Red Chair NWPA - Deschutes Brewery

Bucktron18

Illinois

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12 oz brown bottle with a freshness date.

Pours a hazy orangish light amber. Chill haze clears as the beer warms to a clearer light copper. Thick head that slowly sinks into some great lacing. Smells a little bready with caramel malt and floral hops that are not to aggressive. Taste is a sweat caramel malt up front with great hop balance through the middle and a clear bitter finish that lingers on the palate. Mouthfeel is slightly slippery with medium-low carbonation.

Overall a great american pale ale with good hop presence and a great balance of malts. My first beer from Deschutes and definitely not my last.

Serving type: bottle

05-15-2013 05:08:09 | More by Bucktron18

mooseo

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4

12oz bottle into nonic.

A - Clear amber with a creamy, dense white head.

S - Sweet biscuit malt, citrus zest, grassy hops, subtle floral notes.

T - Caramel malt, bready and nutty throughout, with a nice kick of citrus, fruity hops. Finishes somewhat bitter. A bit grainy and grassy on the back end.

M - Ultra creamy and smooth, medium bodied. Crisp and refreshing with lots of carbonation.

O - An excellent, easy drinking pale ale. Superb balance and flavor.

Serving type: bottle

05-05-2013 21:50:21 | More by mooseo

lighthabit

Oregon

3.98/5  rDev -3.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

realized i'd never reviewed this favorite of mine. appearance - i absolutely love the lacing this brew produces. thick semi-dry head dies down to leave a delicate, sticky pattern all the way down. crystal clear deep amber.
smell is solid citrusy hoppy goodness
taste - a rush of hoppy orange peel zest, finishes a tiny bit dry for my tastes, but i'm really nit picking here. not a torpedo of hop bitterness, but the hops are definitely there and let you know it!
mouthfeel is pleasantly oily, thick just the right amount.
overall, of of my first drinks that got me into appreciating beer, and over the past few years it's always nice to see it show up again. i think this year's batch is a tad better than last year's.

Serving type: bottle

04-28-2013 06:59:50 | More by lighthabit

Jimmys

Pennsylvania

4/5  rDev -3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

12 oz bottle. best by: 07/18/13.

A: very clear, a very copper hue. head is bright white, retention is moderate. spotted, sticky lacing.

S: very fruity. fruity pebbles cereal. a cotton candy-like sweetness. certainly a pretty even balance between malt and hops here.

T: malty sweet to start, hop bitterness works its way in there but is fleeting. a little bit of biscuit. finish is sweet and candy like.

M: moderate carb on a medium body.

D: balance is the name of the game here. refreshing and highly quaffable. a solid brew and glad I could secure one here in PA.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 03:19:51 | More by Jimmys

hoody711

Illinois

4.11/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

First time with a review in a long time. Too much work and studying and not beer. Sucks. Anyways, decided to break the ice with this great beer that is insanely cheap. Ooh, I see they've added 0.25 increments. Fancy! Plus, until recently, I couldn't get Deschutes in Chicago. Let's do this.

A - from the bottle into a...what else?...Deschutes tulip. Because I'm a douche like that! Beautiful chestnut/sunset orange. The head is 1 1/2 fingers and settles rapidly to a thin white rim lining the outside of the glass. Would like a little more head but beautiful color nonetheless. The lacing is real nice. Certainly right up my alley.

S - nose is never my strong suit as far as description. I know that I do like this, which means it's...citrus! Citrus hops dominating with a little malty backbone that is subtle and stays where it should - behind the hops. It's nice. Not excellent (5/5), but still nice.

T - there's some sour and bitter battling throughout this beer. Lemon/orange zest up front. I want to say grassy in the middle but maybe that's wrong. The citrus keeps on going as some sweet malt brings up the rear.

M - I do like the carbonation here. Fresh and bubbly without being too girly. Nice clean, dry aftertaste that is dangerous - you want more. I bet this gets better as it warms a little.

O - Deschutes shines again. Seriously, these guys know what's up. This is probably one of the most drinkable pale ales I've had. No offense FFF, you're still #1 in my heart. But seriously, get this if you see it. For the price, it's like you're stealing.

