Heavy Seas - Aarsh Imperial Red Ale - Heavy Seas Beer

viverlee

Ohio

3/5  rDev -19.4%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3

STYLE: American Black Ale

ABV: 7.25%

LOOK: Pours like a thickish Coke with the same type of carbonated head, only a bit fluffier. Self-styled as a “Black IPA” it’s the black that stands out. Darker than expected, spider wed lacing and retention.

NOSE: Beef jerky, sweet chocolate cake, coffee. The smokey notes dominate. You really have to dig for a semblance of balance.

MOUTH: Smoke, grilled peaches and grapefruit, mild hoppiness. Struggle of styles here, not quite IPA and not quite stout. I think it’s unlikely the proper balance has been achieved. There’s a palate-cleanser quality that’s hard to shake, even with the subtly nice but not great citrus-rind finish.

BA Rating: 86

Hayward Abbey Rating: 74

Serving type: bottle

06-23-2012 03:43:56 | More by viverlee

RumHam

Virginia

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

02-21-2013 14:31:23 | More by RumHam

yourefragile

District of Columbia

3/5  rDev -19.4%

01-23-2013 00:48:47 | More by yourefragile

gnikola

Serbia

3/5  rDev -19.4%

01-17-2013 13:40:24 | More by gnikola

hef

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

11-17-2012 04:02:13 | More by hef

athenmonk

New York

4.5/5  rDev +21%

02-26-2012 07:42:07 | More by athenmonk

chrispoint

Connecticut

1.5/5  rDev -59.7%

02-19-2012 20:36:52 | More by chrispoint

Billolick

New York

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Bomber w/o freshness/bottling date info.

Pours murky dark amber, head is darker tan, lasts, before going to a skimpy film, collar and decent ringed sheeting and amplebits and strands of lace.

Malt and more malt in the nose. Caramel and light toast.

Malty brew, again ample caramel picked up, with waves of maltyness.

Respectable red. Worth a try if you like a malty brew with a kicked up ABV

Serving type: bottle

02-09-2012 02:12:36 | More by Billolick

duceswild

Maryland

4/5  rDev +7.5%

01-03-2012 05:11:39 | More by duceswild

ROGUE16

Delaware

4/5  rDev +7.5%

12-08-2011 19:47:48 | More by ROGUE16

TrickkyGangsta

Florida

4/5  rDev +7.5%

12-05-2011 19:22:38 | More by TrickkyGangsta

bigred89

Maryland

3.75/5  rDev +0.8%

12-03-2011 16:22:31 | More by bigred89

THECPJ

Delaware

4/5  rDev +7.5%

11-22-2011 23:51:55 | More by THECPJ

RandyJ

Ohio

5/5  rDev +34.4%

11-16-2011 04:08:33 | More by RandyJ

bmur112

Maryland

4/5  rDev +7.5%

11-15-2011 21:30:55 | More by bmur112

marlinsfan4

Maryland

4.35/5  rDev +16.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.5

Picked up a bomber of this for $4.99. Red ales have always been one of my favorite styles of beer and this beer doesn't change that. Pours a nice dark red color, great mouthfeel and caramel malt backbone with just a perfect mix of hoppiness. Great all around beer, goes down very smooth and easy and finishes clean. For it's higher ABV it really drinks way too easy, the Heavy Seas line has been surprisingly good and this is definitely one of the better ones I've tried.

Serving type: bottle

11-13-2011 20:24:13 | More by marlinsfan4

jjboesen

Maryland

3.73/5  rDev +0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

This will be my 200th Beer Reveiw on this site. Aaargh! This is an Imperial Red Ale, a style that seemed to elude me. But, leave it to Hugh Sisson to think of this brew. And why not? We have an imperial pilsner, an imperial porter, and - even now, thanks to Hugh (See My Reveiw), an imperial pumpkin. Here we hve an Imperial Irish Red Ale.

It opens thick and quick: with a heavy and spongy froth that settles atop a glistening body of translucent copper. There does not seem to be much activity within; minor carbonation and minimal lacing.

The first bite seems like sucrose with malty supplement; however, working its way to the foreground is an aggressive blast of molasses that takes hold of the finish.

This beer will not overwhelm your palate; nor will it grab your nose by the balls and squeeze. It can be described as a moderate selection from the Boys In Halethorpe,the Baltimore suburb that is home to the brewery. Yet, it is a decent quaff that possesses a strange crispness amid a nicely stuctured body of malt. Nice brew.

Serving type: bottle

10-29-2011 23:47:23 | More by jjboesen

tdm168

North Carolina

4.05/5  rDev +8.9%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4

On tap at Wine 101.

Pours a deep, dark brownish amber with a red hue. There's a quarter inch of dense off white head with good retention. The nose is toasty with a caramel sweetness and faint yeast notes. The taste is also toasty with a caramel sweetness. There is some diacetyl and faint hops in the finish. It has a nice medium body with moderate carbonation.

This is probably one of the better Irish red's I've had. It's well balanced, easily drinkable, and offers more flavor than I'm used to for the style.

Serving type: on-tap

10-22-2011 20:58:14 | More by tdm168

ccm414

Massachusetts

3.98/5  rDev +7%
look: 4 | smell: 3 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

(From notes)

Poured from a 1Pt 6fl oz bottle...

A- Pours reddish to almost brown in color. Shows a nice head that leaves a decent lace, nothing crazy to report here. Just looks nice and clean.

