Great Lakes Rally Drum Red Ale - Great Lakes Brewing Company

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BA SCORE
84
good
-
49 Ratings

rAvg: 3.74
pDev: 11.76%
Reviews: 13
Hads: 36

Ratings Help

Brewed by:
Great Lakes Brewing Company

Ohio, United States

Style | ABV
American Amber / Red Ale | 5.80% ABV

Availability: Limited (brewed once). on-tap (12), growler (1).

Notes:
Brewed w/ Pacific Northwest Hops.

View: Beers (66) | Reviews (193) | Events (0)

Reviews

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Reviews by Bierguy5:

Bierguy5

Ohio

4.05/5 rDev +8.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Chappy's. Clear, deep amber color. Decent off-white head fades to a ring leaving some impressive lace.

Well hopped in the nose, notes of pine and citrus. Caramel and toffee malt backbone shines in the nose as well.

Nice malt character, similar to other Great Lakes beers. Malt is a bit sweet, and on the bready side. Toffee and caramel shine through without being too sweet or cloying. Hop bitterness is present, but does not dominate. Nice piney and citrusy favors. Bitterness lingers for a bit, drying finish.

Medium body with ample carbonation. Alcohol is hidden well. An enjoyable red with nice hop character.

Serving type: on-tap

05-12-2012 19:17:14 | More by Bierguy5

More User Reviews:

hinemk76

Pennsylvania

3.75/5 rDev +0.3%

05-18-2013 03:46:39 | More by hinemk76

Zaphog

Michigan

3.75/5 rDev +0.3%

05-17-2013 16:46:09 | More by Zaphog

RichH55

Illinois

4.25/5 rDev +13.6%

05-16-2013 15:56:55 | More by RichH55

vrbulldog22

Ohio

3.5/5 rDev -6.4%

05-13-2013 01:55:24 | More by vrbulldog22

Rhettroactive

Virginia

4/5 rDev +7%

05-11-2013 22:14:48 | More by Rhettroactive

57md

Pennsylvania

4.13/5 rDev +10.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25

Appearance is a reddish-copper with a thin layer of head, most of which dissipated rather quickly leaving only a few traces of lace on the glass. Hops are upfront in the nose, but there is also something sweet discernible as well.

A little bit creamy and a little bit malty. However, the hop forward flavors are dominant over the previous mentioned qualities.

This offering has a relatively light body, which makes it very drinkable on a spring day that feels more like its the middle of summer.

Serving type: on-tap

05-11-2013 05:35:59 | More by 57md

TMoney2591

Illinois

3.53/5 rDev -5.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.25

Served in a willibecher at Firkin.

Yet another Great Lakes brew that rarely leaves the greater Cleveland area comin' right to my backyard thanks to the folks at Firkin. Gotta love 'em. This stuff pours a clear amber-copper topped by two fingers of cream-white foam. The nose comprises earthy greens, light Connecticut tobacco, and mild caramel. The taste brings in more of the same, along with a bite of pine resin, some bitter grass in the background, and a touch more caramel than before. The body is a light medium, with a light moderate carbonation and a decidedly dry finish. Overall, a solid red, though one that comes across a touch too bitter for its own good at times. Still, not a bad little brew.

Serving type: on-tap

05-09-2013 16:21:15 | More by TMoney2591

tommyguz

Pennsylvania

3/5 rDev -19.8%

05-08-2013 03:37:07 | More by tommyguz

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

3.91/5 rDev +4.5%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4

LOOK: Pours a clear copper color with a white foam cost that recedes to a ring. Leaves plenty of lace on the pint glass

SMELL: Caramel malts, pungent hops.

TASTE: Opens up with toasty malt flavor and a good lemony hop bitterness. Leafy hop flavor lasts long on the palate. Caramelized malt and a small spicy rye suggestion. This is a hop forward ale, but the malt is strong enough to at least support the hops, if not steal the show.

FEEL: Medium bodied and well carbonated.

OVERALL: Good red ale, the hops and malts balanced well.

Serving type: on-tap

05-04-2013 20:07:16 | More by Stinkypuss

BEERchitect

Kentucky

3.75/5 rDev +0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75

As with many American Red Ales, Rally Drum starts bittersweet with citrus and pine resins and with a balance of toffee and caramel. Finishing lightly roasty the dense taste finishes remarkably dry and drinkable.

But first, it starts with a bronze amber hue that casts a mild hop and yeast haze against its tawny highlights. Off white in color, the beer's foam stance is creamy, dense and provides a blanket of froth that retains well and laces concentric as the beer fades.

Toffee and toasted grains drive the aromas, however its the distinctive hops that give identity to its scent. Sharply citrusy and piney, the earthen grass elements balance the grains to perfection.

Burnt caramel, light coffeeish roast, burnt toast and roasted pecans dictate the beer's taste and does so with a hearty yet understated sweetness. Its dry taste allows for a more complete hop balance to occur over the middle palate. Sharp citrus peels, pine needles, herbal woods and grasses all align on the tongue for an even-keel taste heading into finish. Here, hop bitterness outlasts the malt with a clean and assertive tilt.

Medium bodied, but somehow the ale seems drier and less weighted. As the beer prefers and more complete attenuation and less reliant on caramel malts- it instead drives toward a complex roasty-toasty dryness that's only aided by hop resins, mild alcohol warmth and light grain husk astringency.

Rally Drum is a masterfully crafted ale that has been beaten into obscurity by all those who afraid of dryness, complexity, or drinkability. Those sweeter ales don't know hop good they have it. But the Great Lakes guys do.

Serving type: on-tap

04-25-2013 06:18:10 | More by BEERchitect