Serving type: bottle

04-27-2013 02:27:12 | More by hoody711

olfolxholme

California

4.33/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle into Ommegang chalice

A - large off white foam with great retention and good lacing. Beer is a very nice burnt orange with slight haze even when served at 49 degrees. Still, very nice to look at.

S - Wonderful Northwest hop aroma. Lemon, citrus peel, grass, etc. Hints of the caramel-y malt flavor can be found.

T - Tasty mix of caramel-y malt and Northwest hops. Clean and simple. Great hop bitterness in the aftertaste. Really stays with you.

M - Super smooth and refreshing. Well carbonated. Hop aftertaste is nice and drying.

O - A must try beer, in my opinion. One of my favorite American Pale Ales. Typically a crowd pleaser, too.

64

Serving type: bottle

04-26-2013 22:30:40 | More by olfolxholme

obrike

Texas

4.04/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Can't believe I haven't had this one before...seen it and passed it on numerous occassions...not again.

Really dig the look. A pretty caramel/red hue...decent 2 inch head that doesn't last too long, but leaves plenty of spiderweb lace.

Getting a similar scent to Inversion from these guys, fresh hops...buttered toast/malt...followed by a light blast of citrus.

Taste follows, but much mellower than Inversion. A bit of sourness in the aftertaste, but the malt takes over more in this one than Inversion, making it a bit more pleasurable.

I thought this one was super smooth...i could see downing several in a sitting. Very creamy.

I think this one tops Inversion for me...a toned down version with a better balance. Here's an APA that beats out it's own IPA in my book.

Serving type: bottle

04-23-2013 00:41:44 | More by obrike

justintcoons

Pennsylvania

3.1/5  rDev -24.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3

12oz bottle poured into a shaped pint glass.

Appearance
Amber with 2-3 fingers of off-white head. Excellent clarity with very low carbonation. Good head retention.

Nose
Grapefruit, lemon, honey and candy sugar.

Taste
Honey and caramel covered grains. Bready malts. Notes of grapefruit juice and lemon. Hints of pineapple and honeydew melon.

Mouthfeel
Medium bodied, smooth and subtly crisp.

Overall
Very malt forward Pale Ale. Even with the use of American hops this tastes like an English Pale Ale. Meh...why does this have such good ratings?

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 23:34:27 | More by justintcoons

leaddog

Alberta (Canada)

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance - Pours a pale copper/amber with a finger width of bubbly white head. Slightly hazy.

Smell - Grains, malts, citra hops, citrus rind.

Taste - Grains, malts and citrus rind/peel at the start, but builds up and hits you with a citra hops kick. Nice bitter finish.

Mouthfeel - Medium bodied with moderate carbonation.

Overall - A well crafted NWPA by Deschutes. Nice blend of malts and hops makes this an enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-20-2013 02:46:57 | More by leaddog

JesseMurdock

Hawaii

4.49/5  rDev +8.7%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

This is one of my go-to beers when it's in season. This is the perfect beer for someone relatively new to craft beer and still uneasy with hop forward IPAs. This beer is somewhat of a hybrid between an easy drinking american pale ale (think Sierra Nevada Pale Ale) and a more complex IPA. It has a nice malty backbone and a decent amount of sweetness allow for easy drinking while the burst of aromatic hops (pine, grapefruit) give it a great deal of depth. It has a decent head and is a nice cloudy burnt orange. Not a ton of a carbonation and a long-lasting almost sticky aftertaste.

Serving type: bottle

04-14-2013 21:57:19 | More by JesseMurdock

micromaniac129

Pennsylvania

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

This brew is quite dark as pale ales go, with a deep copper color. The head is smaller but lusiously dense and fluffy. Sticky lacing abounds. Gentle carbonation can be seen in this very clear beer.
Aroma is fantastic and smells very fresh. The hop bouquet hit me hard right after opening with floral and pine resin notes. Toffee malts with maybe a touch of bread finishes.
The taste is good and balanced but not as hoppy tasting as I thought it was going to be. The balance leans more to malts then hops with a toffee and bready taste perhaps even a bit toasted. The hops have a lighter taste with pine and floral notes.
Drinks smooth with some bitterness up front and finishes clean with no aftertaste.
A good well made beer.

