Revelry - Two Brothers Brewing Company

BierStein711

Illinois

5/5  rDev +20.5%
look: 5 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 5

This was the best beer I rang in the New Year with!

Three finger off white head

Dark amber in color!

Smells of pine and malt, plus aromatic resins

Tastes: PIne, warming malt, and hops!

Mouthfeel: Smooth, sharp, and refreshing!

Overall, this is a beer that I could drink for a good long time! I want to try more of this style, and I'd have a six pack or a on-draught in no time! Gorgeous beer! I've always liked Redheads!

Serving type: bottle

01-02-2013 19:15:32 | More by BierStein711

WoodBrew

Illinois

4.85/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 4 | smell: 5 | taste: 5 | feel: 5 | overall: 4.5

The revelry imperial red is amazing and is in competition with cane and ebel as my favorite beer from two bros! The beer pours a clear rich amber with a thin frothy head that is lacing like a Vicky secret catalog. The smell is powered with piney citrus hops. The taste is a beautifully balanced beer of caramel malt with California hops. The mouthfeel is full body with smooth carbonation. Overall the beer is awesome...only problem is that I want to drink a ton of it but it is loaded with abv!!!

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 02:42:00 | More by WoodBrew

Ryan011235

Ohio

4.73/5  rDev +14%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.75 | feel: 4.75 | overall: 4.75

Poured into an Olde Hickory glass on 1/17/13

Lot 3132

Nice-looking tobacco brown of medium depth. The head has loose bubbles but they hold for a while at the one and a half finger mark before dropping down. Circles of lace remain that make the inside of the glass look like a golf ball.

Hops aplenty come bursting out of the aroma, equally oily and resinous. There is a strong, bright citrus presence: peach, tangerine, grapefruit and such. It smells very juicy at first, bringing to mind marmalade and fruit jam as it opens up. Touches of pine. Biscuit dust hangs in the air as pastry-like malts lay underneath. I'm not getting any caramel.

Breakfast and beer are almost always brought together some combination of coffee, oatmeal, maple and, perhaps, bacon. But this; this, my friends, finds the oft overlook sweet side of breakfast - biscuits lathered in jam and jelly, and fruit pasties to spare.

The flavors develop in a much different manner: Toasted grains and bread come first, though both are soon awash in a swell of hop oils. Here, the hops exhibit much more pine; lots of sticky resin. Citric zest peppers the mid-section. Indeed, the hops are worthy of revelry As the oils carry the beer on, a smooth alcohol heat moves across the palate. More hop flavor than bitterness.

The feel is resinous enough that the body might as well be called full. Carbonation is taxed heavily by the oils which means it falls comfortably within my preferential range. The finish is zesty, dry and the alcohol is less appreciable over time.

I'm a sucker for a good imperial red ale, but have been disappointed many times by Two Brothers. When I came across a chilled single, I had to give it a try. They knocked it outta the park with this one. An easy recommendation.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2013 01:38:09 | More by Ryan011235

Thickfreakness

New York

4.55/5  rDev +9.6%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.75 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

A- Pours a crystal clear maroon/amber into my Ithaca Excelsior tulip. A thin bubbly head floats atop and fades away leaving a nice bit of sticky lacing clinging to the sides of the glass. Not much in the way of carbonation.

S- Sweet caramel, mango, grapefruit, and huge doses of pine sap/needles/bark. The alcohol shows it's head, but is pretty much covered up by pineapple and citrus. It has a touch of burnt sugar, green tea and spicy rye as well. I could sit and smell this all day.

T- Pineapple covered in caramel and rolled in pine needles and weed. Pungent Florida citrus blends well with the tropical fruit sweetness and piney hops. The alcohol is present, but not dominant. Nice notes of mild tea.

M- Pungent and dank but with a nice sweetness and caramel thickness. Glides down your throat and hangs onto your tongue nicely.

O- This is really fantastic! I'd been waiting and wanting to grab this since it came to my area a couple of weeks ago. Not sure it'll make my regular rotation at $16.99/6, but I'll be happy to grab this a few times a year. I can see drinking this next to my fire place as I am now, or out at my grill with some chicken and shrimp this summer.

