Leinenkugel's Red - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company

WastingFreetime

Wisconsin

2.73/5  rDev -13.1%
look: 2.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Reviewed from session notes.

Translucent coppery red in color with a return to the usual fizzy stubby head without lacing from the majority of the members of the Leinenkugel session. Smell is very faint, almost non-existent, just a ghost of a whisper of malt nuance, tastes like a watery and thin-bodied vienna lager with a lackluster sprinkling of hops on top. I'm...not particularly impressed or offended by this one either. Middle of the road watery and thin beer, but still better than a BMC.

Serving type: bottle

01-20-2012 01:09:35 | More by WastingFreetime

chefhatt

Pennsylvania

2.93/5  rDev -6.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

When i poured this beer into a pint glass, it has a light reddish brown body with a very creamy,sticky white head. I don't pick up much from the smell but a little malt. The taste is a little malty with some hops on the back of the tongue. The mouth feel is ok and overall, i wasn't inpressed at all.

Serving type: bottle

01-18-2012 03:40:23 | More by chefhatt

Onenote81

North Carolina

3.4/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Was up in WI for the holidays this last week, and went out for a burger with my brothers, and wanted something light and crisp. Went with this.

Poured into a pint glass. Pours an unsurprising copper red with a thin beige head on top. Decent lace left behind. The nose is mild with slight hop scent, but mostly sweet malts and breads. Good clean mouthfeel. Crisp with decent carbonation. A nice sweet lager here. Light toffee, fresh bread, little bit of graham cracker. Nice beer. Nothing earth-shattering, but a beer I wouldn't turn down.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 15:33:20 | More by Onenote81

phenomenologian

Nebraska

2.68/5  rDev -14.6%
look: 3.5 | smell: 1.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Upon opening, no smoke comes out. I poured it into a good beer glass. It pours with a three finger fluffy head. The color of the head is white. The body is exactly red. just like the label says.

I get no smell. I pick up nothing. I don't understand this. In a beer, I want powerful robust smells and aromas coming from it. Im already disappointed...

It tastes like water and hops. It has a watery taste that adjunct lagers have. The hops come out in a good way but it does not overpower that thing that reminds me of the adjuncts. Upon drinking more, hops come out a lot more; but its not what Im looking for. I do like the hop taste though.

The mouthfeel is not what I want either. Little carbonation; almost tastes flat. I want more character in mouthfeel just as much as in taste.

Overall, its okay. I like the hops but other than that nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

12-23-2011 08:51:44 | More by phenomenologian

boilermakerbrew

Indiana

3.25/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

A- Pours just like it says, red. Deep amberish, but still, the best color description is red. Fairly translucent. Small, fizzy head that doesn't last too long. Ok lacing.

S- Very weak. A little malty tone, but no hops. It almost seems like it has been watered down in the smell categiry.

T- Mild malt character throughout. Somewhat of a hops character towards the end, but not much. Crisp tasting, leaves little to no aftertaste.

M- Lots of carbonation and very light. If you're a fan of more amber styled beers and want to drink a lot of them, this one is for you.

Overall, it's just ok. It has that Leinie's taste that every one of their beers has, and I don't know what it is or how to describe it, but it's always there. A decent brew, but nothing special.

Serving type: bottle

12-02-2011 02:07:24 | More by boilermakerbrew

stewart124

Ohio

2.9/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Ruby red with a faint white head.

Nose is slightly malty with a hint of red grapes.

Some malty characters in the taste. Very mild bread notes. Slightly spicy from the noble hops. Sharp overall bite. Very crisp.

Nothing really special here. It's a vienna lager but that's about it. Seems muted and missing a bigger malty backbone.

Serving type: bottle

11-18-2011 03:34:49 | More by stewart124

Valmor88

Ohio

3.08/5  rDev -1.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

A: Amber-red color with 1 finger of white head. Little retention.

S: Quite sweet, with some hops coming in behind the malts.

T: Caramel-y and roasty at first, with some balance from the hops. Leads into a very earthy, bubbly finish.

M: Light bodied beer with decent carbonation. Didn't get huge amounts of the bubbles until the finish.

O: This is an average beer. It is drinkable, but I wouldn't buy again (in favor of trying something new).

Serving type: bottle

10-25-2011 18:31:44 | More by Valmor88

RoamingGnome

Wisconsin

3.45/5  rDev +9.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5

Poured out of 12 oz bottle into pint glass.