Serving type: bottle

04-13-2013 11:05:03 | More by micromaniac129

russpowell

Oklahoma

4.23/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Can't believe I haven't reviewed this before... BBD of 06/05/13

Pours copper with 3 fingers of cream colored head. Nice lacing & head retention

S: Orange peel, pine & breadyness, fades as this warms, some pear, honey & lemons surface

T: Nice citrussy hops, a kiss of grassyness, a bit of biscuitty malt, plus some slight crackery notes up front. Some grapefruit, tangerine, & breadyness as this warms. Finishes slightly grainy, with lemons, a touch of mango, dryness, & flinty dryness

MF: Medium bodied, crisp carbonation, great balance

So drinkable, I think we got some old crap last summer when this was introduced tp Missouri last Summer. This will be in the hot weather rotation if I can get this fresh

Serving type: bottle

04-10-2013 04:55:58 | More by russpowell

joemcgrath27

Alberta (Canada)

4.16/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

A - clear deep copper, thumb of off white head retained very well, lots of consistent lacing
S - hints of mild citrus, bubble gum, mint, mild perfume, pale grains
T - light leaves and herbs mixed with pale grainy malts, gentle citrus seeps through along with a bubble gum flavour, all very gentle yet effective flavours
S - mellow and relatively light, gets creamy through the middle and finishes light and airy with a touch of bitter, very easy drinking
O - definitely an impressive and unassuming brew, they nailed it in terms of a brew that's just hoppy enough to bring out some flavour but not so much that it will scare off the masses, well played

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 03:27:31 | More by joemcgrath27

Bones10

Illinois

4.04/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Good brew. It looks good and laces enough to let you know it's there. The smell doesn't jump out as much as some, but the taste and feel of this fine little APA are great. This will be how I get newcomers onto the IPA bandwagon. Very balanced while allowing for the separate flavors to be tasted. Both malts and hops have a role to play and they do it well. I would drink again.

Serving type: bottle

04-07-2013 01:23:29 | More by Bones10

WoodBrew

Illinois

3.99/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

The Dechutes Red Chair was more of a Red/Amber Ale than a APA. The beer poured a clear amber color with thin white head that did not leave much lace. The scent was malty and on the sweeter side. There was not much presence of hops. The taste to me was a amberish type beer....not much bitterness, but a good sweet malt base with hints of caramel. The mouthfee was medium in body with decent carbonation. Overall its a fine amber ale....if I'm judging this as a APA, then it was dissappointing. I was expecting a hopped up red...

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 22:52:55 | More by WoodBrew

MattSweatshirt

Texas

4.13/5  rDev 0%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours out orange/amber with a thick little white head with good retention and lacing.

Smells fairly sweet. Caramel, orange, and floral.

This bottle is on the downward swing of its life but still packs a nice hop bitterness and flavor. Full of fruity and floral character. Caramel and bready malt.

Drinks nice and smooth with a medium body and medium carbonation. Finishes dry.

I don’t know why I was surprised by this being Deschutes and all. Great Pale Ale with an inviting sweet aroma and taste to it.

Serving type: bottle

04-06-2013 06:42:57 | More by MattSweatshirt

BucannonXC5

California

4.16/5  rDev +0.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Type: 12-oz. bottle
Glass: Pint glass
From: Bine & Bottle Shop in Normal Heights (San Diego, Calif.)
Price: $1.99
Purchased: March 28, 2013
Consumed: April 1, 2013
Misc.: N/A

Poured a copper amber clear color with two fingers of perfect khaki foam head. Sporadic foamy lacing on the sides, good retention on the top all the way down.

Smelled a pleasant whiff of floral hops up front. Nice and refreshing. Some citrus notes in there as well, maybe orange and lemon. No surprises in the nose.

Tasted candied sugary floral hops up front. Also that orange citrus hops, almost sherbet like. Tropical fruit and faint caramel as well.

