Deschutes Red Chair IPA

Brewed by Deschutes Brewery
Style: India Pale Ale (IPA)
Bend, Oregon USA

I was wondering if this had been left around for too long and the hops had faded but it looks like that is a common experience with this beer, too weak hops. Clear copper pour. Aroma is nice and hoppy with some pine and citrus. The flavor is mostly sweet caramel malt though with just a pinch of hops on the finish to add some bitterness. Not a lot happening in between there to keep you interested or have you going back for more. I’m left a little wanting for this west coast brewed ipa.

Bomber pours beautifully, but I agree with notalush, it’s mostly downhill from there. Bright clear amber liquid with an off-white foamy head and lots of clinging lace. Smells sweet, almost sickly sweet from grapefruit and the quadruple malt. Unbalanced sweet/tart flavors and an oily texture. This one just didn’t work for me!

Another treat brought back from Montana by my inlaws. Pours a hazy orange amber with a thick orange-tinted head that leaves crazy lace. Very fragrant tropical fruit aroma (passionfruit, lychee, grapefruit) with resinous undertones. Aromatic fruity hop character dominates the palate, again supported by a resinous bitterness in the finish. The malts are sweet and understated compared to the hops. Finish is bitter, but not over the top.

Hoppy and sweet aroma, slightly fruity taste with a lot of hops, dry aftertaste. Makes my breathe smell like bonbons.

The appearance and aroma start this sucker off right, but it sure goes downhill after that - lightly hazy copper with an impressive, sticky lace - the hops are put to great use in the aroma - a lot of grapefruit, pine, floral notes, with crystal malt sweetness underneath - the hop flavor is there, but the bitterness one expects is practically not there at all - according to the label, that is the intent, and all I have to say is, "why?" - all it does is leave room for the sweetness of the malt to take over the beer, so I’m left longing for bitterness to balance it - overall, it still tastes okay - moderately sessionable, despite its strength - if you’re going to make an ipa without the bitterness, you might as well go ahead and make a non-alcoholic beer, too - is that next, deschutes?

Bottle at Papsø. Clear amber coloured with a small white head. Fruity aroma of hops, pine needles and grape fruits. Fruity flavour of hops, pine needles and grape fruits. Hoppy finish.

Interesting, but not something I’d continue to go back to. A reddish color with a big pine hop presence. A very full flavor, but nothing to make me stand up and say wow.

22oz bottle: Appearance is amber brown with slow fading off white head, aroma of floral and citrus hops, flavor is somewhat hoppy more citrus coming through than floral, some hints caramel in the malt but not over dominating at all. Solid beer but does not live up to the price tag.