out now and very fresh. Gotta love Deschutes! Drank from my buddies Budweiser pint glass.

Appearance- Pours a very light orange with a nice half fingered creamy white head. The head slowly recedes leaving a spotty cap and thin collar that leaves almost zero lacing.
Smell- Nice and fruity with a big orange zest presence. Rather piney and earthy as well with not a whole lot of malt in the backbone. Just a bit of light honey malt hiding in the background but the hops reign supreme.
Taste- Starts with a light bit of brown sugar or caramel malt upfront before it turns pretty damned bitter. Some pine and light earthy grass come through first before a very light fruitiness consisting mostly of grapefruit cuts in. Lightly medicinal or metallic on the finish but for the most part the hops cover it. It's almost too bitter for the fruitiness of the hops.
Mouthfeel- Light and refreshing body with a sharp burst of zesty carbonation.
Drinkability- Overall it's not bad but could be more. The fruitiness of the hops are sort of overtaken by the bitterness. I think they used to many bittering hops and not enough flavoring hops. Would drink again though, especially while it's still fresh.

Serving type: bottle

05-29-2009 18:23:21 | More by younger35

Docer

Washington

4.28/5  rDev +10%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

Bomber... best by very damn soon... must be a super fresh must-have.

- Nice reddish clear brew with some creamy foam head and laceing all about...

- Super clean floral and caramel notes... little bit of fruit salad in there... fresh hops...

- Wow... very good and balanced IPA... bright citrus and floral fresh sweet hop goodness.. with a very nicely balanced caramel malt... aftertaste is very zesty and sweet... a sweet and sour candy effect on the tongue w/out making my face turn inwards... very impressed. I like the flavor better than the Hop Henge. (Brainstorming a Red Chair Hop Trip Pale...)..

- Soothing and refreshing like a fruity summer drink but w/ the great fresh hop taste of a Deshutes brew... not dry, not bitter... just lovely citrus afternotes...

- Very drinkable... should be out in less expensive 6-packs.... this is a winner of a session IPA... great carbonation... and just a very pleasant brew... in a saturated IPA market - this one still manages to stand out.

Serving type: bottle

05-07-2009 02:40:31 | More by Docer

Seanibus

California

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a lively coppery red with a decent head, which drops to nice lacing. The aroma leaps out with floral and slightly citric hops, The flavor has a pungent hop flavor, mostly floral, but with a pine bite on the finish. There is relatively little malt character, and not too much in terms of hop bitterness, but there is a lovely tea-like feeling and a sharp bite of carbonation with every swallow. The mouthfeel is fairly thin, but carbonated. The only quibble I have is that there is a late developing slight sourness, but it is not a major problem - just enough to hold me back in the B range, where it could otherwise be a solid A.

Serving type: bottle

08-29-2009 03:31:41 | More by Seanibus

PDXHops

South Carolina

3.68/5  rDev -5.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5

Bomber, poured into a Duvel tulip.

Bright reddish orange body with 2 fingers of somewhat fluffy off-white head. Nice head retention and lacing.

Smells quite inviting. Juicy citrus fruit aromas and gentle honeyish malt. Light floral and herbal notes.

Perfectly balanced blend of lightish caramel and bready malt with plentiful yet subdued juicy fruit flavors: tangerine, pineapple, sweetened grapefruit. Having said that, I don't love it. The bitterness is too gentle for the style, IMO.

Medium bodied, moderate carbonation. Feels like a substantial beer, yet pretty dry with lingering sweet citrus. Somehow a little creamy, too.

Overall impression: Interesting take on the American IPA style. Very well constructed beer, but too subdued. Thrown in some more substantial bitterness and it would be top notch.

Serving type: bottle

05-14-2009 21:57:37 | More by PDXHops

AKBelgianBeast

Alaska

3.78/5  rDev -2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Diggin the label art. Pours a very clear copper/amber color, lighter in variety with an orange tint. A stark white pillowy head builds well, retains pretty well, and leaves good lacing.

Nose is pretty standard for PNW IPA, a little more citrus in this one than usual, but some fatty floral potpourri...ish aromas are still here.

A nice mild beer. Alot of PNW IPA flavor and aroma, the bitterness is somewhat subdued, which makes things a little strange and almost seems kind of soapy. A good flowery hop profile, less citrus than the nose indicated. The finish is still slightly bitter, which is nice, but said bitterness does not really linger in the aftertaste.

Mouthfeel is pretty solid, a bit more viscous than i would like, and pretty slick in the mouth. I really would like some more bitterness here. I know thats what they were going for, the IPA without the bitterness, but i guess my question would be...uh...why?

Drinkability is pretty solid, but a slightly slick mouthfeel and soft carbonation make it seem a bit heavy, even though it really is not.

Overall an interesting beer, but as far as im concerned it is pretty typical, and somewhat boring. Certainly not a bad beer, and one I would order again, and i think could be great on cask, just one that doesn't really do anything special for me. Give it a shot, worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-20-2009 05:20:29 | More by AKBelgianBeast

ckeegan04

Texas

4.43/5  rDev +13.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A - Bright caramel/orange in color with a foamy ff white head. Head is a good three fingers after a rather gentle pour but quickly fades to a thin 1/2 inch cap. Light lacing left behind.