Light body. Creamy texture. Average-to-soft (below average) carbonation. Abrupt finish.
.
A very nice pale ale. Tasty and refreshing all the way down.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 06:53:03 | More by BucannonXC5

gpogo

California

3.4/5  rDev -17.7%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

A- Light orange amber body with a white foam cap head.

A- Sweet hop aroma. Caramel and light biscuit.

T- Sweet caramel malt flavor with a consistent bitter flavor slightly amplified in the finish. Leaves a light bitter phenolic aftertaste.

M- Medium body, medium light carbonation.

D- A very enjoyable beer and quite sessionable.

Serving type: bottle

04-01-2013 03:04:32 | More by gpogo

Jsteez

New Mexico

4.65/5  rDev +12.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.75

Poured into a dimpled beer mug from a bottle.

A-Deep amber with some light brown qualities. Frothy 2 inch head that left sticky lace on the glass, and an appetizing off-white film on the surface of the beer.

S-floral, earthy, high hops, spring leaves, and malty. There are trace amounts of grapefruit as well.

T-Sweet flowers, American hops in the aftertaste that left a bitter feel. The bitterness was balanced by the sweet caramel malt in the front end. Tastes like Spring: fresh earth, newly grown grass, and florally sweet.

M-Crisp and smooth. A moderate body with some light carbonation.

Overall-this brew is a great beer to drink in the cool spring evenings in the high desert. The flavors are perfectly balanced to give one's taste buds a pleasurable experience. Enjoy this brew!

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 19:47:05 | More by Jsteez

Treyliff

West Virginia

4.2/5  rDev +1.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

A- pours a clear amber with a one-finger creamy white head with long retention, leaving a layer of cream with short lasting lace

S- floral hops up front with notes of citrus, sweet and fruity malt on the backend. Intriguing nose.

T- well balanced from start to finish, floral and herbal hop notes are complemented with sweet-yet-fruity malt, and a slightly grainy-toasted finish.

M- medium bodied with moderate carbonation, leads to a smooth mouthfeel with a bit of a creamy finish

O- easy to drink as a pale ale should be, but plenty of flavor to go around. I really like the fruity esters and subtly malty sweetness.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 02:42:23 | More by Treyliff

NODAK

Tennessee

4.26/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

The aroma was at first quite hoppy with an explosion of pine resin and citrus just jumping out. As it settled though, the sweet, fruity malt really came out. Pretty nice.

Taste was quite a surprise for a pale ale, as it was quite sweet right off the bat. The label does boast of seven malts though so perhaps I shouldn't be too surprised. It's pretty fruity although the exact fast is hard to pin down. However, maybe a currant taste?? Also a bit bready. The hop balance does come in at th finish with a fairly good resiny punch that allows for a drier finish. It also tends to linger a bit.

Unique pale ale. Quite sweet and fruity and delicious. Really happy for the balance on the finish though. Overall quite a tasty choice.

Serving type: bottle

03-28-2013 00:50:37 | More by NODAK

TheLostGringo

Connecticut

3.53/5  rDev -14.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle poured into a small snifter. Best by 03/28/13 printed on the bottle.

A: Golden orange color, with a couple inches of off-white head, leaves nice lacing as I consume.

S: Exactly like grapefruit.

T: Not sure what to make of this. Malty sweetness with some hoppiness. There is something a little funky about this beer, one sip I really like it and the next I am not quite sure.

M: The sweetness gives it a sticky slightly cloying feel.

O: Not bad, wouldn't go out of my way to have it again but not bad.

Cheers!

Serving type: bottle

03-25-2013 03:01:44 | More by TheLostGringo

KBomb

Minnesota

4.39/5  rDev +6.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Nice copper/amber color, translucent, effervescent head, enduring lacing.

Great aromas of graham cracker sweet malt, resin, tangerine peel, floral, the slightest bit of pine, and brandy-like sweetness (perhaps some honey in there too).

A very well balanced dance of deliciously sweet malt and restrained but exciting mix of hop flavors. Aside from enduring sweetness and resin, finishes mostly clean like a good pale ale ought to.

Fairly crisp and dry but not at all watery. Again, this beer finds the "sweet spot" of being precisely carbonated to fit the style.