Serving type: bottle

03-29-2013 20:31:45 | More by Thickfreakness

TheSSG

Illinois

4.53/5  rDev +9.2%
look: 5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Pours a HUGE, dense, resiny, off-white head that has insane persistence and lots of great lacing. Grapefruit in the nose, with a touch of pine. STUNNING red-amber color (I'm a sucker for red biers). Starts with a nice, deep grapefruit and pine-resin hop flavor. Builds into a citrus rind bitterness into the middle. Finish has warming alcohol and a nice grapefruit flavor which sits atop a slight sweet maltiness.

This is really, really nice. It's similar to Cane & Ebel; high IBU's, excellent hop flavor, but so smooth and balanced, you'd swear it was 1/3 the IBU's it is. Just great.

Serving type: bottle

12-14-2012 04:19:42 | More by TheSSG

barnzy78

Illinois

4.5/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

I've been waiting to get my hands on this one from my local brewery.
12oz bottle, pours a nice rusty, reddish-copper color, excellent clarity, foamy beige head stands tall & holds, gradually leaving thick chunky lacing at the top of the glass. Nose is fresh citric hops, sweet grapefruit, tropical, fresh pineapple and mango, bready, malty caramel present as well. Tastes are sweet and malty up front, loads of caramel, with brown sugar, honey, toasty grain; tropical fruit in the middle with notes of juicy pineapple and mango, transferring to pine and pungent grapefruit coating the palate & lingering for a bitter, semi-dry yet still sweet finish. Nice balance & complexity. Alcohol is very well concealed. Body is syrupy, medium-to-full bodied, very smooth, hop resins stick around. What? Just read the label - 124ibu? Sweetness actually balances this pretty well. 124? Never would have guessed. Easily a new favorite of mine from Two Brothers. Well done!

Serving type: bottle

11-24-2012 18:54:40 | More by barnzy78

Kendo

New York

4.45/5  rDev +7.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A: Poured from the bottle into a Piraat tulip/snifter-type glass. Body is ruby/mahogany-amber with a small off-white head. Some legs of lace on the way down.

S: Very nice - citrus and pine over toffee and caramel malt. Perfect balance for this style - i.e., American Imperial Red Ale.

T: Sweet toasty malt, caramel malt, toffee & brown sugar provide the malty foundation. Follows at the back end with a good amount of grapefruity citrus and resiny pine bitterness. Finishes with lingering pine needle bitterness and a touch of ABV heat. That alcohol (9.5%, so no surprise) is felt down the gulley and as heat in the belly.

M: Call it medium-to-full in heft. Carbonation is fairly light, but enough to keep it from becoming thick or syrupy in feel.

O: Impressed with this one more so than I have been with other Two Brothers releases. Very nice balance of sweet (brown sugar, toffee, caramel malt) and bitter (citrus, pine and resiny pine). Good version of an Imperial Red; I'd have this again.

Serving type: bottle

12-25-2012 22:32:54 | More by Kendo

wvsabbath

West Virginia

4.35/5  rDev +4.8%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Serving Type - Bottle

Appearance - Dark copper tan, ruby red. Nice 1 inch foamy thick head and tons of lacing.

Smell - Rye, wet danky hops, pine, lemon, grapefruit, orange, some hops, added sugars, some spices.

Taste - Huge rye/hop bite. Really nice grapefruit/orange bite with the rye as a backbone. Malts are caramel and toffee flavored and add some bold sweetness to counter the sweet acidic and citric flavors. Alcohol is present and adds warmth to each drink.

Mouthfeel - Huge rye/hop kick nails tounge with citric fruits. ALcohol warms tounge and palate. More hops and some malts coat palate with bold sweetness, and citric fruits. Aftertaste is maly, dry and bittered.

