Blackstone Red Springs Ale

Brewed by Blackstone Restaurant & Brewery
Style: Amber Ale
Nashville, Tennessee USA

Two 5 oz samples, one draft, one cask. Bright red. Pretty even malt with no bitterness. On cask, however, this blossoms into a really bountiful hoppy beer that was really, really flavorful. What an example of how cask can differ from draft.

(On tap) Clear amber colour with an off-white head. Lovely aroma of fruity hops and a touch of caramel. Medium-bodied with some caramel, but generally dominated by some great aroma hops all through. 300306

Quite red. Thin lacing head. Mild west coast hopping in the aroma. Well-balanced fruit and pine. Mild caramels and orange gel flavors. Not too fizzy. A well done PA. Finishes woody-orange.

Cask butches. Clouded amber body with a sometimes-large bushy head. It laces for some, but not for me (I was able to observe both my pint and ilinismitty’s pint and his had a large lasting head that laced, mine didn’t and did not, his guess at this was glass cleanliness, I thought that since we ordered two the first one, mine was pulled faster, and his was pulled slower or something) aroma is hop, light caramel and lime taste. Buttery finish with more lemon lime notes. Ap-3 ar-8 tas-7 pal-3 ov-16

Tap @ brewery. Translucent and magnifying orangish glow with a spring ice pond formation serving as the head and recessing marshmallow lacing. Rich caramel contributions compel an amarillo sweetness in the aroma. Sweet and bitterly composed with a sedated sugared grapefruit rind and dried out oranges to wrap up the wafts. Light welcome wagon with admirable and controlled effervescence compliment a somewhat creamy mouth feel. Orange soda flavor intonations meet the runoff juice from a bowl of sliced mango cubes. Caramel toffee has a sugary amaretto flavor, like it was brushed on a hard roll. An amber ale on all accords, with a mild, sweet, persistent shock at the tongue. Mild, soapy and cleansing finish.

Draft at brewpub. I have had this several times, but this is my first time rating it. Pours amber with a solid white head. Nice floral hop aroma, citrusy. Nice flavor, sweet and toasy malt balanced by a slightly resiny and bitter hop profile. Some would consider this a little hoppy for the style (think North Coast Red Seal), but I like it. Texture is a tad on the light side, but that makes this one pair well with food. A great session beer, and one of my favorite house beers at the brew pub.

Draft at Brewpub. Cloudy amber color with a thick white head that somewhat lasted and produce some lacing rings. Smell of citrus, flower and light malts at the nose. Fruity flavor, maybe plums. Enjoyable malt / hop mix flavor. Light to medium body that was very smooth to drink.

This was a good beer. I’m a fan of Ambers, which it was a nice amber color, easy to drink. Light bodied.