S - Pungent aroma of piney and citrusy hops. Initially after the pour I picked up a lot of pine but as the beer began warming the citrus and tropical fruit notes became more dominant. Lots of pineapple and orange.

T - Just a spot of honey like sweetness before a very pleasant hop bitterness comes in. Lots of tropical fruit tastes with pineapple really carrying through. Sweet biscuit maltiness provides just enough backbone. Bitterness is strong but not overpowering.

M/D - Medium bodied with a light resinous feel. Bitterness lingers in the mouth. Very easy drinking IPA, another winner from the folks in Bend.

Serving type: bottle

07-26-2009 20:41:19 | More by ckeegan04

SpdKilz

Illinois

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Appearance - Pours a dark amber color with about a finger of fluffy white head that dissipates relatively quickly and leaves decent lacing.

Smell - I get an extremely strong citrus/hop smell with grapefruit and some lemon. It is followed by some pine smell and finishes with some sweet overtones.

Taste - Pine, grapefruit, lemons, hops, and finishes with a sweet malty taste. Very pleasant.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied, smooth, creamy, and good carbonation.

Drinkability - Pretty drinkable. Very balanced IMO (but honestly is lacking a bit in the flavor area...wish it had a bit more punch). Good to try but probably won't seek out in the future.

Serving type: bottle

10-22-2009 00:18:37 | More by SpdKilz

BeerTruth

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -9.3%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Got this one from younger35 for beating his ass in ESPN's The Streak...thanks whore.

22 oz. bomber poured into a nonic. Best by 8/19/09 on the label.

Pours a clear light copper hue with a fluffy two finger off-white head. A good amount of lace holds on to the glass after the head slowly falls. Aroma consists of light gritty citrus, some toasted grains, and sweet malt. Some pine and earth find their way in the nose as well. Taste begins with a fair amount of spicy malts followed by slightly rotten grapefruit and spruce. Midway grainy biscuits with some earthy hops linger on the tongue. Aftertaste is almost tea like with a touch of zesty lemon and caramel malt. Light to medium body with a strong tingle left on the tongue. Medium to high carbonation with this one as well. This IPA has a pretty solid malt backbone, almost English style. Not a huge fan of this one, but like many others, I like my IPA's with sweet citrus and/or floral hop flavors. Even though Dan-O is active in LARPing, at least he sends me beer. Thanks man!

Serving type: bottle

07-08-2009 00:29:35 | More by BeerTruth

ThreeWiseMen

California

4.2/5  rDev +8%
look: 5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Grabbed a single bomber of this from the San Luis Obispo BevMo.

Poured into a New Belgium globe.

Appearance: Clear, bright amber with sticky, soapy, off-white head. A bubbly cap sits on top for the entire session. Head is very sticky; coats the glass with web-like lacing. Almost no carbonation. Swirl the beer for a second or two and you'll return the head to it's initial state. Gorgeous.

Smell: Caramel malt and piney hops. Grassy and floral accents are also apparent, along with a couple handfuls of grain. Some light mellow citrus and possibly melon. Mild and enjoyable.

Taste: Crisp citrus, bitter hops, and doughy malts. Floral accents throughout. Very balanced. Bitterness starts out mild, but definitely builds throughout the session.

Mouthfeel: Creamy, spicy, balanced, perfectly carbonated (on the light side), medium bodied, and smooth. Very, very nice.

Drinkability: A solid IPA. Simple and balanced. Will be buying again.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2009 02:23:31 | More by ThreeWiseMen

GRG1313

California

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a dark amber-reddish copper color with a white head. Very pleasant sweet creamy lemon nose with hints of yeasty white bread and biscuits. The nose finishes with assertive pine; complex.

Bright flavors of fresh bread, yeast with a hint of malt, goes to grapefruit hops in the mid palate and finishes in the back palate with "elegant hops;" no other word for it. The bitter hops are assertive and desireable and very nice and full. Yet, they don't "hit you over the head."

Clean, fresh and extremely drinkable. There is an all around and incredible "refined bitterness" here. This is a beer that is likely to have very wide appeal; while a true IPA and hoppy, the refined hops and elegance will still appeal to the Belgian malt fans. Hop heads will also still get plenty of big and flavorful hops, only with some refined elegance on them. Nice all around.

Serving type: bottle

06-14-2009 05:32:13 | More by GRG1313

pokesbeerdude

Colorado

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

From Notes:

22oz Single from Wilburs in Ft. Collins, can't remember the price, around $5 if not mistaken.

A: Copper, nice clarity, about half an inch worth of cream colored head, nice retention, big sticky gobs of lacing, nice looking beer.

S: Hops, and a fair amount of them, pine and citrus both, really gets after the nose, slight amount of caramel in the back, but this one is definitely a hops forward sort of beer.