Overall - Awesome, very tasty, tons of flavors, and balanced. Each aspect adds more flavor and works together to give this a mountain of flavor. Its not to sweet, hoppy or bitter, simply balanced perfectly. Excellent beer, another winner from this great brewery. Why aint this brewery more well known? There making craft beers that are better then some of the top brewies out there.

Serving type: bottle

12-07-2012 02:42:12 | More by wvsabbath

mjc3151

Illinois

4.34/5  rDev +4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

Had on-tap at Two Brothers Roundhouse in Aurora, IL.

Server said it was 12% ABV but BA says it is 9.5%, so i don't know which is correct.

This beer is very good! It is a little bitter but not too over the top. The alcohol is hidden very well. I can tell it is a red ale with the rye notes.

This is a solid beer that should be tried by all.

Serving type: on-tap

04-16-2013 00:21:58 | More by mjc3151

hosehead83

Ohio

4.3/5  rDev +3.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

12oz. bottle poured into a wine goblet.
Deep amber/copper in color, with a moderate, off-white head of foam.
Aroma-Big whiff of piney, citrussy hops.
Taste-Toasted malt, caramel, immediatley pushed back by a big wave of piney and citrus hops.
Big, bold hop flavors throughout, and relatively smooth for the high ABV. Very flavorfull and warming. Hop-head recommended.

Serving type: bottle

01-01-2013 14:59:05 | More by hosehead83

ksimons

New York

4.28/5  rDev +3.1%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25

A-ruby red with a fingers worth of head that leaves some lacing on the glass and around the top

S-equal parts malt and hops which blend together really nicely, caramel sweetness, and some pine notes

T-starts out with caramel malt but midway through the pine and grapefruit hops come out, ends with light caramel. Alcohol creeps out at the end but is overall well hidden.

M-medium body, medium carbonation, slightly dry finish

Overall I wasn't sure what to expect with this one but I actually really liked it. Really nice balance of the malt and hops.

Serving type: bottle

03-19-2013 22:44:54 | More by ksimons

kawilliams81

Illinois

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Two Brothers No. 15 beer of 15 beers for 15 years. Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a Half Acre snifter.

A- Pours a clear dark copper with a 2 finger light tan head. Small blotches and bubbles linger on the glass.

S- Caramel, brown sugar, citrus, dark fruits, and pine.

T- Sweet toasted malts, caramel, toffee, pineapple and citrus, brown sugar, with big pungent citrus and pine bitterness.

M- Medium body and carbonation. Has a nice creaminess.

O- 2 Bros. got this one right at least! Very nice balance of sweet and bitter citrus along with some brown sugar. It lists the beer at 24 ibu's, although it has a nice bitter punch it is no palate wrecker (not the beer) by any means.

Serving type: bottle

11-20-2012 22:56:37 | More by kawilliams81

madvermin

California

4.23/5  rDev +1.9%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Pours an amber, reddish hue, indicative of the style. Head is an inch thick and retains well, leaving average lacing.

Immediate smell is of caramel and bubblegum, with a strong lemon/orange citrus behind it. Candy-like combination of the citrus and malt is very, very pleasant on the nose.

Taste follows the aroma: caramel, brown sugar front, quickly followed by a tasty orange center. The orange is sweetened, not sour, and normally I'd prefer the latter, but here it works. Alcohol offers a bit of a harsh sweetness. Finish is bitter and a bit acrid.

Mouthfeel is harsh compared to the rest of the package, with the bitterness very strong (in a good way) for the style. Alcohol offers that warmth found in big stouts but not usually in red ales. Drinkability helped by the bitterness, hindered by the alcohol, but for a 9.5% abv beer this is incredibly easy to down. Overall a great red ale, and I'm happy to see it bottled in six packs.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 03:51:44 | More by madvermin

zeff80

Missouri

4.2/5  rDev +1.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A - Poured out a clear, burgundy color with a one-finger, off white head of bubbly foam. It left thin rings of lace on the glass.

S - It smelled strongly of pine. Some citrus notes, too.

T - It tasted piney and resiny with a burnt toast maltiness. Bitter and tasty.

