Jack Russell Irish Red Ale

12oz bottle. Dark red-brown with some haze and a lasting off-white head. On the darker side for an Irish red ale. The aroma has a big dose of lightly burnt toast with a light coating of strawberry jam and faint grain husk. Malty yet dry flavor, bready with light roast. Modest hops, but well balanced. Medium-light body with creamy carbonation. This was a bit of a surprise. I wasn’t expecting much out of this random beer that a relative brought over for me from a brewery that I had never heard of, but this is one of the best representations of the style that I have come across. The rich malty flavors but dry drinkability work quite well.

Date: July 07, 2009
Mode: Bottle
Source: Roadtrip
Appearance: hazy amber, frothy beige head, lots of drippy lace
Aroma: dry caramel aroma, light earthyness
Flavor: sweet caramel flavor, light bready character, plenty of earthy bitterness
Aroma: 5/10; Appearance: 7/10; Flavor: 5/10; Palate: 6/10; Overall: 10/20
Rating: 2.7/5.0
Drinkability: 5/10
Score: *4

Bottle poured a clear dark reddish amber with a lasting amber head. Aromas of carmel toasted malt light earthiness and light nuttiness. Palate was medium bodied and smooth. Flavors of carmel, earthiness, toasted malt and light nuttiness with a smooth lingering malty finish.

~Pours a dark amber brown with small off white head. ~Malty, nutty aroma, with some spicy hops. Pleasant aroma, smells like it could make a good meal. ~Mellow sweet roasted malt flavor, some nuttiness. ~Medium smooth feel. Sweet nutty finish . ~A solid brew. Well balanced and enjoyable.

On draft. Deep copper red color with a decent tan head. Malty aroma with a hint of caramel, hops, and some brown sugar. Decent taste. A hint of roasted malt, a dark mouthfeel. Light caramel flavor. Nothing amazing, but a decent brew.

From a 12 oz bottle that cost $1.49 at Corti Bros in Sacramento, this poured a dark copper color with a fat tan head. Nose of caramel malts and grassy hops. Medium mouthfeel. Flavor of caramel malts and nuts, and a long dry and bitter finish. Pretty good.

Roasted caramel aroma. Mahogany color with a decent off-white head. A bit thin in body, with moderate carbonation. Flavor is roasted malt, but kind of musty. Tends to overpower the bitter. Finishes rather dry. Almost a touch of chocolate at the finish. Seems a bit crude, but it’s different and tasty. At least this batch is. Reviewing earlier ratings, I suspect there may be some batch variations.

Bottle from Capone’s. Pours hazy ruby with a 3-finger khaki head. I loved the look of this one. Aroma is roasty caramel malt, brown sugar, cabernet, and some rauchy hints. Tastes caramel malty, with cabernet, brown sugar, some nuts, and a twinge of rauchy roastiness as it warms. This one was well balanced, complex, and a very nice surprise.