A) Amber in color with reddish tone. A pretty light amber actually, but darker than the Leinie's classic amber. A bit over a finger of foamy head. Not much retention or lacing.

S) The aroma is fairly sweet, with a little bit of a floral/grassy presence.

T) Initially, a lightly roasted, sweet malt flavor. Decent balance, as the finish transitions to more earthy/grassy tastes. Bigger flavor in comparison to the classic amber.

M) Light bodied brew that is not overly carbonated. The mouthfeel on this is actually pretty smooth, compared to other Leinie's beers.

O) Although they are different styles, this was somewhat similar to the classic amber. I thought the red was a little better. I actually think, that as far as Leinie's beers go this is pretty good. I have found Leinie's at many a family gathering, because they brew middle ground beer. It doesn't typically scare of the macro light crowd, and it doesn't completely disgust those with a preference for craft.

Serving type: bottle

10-23-2011 12:33:43 | More by RoamingGnome

gpogo

California

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

A- Brilliantly clear light amber body with moderate sized cream colored head.

A- Light caramel malt aroma. Light grassy hops.

T- Light grassy hop astrigency. Slightly watery. Caramel malt flavors. Finishes with a stale sweet malt flavor.

M- Very smooth body, on the light side. Moderate carbonation.

D- Rather enjoyable. That said I'd prefer a Sam Adams to this.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 21:03:14 | More by gpogo

Blueribbon666

Ohio

3.75/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had on-tap at a little place in Port Clinton called Bel Mel Tavern. Leinenkugel much like Sam Adams are usually solid choices when nothing else but macro is present. I find both companies produce fairly decent styles if a little unremarkable most of the time, though I find Sam to be better with their offerings then Leiny, but I digress. Poured a nice amber red into pint place which arrived with a quarter inch or so of fluffy head. Taste was a good mouth feel with a noble hop crispness that mellows to a nice clean drinking biscuit like finish. I have to say I would get this again, probably my personal favorite that I have had from Leinenkugel's as I actually found myself wanting another instead of wanting something else with a little more. A good solid vienna lager for sure.

Serving type: on-tap

10-01-2011 13:43:39 | More by Blueribbon666

Halcyondays

California

3.4/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

12 oz. bottle,

A: Pours a medium amber red with a firm white head, limited lace.

S: Sweet biscuity malt, hint of noble style hops.

T: Direct caramel/Vienna malt, a tad underattenuated for the style to me, but an enjoyable flavour. Some grass and orange from the hops balance it out.

M: Light-bodied, with a firm crisp carbonation, thin at times, easy drinking.

O: Probably the best I've had from Leine's, but that's not really saying much. A similar beer to Yuengling but not as dry. Worth a pickup if you like the style.

Serving type: bottle

10-01-2011 03:23:32 | More by Halcyondays

industrialswill

Washington

3.3/5  rDev +5.1%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3

I have heard so much about this brand, just had to grab some and try it.
Nice looking, about the same color as hardwood furniture.
Smell is...fragrant.
It smells better than it tastes, but it doesn't taste too bad. I suspect that this is a beer that I will acquire a better taste for by the time I finish the 6 pack. It's got a slight hoppy bite, but other than that it just hits a dead spot on my palate.
I'll call this one AVERAGE, even though my ratings for appearance and smell will inflate the overall score.

Serving type: bottle

08-23-2011 01:46:58 | More by industrialswill

biboergosum

Alberta (Canada)

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

12oz bottle, from a grocery store mixer (I freakin' love that!) in Montana last month.

This beer pours a clear brassy copper hue, with three fingers of thin puffy pale beige head, which leaves some random islets of lace around the glass as it fades away. It smells mildly of sweet grainy malt, and weedy, metallic hops. The taste is quite plain - innocuous grain, a slight mineral edge, and dry earthy hops. The carbonation is moderate, the body medium weight, a little astringent, but smooth nonetheless. It finishes fairly balanced, the somewhat bready malt and middling floral, weedy hops in a dance of the banal.

Wow, I can't remember the last time a beer left me so stricken for words, in the manner of 'I just can't describe this, it's so booorrring...' Not bad, not good, just, well, not even meh. Cripes, this is the beer equivalent of being home by 10.

