Alpine Beer Company McIlhenneys Irish Red

Poured an orangy-amber with a fizzy egg-shell head. Nose is terrible, smells of cheese and butter with hints of PNW Hops. Really an awful nose. Taste is better than the nose, tastes like it is brewed with purely late addition hops, has tons of hop flavor in comparison to the bitterness, Lacks the sweetness i’d like in a red ale, a little more attenuated than most irish ale i’ve had. Also an off flavor of rotten vegetables.

Bottle. Pours a clear reddish-brown with a thick foamy off-white head that lingers. Big sweet malt aroma, with wood, grass, pine hops, and sugar. Taste is sharp and sweet, of caramel, malt, citrus, wood, brown sugar. Lingering sweet malt that ends a bit watery. Tasty.

On tap. Clear amber golden with an off-white head leaving laces. Sweet caramel aroma. Medium body, sweet caramel notes, but again distinct moldy accents. No bitterness. I wonder if Pizza Port Solana has a problem with keeping their tap lines clean - this was the third mildewy beer in the same day. 080709

From tap at Pizza Port in Solana Beach. Pours clear and golden deep amber with a small white head. Light roasted and caramelish malt aroma. Sweet caramelish and light toasted malt flavoured. Good light bitterness to this. Ends with a light creamy impression and a lasting light dry hoppy and light malty mix.

Draught at Toronado SD. The only non-IPA that I’ve had from these guys. Weird. Darker red brown color with a small off-white head. Rich, nutty malty aroma with caramel and toffee. Toasted grain and caramel malty flavor, lightly burnt edge, and low hops. I went back and forth between thinking that this had a good malt robustness, and that it was a little too sweet. The body and carbonation were both good, but it just could have finished a little dryer or more bitter. I think just a tad more bittering hops would have really dialed in the balance.

From Growler. Pours a dark copper with red hue. Small off white head that quickly fades away. Aroma sweet carmel malts, spices, cinnamon and mild hops Flavor is carmel, toffee. syrupy,but very thin kinda watery like.

Draft at Toronado’s 1st Anniversary. Pours a nice amber with some slight bubbles and no head. Sweet caramel and malt with a little bit of bite from the rye. Medium mouth.

Sampler at the brewery. Pours copper, thin off white head. Aroma is malty, with sweet malts caramel/chocolate aromas notes. Taste, plenty of the 13 malts adding some sweet caramel and chocolate, remains very smooth with a vanilla like mouthfeel. Some light hop notes hit the back palate with some licorice and a beer that just amazes me with the use of the malts.