M - It was crisp, sharp and smooth. A medium to full bodied ale with a dry finish.

O - This is a really good imperial amber ale. Two Brothers continues to impress.

Serving type: bottle

01-03-2013 03:34:16 | More by zeff80

Greywulfken

New York

4.16/5  rDev +0.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

A: alright, I kinda chetaed and poured it into a weizen glass: I was hoping it would have a color that the glass would accentuate - and it did - to say it was an amber-brown beer does no justice to how great this beer looks - red-orange hightlights, off-white head - a finger+ - slimmed into a thin cap, left small motes and sheets of lace - and great clarity

S: rich hearty malts and robust hops

T: deep malts gave this beer its color, and it tastes the way it looks - great malt backbone, superior hoppage makes it like a dark IPA; slight sweetness, vaguely suggestive of the brown sugar on sweet potatoes; hops are piney, resinous, and citric

M: slightly sticky, light-to-medium-light body, crisp, bitter

O: really impressed - but I don't get to a lot of Imperial red ales, so I don't want to gush - aside from style-expectations, I would say this was an extremely enjoyable beer.

Serving type: bottle

03-23-2013 21:09:28 | More by Greywulfken

BarryMFBurton

Indiana

4.13/5  rDev -0.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

After the palate-rape of Bolt Cutter last night, I’m craving something simple and hoppy. This imperial red was pretty expensive, but I have a feeling it’s got just what I need.

A: Blood red and translucent with almost no head, this looks more like wine than beer. A hint of beige foam appears for a moment but drops instantly to nearly nothing, leaving only small dots of lacing. Looks pretty viscous.

S: A strongly piney smack of hops to the nostrils leaves me reeling, packing in notes of grapefruit and fruity, gummy candy on the edges. Pure aromatic hop oils like this instantly put a smile on my face. Surprisingly fruity malt character here, as well, presenting layers of raisin and dried cherry within a sweet bread tone to form a fruitcake character; it works well to support the thick hops.

T: Hop juice! The palate starts with warmly bitter tastes of pine, lime rind, and something delightfully green and flowery – like rose water or lavender – and never lets up for a second. And they never lie too thick on the tongue, either, like other oily, viscous imperial ales; these bitters stay as light as in a 5%-alcohol IPA. Wonderful. The cinnamon and toasted bread of the malts provide a lovely cinnamon roll character (though not as sugary as the real thing), while notes of roasted barley, banana bread, and light cola roll around in varying intensities. Finishes exceptionally light, as crisp as you can ask for in a beer like this.

M: The body prickles like soda water, fizzing lightly enough to make the hops basically weightless. Impressive.

O: Revelry is the perfect name for this beer: bubbles and hops dance merrily across the palate with every sip, in a way I didn’t think was possible in a beer over 6% ABV. Everything about it just works. I’m not sure what hop strains they’re showcasing here, but I’m intrigued; I love the combination of a strong aroma and only moderate bittering effect.

Serving type: bottle

12-16-2012 09:11:18 | More by BarryMFBurton

metter98

New York

4.06/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: The beer is crystal clear dark garnet red in color and has a moderate amount of visible carbonation. It poured with a finger high light beige head that gradually died down, leaving a very thin head covering the surface and some lacing down the sides of the glass.
S: Light to moderate aromas of citrusy hops are present in the nose along with notes of pine resin. As the beer warms up, notes of alcohol also become apparent and somewhat mask the hops.
T: Similar to the smell, the taste has flavors of citrusy and pine resin hops along with some notes of caramel from the underlying malts and faint amounts of initial sweetness. Moderate to strong amounts of bitterness are present, which intensify and linger through the finish. Some hints of alcohol become perceptible as the beer warms up.
M: It feels medium-bodied and a little smooth on the palate with a moderate amount of carbonation and hints of warming from the alcohol.
O: Although the alcohol is relatively well masked from the taste (particularly before it warms up), the strong amount of bitterness makes this a beer that needs to be slowly sipped. It is a good beer for a cold winter night.