Serving type: bottle

08-12-2011 00:43:54 | More by biboergosum

JerzDevl2000

New Jersey

2.8/5  rDev -10.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Picked this up at Buy Rite in Jersey City last week. Sure enough, I've been going through single bottles like crazy and they have quite a few of them available there. I didn't expect much from this beer after reading the reviews on here and after having this last night, I can vouch that everyone else was right. This is about as one-dimensional a beer as I've had in quite a while.

This had a deep amber hue to it with a head that was present, but not long-lasting. No lacing to be seen and practically no aroma either. The taste was that of a weak caramel with very little body or carbonation to offset the light mouthfeel. Nothing heavy or toasty here and this went down easy. Normally, this is a good trait for this beer when it reminds me of Yuengling, that's not an association that I want to make.

Sure, there's alcohol in here and I could have downed a few bottles of this if I had nothing else to drink here. This is a session beer but that's not saying a whole lot when this doesn't have a lot going for it. Having a Blue Point Toasted Lager or the Vienna Lager from Trader Joe's would be a wiser option than this since they have body and flavors to match. This may be the darkest "lawnmower beer" that I'll have this year.

Serving type: bottle

07-24-2011 20:28:28 | More by JerzDevl2000

TMoney2591

Illinois

2.98/5  rDev -5.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 2.5

Served in a Sam Adams sensory pint glass at the Schaumburg Red Lobster.

My first visit to Red Lobster (seriously) and my first Sam Adams pint glass with a lobster on it. Right on. The beer pours a rusty amber topped by nearly a finger of cream foam. The nose comprises caramel, stale rye bread, and musty oranges. The taste holds notes of musty caramel, orange rind, light lemon peel, black pepper, and a pinch of nutmeg. Things don't quite meld well, ending up with a harsh bitterness shrouded by a meek attempt at sweetness. The body is a light medium, with a moderate carbonation and a fairly dry finish. Overall, I was nowhere near enthused by this brew, but luckily the tilapia dish that accompanied it salvaged the dinner.

Serving type: on-tap

07-17-2011 05:29:00 | More by TMoney2591

justinjj1280

Georgia

3.4/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours a copperish red color. Decent, but not great head retention and fair lacing.

There isn't much to the smell, it is fairly ordinary.

Flavor is good, lots of caramel malt and the hops are there for balance, rather than adding much to the basic flavor.

It's very smooth in the mouth and the drinkability factor is high. Starts to come across as a little bit watery after you finish about half the glass.

Very basic beer here. Subjectively, I am enjoying this quite a bit, and find it to be a great session possibility. But it lacks any distinguishing characteristics that would allow me to rate it higher. Solidly above average brew, though.

Serving type: bottle

07-02-2011 01:38:21 | More by justinjj1280

bagpiper2005

Idaho

3.13/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pour: Medium reddish-copper color. Two finger of off white head with average retention and minimal lacing.

Smell: Sweet smell with caramel and brown sugar. Slight fruit hint. Not much else going on though.

Taste: There's nothing offensive about the taste, there's just not much there. Caramel malt flavor dominates the palate pretty much front to back. Little to no hop bitterness. One-dimensional and unexciting.

Mouthfeel: Thin and watery. Very high carbonation, almost prickly.

Drinkability/Overall: Nothin special. Wouldn't drink more than one of these. Inoffensive and simple. Easy to throw back.

Final Notes: Yet another letdown from Lenie's. I keep hopin they give me something memorable but it hasn't happened yet. I won't be buying this again, and there are much better Vienna Lagers out there (Snake River Lager and SABL come to mind).

Serving type: bottle

06-25-2011 23:40:30 | More by bagpiper2005

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

3.75/5  rDev +19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

I see that I reviewed this on-tap over five years ago. I wish that I had mentioned where I found it on draft, but I CAN tell you that my bottle came from my local bottle hook-up, tone77, who worries that without his help, my bottle numbers would never match up to my CANQuest (TM). Thanks, bro!

From the bottle: "Lager with four varieties of specialty barley malts, hand-selected Cluster and Mt. Hood hops."

My Leinie Lodge newsletter arrived the other day and it made for a pleasant read. The beer poured pleasantly enough, giving me two-plus fingers of thick, tawny head that began to fall like Wile E. Coyote off of a cliff. I am a big fan of truth in advertising, so a reddish-amber beer that bills itself as a "Red Lager" is right up my alley. Actually, it was closer to copper and it had NE-quality clarity which makes for a pretty beer, if nothing else. Nose was quite malty sweet, making good use of the four varieties mentioned on the label. Mouthfeel was medium with an initial sweetness, but giving 'way to a mild bitterness, especially on the finish. I shake my head in disbelief that I did not like this on tap at one point, but the circumstances are lost. I know that it was quite enjoyable this evening and if I could get it in a CAN, I would be up for a try.