An awesome beer. Perfect for those cool, damp winter days in the PacNW... or those cool damp spring days here in Minnesota.

Serving type: bottle

03-24-2013 01:46:38 | More by KBomb

falloutsnow

Illinois

3.84/5  rDev -7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

From: Binny's, Champaign, IL
Date: Best by 4/17/2013
Glass: Tulip

Pours a 1.2cm head of slightly off-white foam, retention is of average length, lasting a minute or so before the head has fallen, eventually settling to a thin ring around the glass and a small, wispy island of foam atop the body. Lacing is excellent, the head leaving fairly heavy washes along the entirety of the glass. The body is a fairly bright copper-orange color, with light bringing out brighter orange hues and giving a slight copperish-red tint. Carbonation is visible, but fairly sparse and sluggish, only about four streams of slow-moving bubbles rising from the bottom of the glass.

Aroma is of citrus rind, slightly wood-like, definitely cascade. Malts are more in the background, with modest caramel and brown bread undertones.

Overall flavor is quite hoppy, with citrus rind and substantial bitterness, with some modest fruity esters accompanying the caramel and slightly bready malt backbone. Front of palate is fairly straightforward: caramel and bready malts with the beginning traces of American hop bitterness and citrus rind. Mid-palate finds strong bitterness with grapefruit rind atop a backbone of caramel and somewhat bready malts, with slight fruity esters from the ale yeast. Back of palate is of hop bitterness, slight grapefruit rind and a background of caramel and slightly bready malt flavors. Aftertaste is of toasted and caramel malts, slightly nutty with dried leaves, and a strong lingering bitterness.

Beer is medium to medium-heavy in body, with fairly low carbonation levels for its weight. The result is a beer that's slightly more heavy-feeling than it should be, also slightly stagnant on the palate, though it still flows well enough due to the bitterness level. Closes semi-dry, with fairly substantial stickiness lingering across the palate.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 21:28:05 | More by falloutsnow

magictacosinus

California

4.23/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Poured out of a 12oz bottle into a nonic pint glass. Freshness date is "06/14/13."

The appearance is very reminiscent of a British bitter in the pub pint, complete with a clear, amberish reddish color. A nice initial 3-finger to half-finger of head sticks around the whole time, and leaves behind a good amount of lacing in the process. Carbonation is plentiful, although fairly modest and scattered overall. There's some slight alcohol legs on this, and the liquid is slightly viscous overall. No major complaints here!

The aroma gushes with toasted caramel malts and citrus rinds, alongside a surprisingly dried leaf-like finishing smell. The cracked brownish barley really comes around, but it is also coated with a dried, herbal hoppy flavor. Smells like a fresh homebrew batch in some ways, which is a good sign. There's not much stinging from the alcohol at the finish, and overall it's not too noticeable. Unlike Mirror Pond, this is slightly a more traditional version of an APA but still uniquely fruity and zesty.

The flavor immediately turns to a maltier, fuller breadiness than it was at the nose, with a slightly dried, citrus-like finish. The toasted malt notes aren't hiding at all here, and leave a biscuit-like aftertaste after each sip. The orange peel flavors are really soothing and nice here overall, and envelop within a combination of brown sugar and baking spice. It feels slightly sticky at times, maybe even syrupy, but is definitely generous is terms of providing carbonation. It's enough that it feels really full-bodied and bready, but not enough to make this feel heavy at all. Other than a light amount of heat at the finish, there's barely any alcohol to be noticed here - rather, the toasted malts and spiced zesty hops do their job rather well here. Fantastically refreshing.

This reminds me so vividly of the spices and aromas that go with Autumn, yet it seems to work so well right now during a chilly night on the first day of Spring. In a way, I don't see how this wouldn't work for any season, really. It's nicely refreshing and flavorful with lots of aspects that are present in variations of pale ales, yet come together nicely in a balanced manner. Fans of Deschutes, don't pass this by. Personally, I'd take this over a Mirror Pond or even most Winter Warmers available on the market any day!

Serving type: bottle

03-22-2013 05:13:53 | More by magictacosinus