Red Chair NWPA - Deschutes Brewery

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

robhbest

Michigan

3.93/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 3.75

Poured into tulip glass.

A: Pours a hazy amber orange with nice white head, good lacing.

S: Less aroma compared to mirror pond. Some bready notes.

T: Grapefruit, pine, malty backbone.

M: Nice medium body, well carbonated.

O: A good pale ale, didn't notice this was 6.2% at all. Probably would pair well with steaks or burgers on the grille.

Serving type: bottle

03-21-2013 23:10:26 | More by robhbest

Hoptometrist

Oregon

4.55/5  rDev +10.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

Served on tap into a nonic glass. Best by May 30.

A- Poured a clear dark orange color with frothy off-white head with big bubbles that left tons of splashy lace.

S- Huge juicy and pungent tropical, peach, mango, and grapefruit hops. Piney hops and big sweet caramel and bready malt backbone

T- Really big tropical hop presence of mango, peach, and grapefruit. Pungent and juicy hops balanced very nicely with a big sweet caramel and bready malt profile

M- Very creamy and soft mouthfeel, nice undercurrent of carbonation, very dry. Super easy to drink and the perfect mouthfeel for the style.

O- This is a world class pale ale bursting with tropical hop flavor nicely balanced with a very flavorful malt profile.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 03:24:58 | More by Hoptometrist

cquinn17

Illinois

3.65/5  rDev -11.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.75

Sampled on 1/14/13, just getting around to entering my review notes
Poured from a 12 oz. bottle into a New Belgium Globe

A - Copper/Burnt orange with a finger of off white head, some bigger bubbles in there.

S - Not a hop assault on the nose. Definitely more sweet malts than hops but smells really good.

T - Very malty for me. Sweet caramel malts dominate the palate. A little grapefruit and pine hops at the finish.

M - Medium mouthfeel with solid carbonation. Nothing out of the ordinary.

O - This beer surprised me as I thought it was going to be more hop forward, but it ended up being a sweeter pale ale for me. I wasn't the biggest fan as I like my pale ales to be more hoppy but it was a good value at $10 a six pack. I'll probably revisit this next year.

Serving type: bottle

03-18-2013 13:46:15 | More by cquinn17

sweemzander

Illinois

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

12oz. bottle poured into a nonic.

(A)- Pours a hazy golden orange color. Some good white froth and lacing left behind.

(S)- Quite a fruity representation for the style. lots of grapefruit and pineapple with a nice underlying honey/caramel -like sweetness.

(T)- Similar to the smell with a nice fruit forward hop character. Plenty of amber to caramel malts behind that.

(M)- A good carbonation level and balance. Great fruit notes with minimal bitterness or pine needle in the hops area. Quite a sweeter representation as well.

(O)- Definitely a good beer. It might just be be, but this almost seems more like an American Amber than a pale, but either way, this is a solid beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-16-2013 20:57:12 | More by sweemzander

312HopBomb

Illinois

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

12 oz bottled poured into a Solemn Oath tulip glass.

A moderate pour produces a one finger head of whitish foam. A nice hazy reddish copper color.

Nose comprises orange, apple, sweet malt, pepper, bread, rock candy.

Taste begins with a burst of sour fruity hops backed by a balancing malt flavor of brown bread and slightly sweet and tangy with lingering bitterness.

The mouthfeel is smooth and medium/full with fine carbonation.

This one is a really tasty brew that I could definitely session. Kudos to Deschutes, a new brewery in the Chicago area and one I have heard great things about.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 02:32:30 | More by 312HopBomb

GuzzLah

Illinois

3.41/5  rDev -17.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

A - pours orange with a short head. Bubbly.

S - mild citrus and floral hops. Yeast and seven kinds of soft malt.

T - prominent citrus, malty for a PA, tangy with a malty sweetness. Borderline too sweet.

M - medium body and lively carbonation. Low-Medium bitterness.

O - malty PA with a citrus flavor and a weak, but nice aroma. More hops, please.