Serving type: bottle

05-26-2011 00:46:57 | More by woodychandler

Knapp85

Pennsylvania

3.4/5  rDev +8.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

The red lager pours out as an mildly attractive amber color much like any of the red lagers out there. The head is a very light tanish yellow color with little retention. The smell is a little hoppy and a little bit of malts going on in there. The taste is malty up front with some other grains and finished up with a little hoppy bitterness. The mouthfeel is light and easy to drink like most of Leinie's brews. Overall it's not bad, it's not great either but worth trying.

Serving type: bottle

05-19-2011 17:13:01 | More by Knapp85

RJLarse

Washington

2.85/5  rDev -9.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5

I bought a six-pack of Leinenkugel's Red Lager in a grocery store. Poured in to a pint glass.

Pours a bright copper color, clear, with a few bubbles rising in the glass. Small white head.

The smell is sweet and bready, with a dairy scent, cream or sweet butter, with a hint of a lager scent like perfume.

Taste is sweet and dominated by malted grain. There is a bit of a peat presence and a light vinegar flavor.

Mouthfeel is thin and watery. The beer is mildly carbonated bordering on flat.

Drinkable but unremarkable. I'm not a big fan of the red lager style. If you like this one is probably decent.

Serving type: bottle

04-11-2011 02:53:42 | More by RJLarse

Looneybiz

Ohio

2.78/5  rDev -11.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

Poured into a pint glass and its actually a pretty beer. It has a vibrant amber color with a one finger head that doesn't stick around very long though and not much lacing if any.

The smell is very fient but you can pick up the sweet malts.

Pretty good flavor but like many from leinenliugel's its malt heavy with only a small hoppy flavor. They mix right up front but the malt is pretty overpowering and there is very little to no bitterness.

Not a bad lager though and I'd drink it again because it was refreshing but simple.

Serving type: bottle

03-30-2011 05:45:54 | More by Looneybiz

StaveHooks

Oklahoma

3.63/5  rDev +15.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

A - Pours a clear amber red with a thick off-white cap.

S - Sweet caramel malt, light sour dough bread, subtle yeast.

T - Toasted grain, caramel malt, hints of tangy lemon and cherry, clean grassy hops add slight bitterness. Finishes clean crisp with a bready aftertaste.

M - Light to medium body, stingy carbonation off the top but thins out towards the finish.

This is way better than I expected it to be. Lots of clean flavors and very refreshing. One of the best I've had from this brewery.

Serving type: bottle

03-17-2011 00:40:27 | More by StaveHooks

lwillitz

Florida

3.7/5  rDev +17.8%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3 | overall: 4

12-oz bottle poured into Samuel Smith "Tulip" pint glass

A - An agressive pour produced a 3-finger white (with a tint of cream) head over a beautiful transparent red-orange body. Very nice lacing across the glass. This is a pretty brew.

S - The smell is weak and difficult to detect; sweet, fruity scent; fairly malty with a hint of caramel

T - This is a decent lager. Sweet malt followed by some hops. Goes down smoothly.

M - Thin with high carbonation

D - Fairly simple beer, but good flavor; a pleasant experience

Serving type: bottle

03-04-2011 00:52:39 | More by lwillitz

JLeege

Illinois

2.23/5  rDev -29%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 2.5

Appearance- Pours a crystal clear copper color with a creamy two finger white head. OK retention, a little lace.

Smell- Slightly bready malt. Very grainy.

Taste- Sweet throughout, bready up front. Subtle caramel. Sort of grainy/corny like your typical light lager.

Mouthfeel- Light body, higher carbonation.

Overall- Not too good, though I do feel Leine's makes a couple decent beers.

Serving type: bottle

02-23-2011 05:53:33 | More by JLeege

tone77

Pennsylvania

3.53/5  rDev +12.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Poured from a brown 12 zo. bottle. Has a caramel color with a 1 inch head. Smell is dominated by malts. Taste is also very malty, some hops present, clean and refreshing. Feels medium bodied in the mouth and is very drinkable. Overall a good quality brew.

Serving type: bottle

02-20-2011 14:55:52 | More by tone77