McNeills Ruby Ale

Brewed by McNeills Brewery
Style: Amber Ale
Brattleboro, Vermont USA

Tasted on tap as Ruby Red Ale. The name is ideal, tons of ruby grapefruit aromas and flavors, like grapefruit with bits of the pith in it. The malts seems a bit papery, (not the hops this time, odd) and there is a slight metallic tinge to the finish. (RE-RATE: Bottle, Not the same beer at all; much less hoppy, but the malt flavor seems much richer. Still was going to get the same rating +/- 0.1)

Growler. Deep ruddy amber beer topped by a very thick beige head. Aroma is quite hoppy with lots of herbal noble hops. Light malty sweetness with an earthy bitterness and lots of herbal/woody hop flavour. A little but dusty but it doesn’t have that mustiness that these guys normally have. It’s not bad, but it’s not great either.

5-23-08 bottle shared with lb4lb thanks to jwale73
Thick red brown with a creamy head. Smell is mild and very subtle but has some pine sol hints in there. Flavor is strange and has some medicinal sweetness that I don’t just love. Overall, not awful but not great.

bottle from jwale73. Thanks!
Pours ruby to crimson with lasting beige head. Smell is lightly hoppy and oddly metallic. Taste is dry, hoppy, fruity and dry. Decent beer. Tastes almost like it’s on the way out, and I understand they have bottling issues as well.

22 oz. bottle. Pours cloudy amber, with very little off-white head. Nose is grapefruit, sweet caramel malt. Sweet malt upfront quickly turns to grapefruity, citrusy hops followed by a long, bone dry, bitter finish. Too dry for my taste on the finish, almost ashey. Tone down the dryness and it’s a fine beer.

20061209 Party at Capt Lawrence. Bomber. Buttery wheat toast with smuckers mixed fruit jam aside cut pink grapefruit. Odd and excruciatingly dry stuff.

On tap at BT. Deep copper amber in color with a little white head. Caramel and toasty malty aroma. Hoppy citrusy notes. Malty and hoppy flavor. Finish is bitter. Medium bodied. Decent beer.

Nice smooth beer. Not too much happening but is pleasant. Has the browned apple aroma of a red ale and the bitterness of an ipa.