Serving type: bottle

03-14-2013 00:25:37 | More by GuzzLah

jimmah120

Minnesota

4.23/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle no date

after having only 1 of the 6, i can safely say this is an excellent beer. tons of malt; savory roasted malts, buttery malts, chocolate, toffee, molasses, toasted grain all holding back bitter, flowery hops. the citrus isnt as pronounced as the bottle makes it seem, but it's there.

terrific stuff

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 02:48:20 | More by jimmah120

jamiecoppin

North Dakota

3.88/5  rDev -6.1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Poured from 12oz bottle into a Bells Tulip

Appearance: dark orange, copper with an impressive head

Smell: slight citrus aroma. Not overly impressive.

Taste: Yummy. Pretty complex for a pale ale. It has a nice caramel flavor. This doesn't taste like an IPA as the description portrays but the citrusy hops are present enough to balance it out.

Mouthfeel: Pretty big for a pale ale. Nice carbonation. Flavor is long and lasting. Delicious.

Overall: Pound for pound one of the best brews around.

Serving type: 12oz bottle

Serving type: bottle

03-13-2013 01:54:00 | More by jamiecoppin

homebrew311

Illinois

3.71/5  rDev -10.2%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Pours a slightly hazy red with minimal white head. Heavy lacing hangs around on the glass. A big caramel malt profile is immediately present in the aroma with firm bitter notes, pine and graham cracker. The taste starts out with some sweet maltiness that is quickly joined by earthy and herbal hop notes. The bitterness is light and the finish is a bit sweet. Mouthfeel is medium with high carbonation. Overall, a decent little pale ale that could benefit from a little more hop bitterness.

Serving type: bottle

03-12-2013 04:17:48 | More by homebrew311

ilikebeer03

Texas

3.86/5  rDev -6.5%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75

12 oz bottle poured into big wine glass.

A: Pours a nice golden / burnt orange. About a finger worth of head. Lingers for a bit before turning into a nice ring around the glass. Excellent lacing.
S:hops. some malt. piney, earthy citrus.
T: Hops up front. Piney, earthy, citrus like the nose. Some grapefruit as well. Then it gives way to a huge malt back bone. Too much malt in my opinion.
M: Good mouthfeel. Good carbonation.
O: I love the hops flavor but I feel there is too much malt in the backbone. I only got an individual bottle. Maybe it is just the particular batch I got because this beer rates very well here. Maybe it is just not to my palate. I assume that is the case. Deschutes makes awesome beers.

Serving type: bottle

03-11-2013 20:14:10 | More by ilikebeer03

malty

Michigan

4.89/5  rDev +18.4%
look: 4.75 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.75

Gifted to me by a client from Bend, OR a couple weeks ago. Excited to try based on the awesome reviews. Best by 4/4/13.

Pours a rich reddish-bronze with a perfect clarity. A fluffy bumpy creamy off-white heads sits steadily at 1". Attractive carbonation rises at a kinetic pace.

The scent is vanilla creme with juicy tropical hoppiness. Perfectly balanced malt and hop. Perfectly balance for sure. Fruit cocktail syrup nose.

The flavor is definitely more sharp hops at the forefront, that titilate the tongue. The creamy malty sweetness still supports the star of the show (hops), but the sing a mean back-up. Balance, again, is the key.

Drinkability is extremely high and the mouthfeel is perfectly medium. Soft, creamy, prickly and comforting. A nice chalky flavorful finish.

Overall a simply perfect pale ale that I'm of so grateful to have tried. If I lived in the area, I'd drink this as fresh from the tap as possible. I cannot remember a pale ale with so much attractive pronounced goodness, but still keeping a blue-collar stature and humbleness. Simply love this beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 23:25:49 | More by malty

PieOhMy

Minnesota

4.35/5  rDev +5.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4.25

A Poured into imperial pint glass. Hazy red. No transparency. Thick foamy tan head.

S Sweet. Caramel. Malty. Wet grass with a hint of lemon. Awesome complex aroma.

T Thick malty flavor you wouldn't expect from a pale ale. Underlying sweetness, sugar cane, raisin, toffee mixes with hops. Smooth bitter aftertaste. This bitterness lingers.

M Medium but leaning toward full. Foamy. Carbonation bites. Due to the malty bitterness there is a bit of a rough finish.