Serving type: bottle

03-27-2013 02:54:30 | More by metter98

schoolboy

Ohio

4.05/5  rDev -2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This style is always very pretty in the glass and Two Brothers does what it supposed to do - look appealing. It has a little head but nothing major.

The aroma is special. Uniquely slightly over the top, as an American should be. It has hoppy and malty aromas nicely mixed together. It does not smell too boozy.

The taste is a little thick and chewy with loads of malts and a bit of bitterness. Nice and complex. Again, the booze is well hidden (I had no idea it was this high until I saw it here).

The aftertaste is a lingering of the previous niceness with a bit of a booze burn.

Overall, this is a nice, high quality brew.

Serving type: bottle

01-05-2013 17:53:57 | More by schoolboy

TMoney2591

Illinois

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

Served in a Lagunitas mason jar.

And here ends the 15-part celebration of the brewery's fifteenth anniversary, complete with no obvious mention of the fact. Nice. Anyway, this stuff pours a clear blood-garnet topped by a finger of glowing off-white foam. The nose comprises grapefruit zest, toasted biscuit, light rye bread, mandarin orange, and a touch of leek in the background. The taste brings in more of the same, along with a healthy dose of fruit rind and a decent addition of pine resin. The body is a light-leaning medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Overall, a very nice imperial red, one gushing with hops without burning the tongue, and one brimming with booze without forcing a cringe or grimace. Not a bad capstone, really.

Serving type: bottle

11-22-2012 21:41:47 | More by TMoney2591

headbucket

Ohio

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

Appearance: a very nice looking, clear, ruby red beer with slick hoppy bubbles hanging around the rim of the glass at the top of the beer.

Smell: very nice. Citrus, pine, resiny hops with a bit of bready malt in there as well. All subtle and not very strong but well integrated together.

Taste:a nice mix of the citrus and pine/resin aspects of the smell with a nice "red" malt flavor as the base. A dry, resin and spicy finish that lasts for awhile.

Mouthfeel: nothing special here, medium body, slighty syrupy and astringent.

Overall: a very nice beer. I love the smell- great aspects that mix well and are subtle and not overpowering. A great mix of hop flavors over a good base of malt. When i started drinking this i was assuming 7-8%abv, was somewhat surprised to find it was almost 9:5%. As i drink more of it the abv becomes more apparent but not in a bad way. I only bought two singles but hope to pick up a few more or maybe a 6 pack before it disappears. Hope the they make this regular or at least seasonal offering.

Serving type: bottle

12-09-2012 00:21:34 | More by headbucket

--Dom--

Missouri

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

Poured from a 12 oz bottle into a snifter. Pours a reddish tobacco color with minimal head, decent lacing actually though. Smells of pine and biscuity malt..

The taste? It is one boozy sucker. I get some good resiny hop, but alcohol heat is forward throughout . There is a decent malty backbone here, but once again overshadowed by the alcohol. It is honestly slightly reminiscent of a barleywine to me. Not really too much else to say here.

Mouthfeel is thick , medium carbonation. Overall I do like this beer but I probably wouldn't buy a six pack of it. I think the bottle I had was a little on the old side so I'd be interested in trying this one fresh on tap at 2 brothers. That being said, it's not really a style I have a lot of experience in but I think it's worth a try.

Serving type: bottle

02-10-2013 00:27:05 | More by --Dom--

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.99/5  rDev -3.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

Beers this strong should not be this drinkable- can we write a law already?! The truth is that its strong taste and balanced flavors exceed Red Ales and extends into American Strong Ale territory- with the likes of Stone Arrogant Bastard Ale.

Even as the beer pours, it separates to reveal a deep crimson redish-brown color with absolute dark clarity. Above the beer, its creamy froth is long-lived with sandy-tan foam and its trailing lace is strong with well defined rings and intricately woven patterns. It's a delight of a beer even to the eye.