T: Lots of hop resins and flavors, not a lot of malt at all, surprisingly low in bitterness, as noted on the bottle. Underneath it all is a slight roastiness from the malt and a bit of caramel. Citrus and pine really dominate this one though.

M: Very thin, little carbonation, feels very watery, not impressed here.

D: Easy to drink and quite tasty, more like an XPA than an IPA to me though. A little more body would be nice on this one, I may try it again, this would be a good beer in six pack form.

Serving type: bottle

07-05-2009 19:03:56 | More by pokesbeerdude

Tucquan

Pennsylvania

4.03/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had this at the Deschutes Brew Pub in Portland, OR

From their bar notes about this beer: Unconventional. Uncompromising. A Deschutes original. This IPA style beer utilizes hops in a way never attempted by our brewers, evident in both aroma and flavor. The Cascade and Centennial hops are balanced by 2 types of crystal malts as well as American pale malt and German pilsner malt. The wind beneath your wings, perhaps . . .

I really enjoyed this IPA. It certainly was red and there was more flavor than a typical red ale. There's plenty of strong citrus and bitters to balance the malt flavors. By the way, the malt presence is more on the light-medium side. Bravo.

Serving type: on-tap

02-22-2009 15:33:01 | More by Tucquan

colts9016

Idaho

4.05/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4.5

Went into my favorite place to get some beer and they had this on tap.

Poured into a pint glass at 45.

Apperance: A nice 2 finger head that was white, creamy and some foam. The body of the beer is medium gold with some orange hues. There was some bubbles in the glass. The clarity of the beer was slightly hazy.

Nose: A mild hop aroma that is floral and citrus. There is malt in the beer and it has a sublte sweetness.

Taste: A light mild hop aroma that has some floral and citrus notes. There is a good malt backbone that lend a little sweetness.

Overall: The mouth feel of the beer is creamy and carbonated. The body of the beer is medium light. The finish is light. This is an experimental beer from Dechutes and I like it, although this beer is suppose to be an IPA it taste more like an APA. I like the concept but it isnt an IPA, well in my opinon.

Serving type: on-tap

05-31-2009 03:55:49 | More by colts9016

bennetj17

Arizona

4.18/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Very nice looking beer. Clear copper color, half-inch tan foam, long lasting with clinging lace. The aroma has a nice hoppy character that is quite piney but not heavy on the citrus. The hoppiness is cascade-like, reminding me of the type of IPA/APA that Sierra Nevada makes. The malt doesn't show up strongly in the smell, just the clean hop freshness.

Wow, that is crazy. There really isn't much bitterness at the back. When you get that grassy hop bite at the front you really expect it, but it's very limited. I can detect some bitterness at the top of the tongue, but toward the sides and back it's as if the beer just bounced right off without any effect. The overall flavor is nice though, the malt balance comes through decently with a lightly toasted caramel touch. The carbonation has a nice sharpness, creating some foam on the tongue, and the medium body finishes easily.

I didn't think I would like an IPA with less bitterness, but overall this beer was done well. I think the effect is very dramatic with that first sip, but you get used to it quickly and the beer turns out to be a very drinkable IPA.

Serving type: bottle

08-05-2009 05:17:11 | More by bennetj17

ybnorml

Rhode Island

4/5  rDev +2.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

retired eh. well i musta got one of the last bottles. THANKS John.
A cloudy dark amber beer. Has a creamy off white head with nice lace. The aroma is grassy/herbal and malty. With a biscuity background. The taste has a slight sweet apple note on the tip of your tongue. Followed by a caramel note in the middle. There is a peppery dry hop bite on the finish. kinda close to an english style IPA. Again thanks John this was a nice drink.

Serving type: bottle

02-19-2010 19:14:57 | More by ybnorml

RJLarse

Washington

4.47/5  rDev +14.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 5

I bought a bomber of Red Chair IPA at a grocery store. The cap popped while I was closing the door on my DBF, so this is a time sensitive tasting. Poured into a pint glass.

Pours a shiny copper color and is crystal clear. Incredibly resilient foamy off-white head.

The smell is mild and sweet. Some pine and citrus notes.

Taste is quite good. Some sweet bread flavors, followed by the citrus, and a very mild bitterness.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied, but clean and crisp. It is going down well, unexpectedly on a hot day.

A very drinkable IPA. I'll look for it again.

Serving type: bottle

07-18-2009 00:58:20 | More by RJLarse

callmemickey

Pennsylvania

3.98/5  rDev +2.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A: Solid, middle of the road amber body with a huge creamy off-white head which left behind massive amounts of sticky lacing.

S: Piney hops dominate with an undercurrent of grapefruit and sweet caramel malts.

T: Pleasantly delicate pine cones, grapefruit, orange and lightly toasted caramel malt.

M: Slightly thin without too much bite on the back end.

D: A very pleasant IPA, but doesn't really bang home aroma/flavor.

Serving type: bottle

10-02-2009 00:37:33 | More by callmemickey