O Balance! It's all there, malts, hops, sweetness, bitterness. None of those overpowers the other. Great job by Deschutes. It's a good thing this a seasonal because otherwise, this 6.2 ABV beer might be my session beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-10-2013 19:53:03 | More by PieOhMy

cosmicevan

New York

4.25/5  rDev +2.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

big thanks to Rathakem for hitting this long time (yep, you read correctly...long time) want. enjoyed from a deschutes teku.

best by 4/17/2013

a - brew poured a stunning amber orange with a generous 2 fingers of frothy foamy head that hung out for pictures and then some. as it dissipated you could hardly see anything through the milkshake like lacing that gripped the glass.

s - nice hops mixed with great caramel. seems a bit malt forward, but definitely has my mouth watering.

t - hell yeah. this is what a pale ale should taste like. big and bold. lots of hops balanced out by even more malts. great sweet caramel pine cone flavor. has that definable deschutes flavor that i LOVE.

m - medium bodied. really nice.

o - overall great pale ale. with a best by date a month away, i'm sure i'm a few months post bottling on this one, but i love it. would love to try uber fresh, but right now hits the spot. great malt heavy pale ale with a nice hopping to tame the malts. great deschutes flavor profile. tastes like a stream in nature.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 04:12:36 | More by cosmicevan

Fatehunter

Oregon

4.18/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.25

A half finger of head on a clear, red/amber colored body.
The aroma is wonderful: honey, lemon and pine.
The taste is superb. moderate honey sweetness balanced by a bold pine and grapefruit bitterness.
The texture is amazing. It's soft with moderate carbonation.
A top pale ale.

Serving type: bottle

03-09-2013 03:21:08 | More by Fatehunter

Muhly

Alberta (Canada)

4.6/5  rDev +11.4%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

33cl bottle poured into a rounded beer glass.

A-Pours a clear copper with two fingers of tight white head. The head settles down pretty quickly, but maintains a good skiff at the top of the glass. Lacing is present initially as a full wall, which recedes to lines and dots on the side of the glass.

S-A good dose of citrus and pine hops. A bit of sweet melon.

T-A complex hop character that gives some citrus, pine, and bubble gum/melon sweetness. Malt is present giving it just enough of a backbone for the hops to stand up and shine through.

M-Moderately full mouthfeel with moderate/high carbonation. It finishes with a touch of hop astringency, but the sweetness pushes off any harshness from the pallet.

O-Refreshing, smooth, and complex. A fantastic quaff.

Serving type: bottle

03-08-2013 02:38:16 | More by Muhly

Moose90

Colorado

3.2/5  rDev -22.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

Best By – 05/08/13
Tasted – 03/06/13

A – Pours a dark copper and orange with a moderate off white head that thins and leaves nice lacing.

S – Sweet and malty. Hops are hidden underneath it all. There are sweet caramel malts on the front and some light hoppiness to it.

T – Sweet here again. Some old dried fruits, raisins. A nuttiness develops and the hops again are quite subdued.

M – Crisp and light.

O – Something off-putting with this beer. Malt profile is odd and dominates whatever hops are there.

Serving type: bottle

03-07-2013 03:49:34 | More by Moose90

BarrytheBear

Wisconsin

4.08/5  rDev -1.2%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

12 oz bottle purchased as part of a mixed six pack at Binny's Naperville, bottle dated best by 4/13/13. Damn, I didn't see this beers impending death before I bought it.

Pours a lightly hazy apricot with some long lasting big puddles of white that leaves some small sticky spatter.

Smells of faint white nectarine and white toast.

Mild buttery maltiness, strawberries, and dry white nectarine flesh. Understated caramel malts weave with a touch of grassiness at the finish.

Light, fluffy, and smooth on the tongue.

For being on bottle date life support, there's still a hell of lot to like about this. Flavors are soft but everything melds nicely, a drinkable and flavorful Pale.

Serving type: bottle

03-06-2013 01:10:22 | More by BarrytheBear

evanforbeer

California

4.3/5  rDev +4.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Pours amber-orange
Smell- bread, sweet/fruity
Taste- zesty up front, some citrus hop bite. Delicious fruity bouquet, apricot, apple, orange. Sweet malty breadiness, finishes nicely malty with some herbal (green tea) and fruity hopiness. A fantastic pale ale, shows some great malt layers yet still very APA in its lush hop profile. Very drinkable, the beer I wanna drink all spring/ summer

Serving type: bottle

03-05-2013 00:18:50 | More by evanforbeer

dhannes

Wisconsin

3.8/5  rDev -8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Purchased a single at Binny's...poured into a standard pint glass and let sit for a few minutes.