Pine needles strike first, and the the citrus peels- the beer is certainly hop-centric to the nose. But a quick rebuttal of malt reveals supporting scents of bread crust, toast, deeply caramelized grain, and toffee. It gives me the sense of "Cracker Jacks" ballpark candies. Clean and pure in its aroma, the beer has not yeast fruit, spice, or distractions that pull it from the dialogue of malt and hops.

To taste, its the malt that strikes first: burnt caramel, toffee, sorghum, and maple offer boldly sweet flavors a split second ahead of the piney, gin-like, grassy, and lemony taste of hops. Citrus peels, pith, and resins seep into its taste and begin to govern the taste thereafter. The beer's incredible balance is remarkably even, as each alternating sip bring citrusy hop in one draw and then sweet malt the next.

I absolutely love this beer- but I do so with the appreciation that I do with those Stone Brewing beers that staddle this like so well. Two Brothers as captured this taste with magistracy and yearning.

Serving type: bottle

03-26-2013 06:51:01 | More by BEERchitect

cbutova

Massachusetts

3.96/5  rDev -4.6%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A- Poured into a pint glass with a dark red body with some nice ruby hues around the edges where light comes through. A creamy, two finger head forms nicely in the glass. Head retention is quite good. Nice rings of lace around the glass.

S- Reminds me of a hoppy Barleywine and less hoppy DIPAs at the same time, it has malty and hoppy characteristics. Pine, orange peel and flowery hints come from the hops. Nutty, caramel, sweet and toasted grain aromas as well.

T- Follows the nose but maybe even more malt comes out here. It has that distinct deep caramel, toasted nutty flavor you find in many 8%+ ABV Amber Ales. A bit of an alcohol edge some Barleywines have but it is nice. Hops are substantial with a pine forward profile with notes of citrus zest as well.

MF- Moderately thick body with a silky overall consistency. Carbonation is at a moderately low level and it helps the flavors this way. Fair amount of bitterness and alcohol warmth in the finish.

Now I miss this brewery even more. This is a new one to me but a beer I would drink again for sure. Anytime I have fresh Two Brothers products I am more and more satisfied by the brewery overall.

Serving type: bottle

05-21-2013 02:17:09 | More by cbutova

dbrauneis

New Jersey

3.95/5  rDev -4.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

A: Pours a crystal clear deep garnet red in color with some amber highlights and light amounts of visible carbonation. The beer has a finger tall dense creamy light beige head that slowly reduces to a very thin film covering the majority of the surface of the beer with a medium thick ring at the edges of the glass. Moderate to significant amounts of lacing are observed.

S: Moderate aromas of citrus/grapefruit peel hops along with some lighter notes of pine hops. Very light notes of caramel malts and some hints of alcohol as the beer warms up.

T: Upfront there are light to moderate flavors of caramel malt sweetness underneath the moderate to strong flavors of pine hops and citrus/grapefruit peel hops. There are moderate amounts of bitterness and light notes of alcohol in the finish.

M: Medium bodied with moderate amounts of carbonation. Relatively smooth with a small amount of alcohol warming as the beer warms.

O: This beer is a big beer and is enjoyable but is not the easiest to drink (especially as it warms up and the alcohol becomes more pronounced). There is an aggressive bitterness combined with the high ABV that makes this one have to be sipped rather slowly.

Serving type: bottle

04-05-2013 21:16:43 | More by dbrauneis

AleWatcher

Illinois

3.93/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

Bottle into imperial nonic.

Looks ok-- dark reddish brown. Clear. It looks like it *should* be murky but it isn't. One finger of ecru head settled to a nice thin cap of frothy foam.

Smells richly malty-- sweet caramel and toffee. A big hoppiness is present here, and it is extremely bitter. The flavors of the hops don't hold a candle to the bitterness... But there are some floral and citrus notes.

Feels oily and surypy. Big hop oil coating my teeth after each sip, but it's a sugary kind of gritty oiliness/suryp feel.

Overall-- this really isn't a bad beer. It's not the best imperial red I've had, but it's closer to the top than to the bottom.
Totally worth a drink.

Serving type: bottle

12-04-2012 02:16:57 | More by AleWatcher