S- This one gave off a strong aromas of the chocolate malt. Roasted barley and some caramel scents as well.

T- Has a light spice note, a bit malty with a small hop backbone. Some chocolate flavors are noticeable, but very little. The alcohol also pokes through here.

M- A medium bodied brew, with some late heat from the alcohol.

D- VERY drinkable for this style. Nothing overwhelming to report, but very drinkable. An easy beer to have around. Will definitely return to this in the future.

Cheers!
ccm414

Serving type: bottle

09-17-2011 20:13:28 | More by ccm414

stevenstofen

Massachusetts

3.68/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4

Had at a beer tasting from a bottle into a 4oz sampler

A - A beautiful dark red amber color on this one. 1 finger head with minimal lacing on the glass.

S - A lot of malt and alcohol here. definitely get a spice note as well. Little to no hops.

T - Just as it smells. Alcohol. Just what I would have expected from an imperial red. Nice spicy malt.

MF - Very smooth and very drinkable. Wouldn't mind having a couple of these stowaways - HA!

O - A solid brew. Would like to try some others in this style.

Serving type: bottle

08-24-2011 17:48:14 | More by stevenstofen

AgentMunky

Alabama

4/5  rDev +7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

Poured from a 22 ounce bottle into a cervoise glass. From notes. Reviewed 14 June 2011.

A: Good head fades quickly. Reddish clear. Orange in direct light. Translucent.

S: Bread and butter. Yummy dry malt.

T: Toasty caramel malts. Sweeter than expected. The maintaste is malty/bready and tasty. The endtaste is drying, biscuity, and delicious. I enjoy it.

M: Substantial and good.

O: I like this beer. It's very drinkable and predominantly biscuity. I would have another. Totally recommended. The whole Mutiny Fleet is worthwhile.

Serving type: bottle

08-22-2011 19:08:00 | More by AgentMunky

CHickman

New York

3.83/5  rDev +3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5

Pours clear amber red color with a creamy 2 finger tan head that faded slowly, leaving good foamy lacing sticking to the glass and a ring around the top of the brew; plenty of bubbles race up the center of the beer.

Smells very sweet up front, with sweet malt, caramel, syrup, brown sugar, pine cones or piney hops, toasted grains, herbs and some spices or earthy tones that are faint and conceal the alcohol presence. Seems to meet the standards for a red ale.

Tastes like it smells but more fine tuned and flavorful, with sweet malt, caramel, syrup, brown sugar, pine cones/piney hops, toasted grains, herbs, yeast, grass, hay, flowers, light burnt wood, spices like a shake of pepper, some dark fruit, earthy tones like tea leaf and a minor hint of alcohol; this is very malty, but mixed with just enough earthy and floral notes to make it balances and not just a malt beer. Alcohol is very well hidden and not a factor.

Mouthfeel is light, creamy and smooth, bordering on slick, with light carbonation, a medium body that leans on the light side, and a watery feel as it slides down very easy; as it warms it slides down even faster, as it seems the carbonation goes away quickly.

A nice above average beer that was highly drinkable. Not my favorite style of beer, but still well done and good enough that I enjoyed the whole bomber.

Serving type: bottle

07-23-2011 03:50:46 | More by CHickman

Hopfenpeter

Maryland

3.85/5  rDev +3.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4

The beer poured a nice clear amber red with a finger of white creamy head. Dissipates within a couple of minutes and leaves good lacing.
The smell has a distinct maple syrup feel, maybe brown sugar and malt notes.
Tasting the beer, up front there are the maplesyrup and brown sugar notes. In the middle grainy tastes and malt switches the palette. At the end a light bitterness finishes this very drinkable beer. Overall a nice beer, but Heavy Seas certainly made better ones.

Serving type: bottle

07-20-2011 03:35:35 | More by Hopfenpeter

lacqueredmouse

Australia

3.03/5  rDev -18.5%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3

Pours a clear, burnished but slightly red-tinged (indeed) copper colour, with a fine head of white, that merely forms a film on the top of the glass. Body is solid, and it has some nice fine carbonation and a little streaking lace. Not bad.

Nose is slightly roasty, with a big sugary sweetness rolling over the top. Grainy organic notes come through as well along with a weird touch of acidity. Not that great, and certainly not exciting enough for what I expected.

Taste similar. Dry grainy characters for a long part of the palate, with a touch of that sugary sweetness dressing the end. Some sourness comes through as well, which could just be a character of some additional wheat or something, but it's unwelcome nonetheless. Astringent finish, probably from the additional alcohol, which isn't supported by flavour or complexity.

I was dubious about the classification of this, expecting it to be an American Red, but yeah, it's not hoppy enough, and to be honest, it's not very interesting at all. Very average.

Serving type: bottle

07-15-2011 16:38:29 | More by lacqueredmouse

Durge

Connecticut

4.33/5  rDev +16.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5

A dark maple syrup color with a decent light oatmeal colored head, this brew also shows a very solid lacing. The aroma gives off punky cider malt, even a nice hint of juniper or something sort of minty almost. The flavor at room temperature is much like the aroma except deeper and better. I get cider and peat, haystack herbal sweetness. I really like this taste and it’s very drinkable for an imperial brew at only 7 percent ABV. There’s maple syrup and brown bread ideas here. Nice stuff in a medium light brew with nice, fine carbonation and a somewhat aqueous feel.

Serving type: bottle

07-04-2011 15:49:18 | More by Durge