A=Rich, dark gold color with steady eggshell head that lasted for about 2 minutes...very nice.

S=Almost none--perhaps a very faint floral smell at first, and then some apricot later on.

T=First sip--hops dominated, with a smokiness to it. Apricot and milkiness developed later on, with a spicy, nutmeg like, bite.

M=Noticeable carbonation at first, but sourness made it a bit difficult to drink more than one of.

O=Reminded me of Magic Hat #9, with a tastier hop backbone. I may try a tap with the right meal,e.g. barbecued chicken.

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2013 04:10:28 | More by dhannes

MCain04

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +2.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Best by 06/14/13. Poured into a Bells Tulip glass.

A: Golden, amber, and clear. Creamy 2 finger head with great retention and lacing.

S: Not too much nose. A little pine, a little grassy floral notes, not too aromatic. Bottle describes it and "subtle aromatic seduction," so I guess I can't hold it against them.

T: Great hop flavor, crisp taste with a readily-apparent but very nice barley malt background that balances well. Not extremely bitter. Really dances over the palate with flavors. A little thin, but overall quite wonderful.

M: Clean, crisp, refreshing. A little watery, but aside from that, very well done.

O: Nice overall beer. Really easy to drink, very sessionable, would be perfect for a nice summer day, but I'm still enjoying it in bitter cold of February.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 21:37:01 | More by MCain04

JoeyBeerBelly

New York

4.48/5  rDev +8.5%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

12oz bottle served in a standard pint glass.

L - translucent rust color with a off-white head that thinned to a layer leaving a good amount of lacing.

S - sourdough bread with a hint of citrus rind.

T - lots of bready malt flavor with a hint of bitterness which really stands out more so after the finish with a tartness on the lips.

F - medium bodied, it drinks smooth and easy.

O - very good beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-03-2013 21:35:26 | More by JoeyBeerBelly

McStagger

California

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

Best by: 3/28/13

A: Pours a slightly murky reddish brown. Two fingers frappe head. Excellent retention. Excellent lacing. Subdued carbonation.

S: Excellent caramel malts. Honeyed, cereal sweetness. Noticeable, but not overpowering hop presence. Fresh leaves, grassiness, bit of pine.

T: Big malt presence. Subtle hop presence noted. Malt is definitely the star of the show here, with the hops providing the backbone, per se. Finishes sticky, with hop oil and resin rounding out the end. Dry, piney finish with hints of raisined fruit. Aftertaste is a bit soapy.

M: Full bodied yet balanced. Exceptionally smooth. Exquisite mouthfeel.

O: Very good. Exceptional, even. Personally, I find it runs a bit malt heavy, but I expect this from Deschutes. I'd be very interested in trying this fresh.

Serving type: bottle

03-02-2013 08:02:20 | More by McStagger

Hornet2003

British Columbia (Canada)

4.1/5  rDev -0.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 3.25 | overall: 4

Appearance: Mild copper tones. Creamier head. Opaque in the glass.

Smell: Sweet and citric fruits. Mango, papaya, orange, lemon.

Taste: Similar to aroma. Fruity with a biscuity malt character backing things up.

Mouthfeel: Sweeter than I expected or have ever experienced for an APA. They had to beef up the malt to offset the high hoppiness. It's not offensive, but can seem a touch cloying after it warms.

Overall: Highly enjoyable even considering the sweetness. I would be happy if more APAs were similar to this level of hopping.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 20:57:47 | More by Hornet2003

NoHipTee

Washington

4.64/5  rDev +12.3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.5

Wow....Excellent beer.

Served in a cold glass. The orange/brown color and the perfect amount of froth just screams "drink me". The smell hints at the hopiness to come. The taste is a delightfull mix of citrus and fruits. There is a slight malty hint in the back. This is a much more complex beer than I expected. I got my hop head satisfied while not blowing away the taste buds with over the top hop bomb. This is a very drinkable beer. Several beers into my case and I am still not "all hopped out". The mouthfeel is a little on the light side given all the flavors dancing around in my mouth.

I suppose a "fuller" mouthfeel would make it less of a sessionable beer.

This is a beer that is worth keeping in stock and serving to friends.

Serving type: bottle

03-01-2013 20:42:53 | More by NoHipTee