Mash House Irish Red

Brewed by The Mash House Restaurant & Brewery
Style: Irish Ale
Fayetteville, North Carolina USA

Draught at Barley’s in Knoxville. Pours copper with just a touch of haze in the body with a lasting, but smallish off-white head above. Bready malt aroma. Well balanced with no extreme maltiness or hoppy bitterness. Slightly sweet and toasty. Easy drinking but not a beer for someone looking for excitement. This one easily fits the "session beer" category.

Draught, Union Jack’s in Knoxville. Pours red copper with wispy beige head. The aroma is light toast, yeast, slight hops, and an interesting vinous note. The first flavor that strikes me is cotton candy. Then there are some faint piney hops, slightly burnt cookies, and a warm bready finish that is only slightly astringent. Toasty aftertaste. Not bad, but it takes a few sips to get used to the sweetness.

Pretty weird. It says "Irish Ale" in the title, but the closest thing to this that I’ve had is the Monk’s Flemish Sour Ale. Very, VERY sour. Couldn’t place the taste on my own, but shrubber85’s probably right as far as strawberries. Can’t say it was one of my favorites, but at least they made a statement. Then again, I heard from the friend I got this from that I might have gotten a bad bottle, so this rating might change at some point.

Reddish, as one might expect from a beer with "red" in its name. Thin white head. Brown sugar and cinnamon on a biscuit aroma. Maybe a hint of berries, too. Flavor is very much on the sweet side, with a lot of fruity, caramel malts, with maybe touch of crispness at the finish. On tap at Union Jacks, Knoxville.

Bottle (labelled Ravishing Red). Strawberry cream malt aroma. Clear red amber with small head. Light sweet strawberry malt flavor.j Very fruity - not what I really expect out of an Irish ale - more of a fruit beer - haven’t tried their strawberry beer to make a comparison or see if I got a mislabelled 6-pack.

Draught at the brewpub.Clear copper color without much head. Subtle spicy nose. Dry and crisp with mild hop bitterness. Some dried tart cherries and toffee.

On tap at Satisfaction’s in Durham, North Carolina. Deep red color with a thin head and decent lacing. Malts and more malts in the aroma with a little bit of bitterness. Taste starts sweet and ends bitter. Even with the hops apparent in the finish I still feel the malt character dominates this beer. Interesting but not a fantastic beer by any stretch.

Fruity aroma. Foamy head that has the appearance of a cloud or dirty snow. Fizzy mouthfeel, kind of cloudy appearance. Bit watery at end.