Grumpy Troll Erik the Red

On tap at the brewpub 7/31/09: Pours a transparent copper amber with a thin ring of white head. Lightly sweet toasty caramel and grainy nose has a touch of light fruits. Starts with average fullness and some grainy caramel malty sweetness along with a touch of light fruits before a bittersweet lightly toasty finish. Could use a little more assertive fresh hop character, but still a decent red.

Amber color with a moderate light khaki colored head. Scents of grains, bread dough and touch of diacetyl. Buttered bread seems to come to mind. Sweeter throughout. Just a bit of earthy hops in the finish and linger help bring this one back.

Sample at the brewery. Reddish/amber color with an off-white head. Sweet, malty, but with an off butter aroma. Flavor had more butter, with a light sweet fruitiness.

11/16/2007: As its name implies, Grumpy Troll Erik the Red has a deep amber color. This beer is slightly caramely with a shot of cream. It is medium-bodied and smooth. This beer reminds me of an Irish-style Red Ale.

Sample (draught) at the Grumpy Troll Brewery, Restaurant and Pizzeria in Mount Horeb, Wisconsin. Rating #14 for this beer.

On tap at the brewpub, pours clear, taste is malty, with an earthy hop finish, a touch of caramel, and a bit of a bite at the end. Decent beer, not their best offering, but not bad.

Standard amber ale, there is only so much that can be done with this style. Malty, with some earth and surprisingly peat. Dry, with almost no hop presence at all.

On tap at Grumpy Troll. Poured clear medium orange with a short-lived cap of off-white head. The aroma picked up medium-skinned fruits and berries all over the nose with pale malty support.. worked surprisingly well. The flavor had a sweet core of caramel, berries, and honeysuckle surrounded by an array of spices and tart berry seeds.. sweet finish didn’t do much for me. Sweet overall and lighter-bodied on the palate.. went downhill from the initial smell.

Sampled on draught at the brewpub: Pours a muddy brown colour with no head. Aroma is nutty, caramel and fermenting apples and toffee on the nose. Taste is soff dry, slightly fruitywith notes of coffee and spice on the palate.