Red Brick Ale

Brewed by Atlanta Brewing Company
Style: Brown Ale
Atlanta, Georgia USA

On tap at Carrabba’s, Kennesaw, GA. Described by the bartender as being "sort of like Bass Ale". I found it to be more like a brown ale, which is how it is described here. Some toffee and caramel in the malt and some hoppy bitterness at the end. Not bad.

12 oz bottle, in person trade with Wunderbier (Habersham Beverage on Habersham, Savannah GA, April 2006), served at cellar temperature in a St. Ambroise glass. A smallish tan head dies slowly leaving a wispy ring atop the murky, translucent-to-opaque dark walnut liquid....nose is caramel maltiness subdued by strong tart cherry-walnut character, really quite assertive and a pleasant surprise in this usually aromatically dull style...it only becomes more potent as it warms, with ashy tobacco adding to the interest....the flavor is quite potent as well: tart and sour fruits (cherries, apples) mingle with woody hops and oily bitter nuts (walnuts, almonds) atop a sweet burnt-sugar bed....tart/bitter, woody and resinous to finish, lingering ash....carbonation is a bit high and it could be fuller, but this is an inventive and fascinating take on the style, one of the more memorable examples I’ve had of late.

Bottle. Pours copper, with a medium head. Aroma is malty and butterscotch/caramel. Flavor is similar, although with a slightly hint of bitterness. Not very complex, but pretty enjoyable.

on tap at the Atlanta airport bar. clear copper color, creamy/foamy medium tan head. aroma is light caramel malt. a bit of faint hop. high carbonation but mouthfeel gets smooth, flavor is caramel malt and light grassy hop. finish more of the same.

Dark ruby color with a creamy ring around the top. Spotty lacing. Aroma of butterscotch is really nice. Flavor is a little creamy and sweet. The butterscotch reappears. A nice little ale. Quite nice.

Bottle. Sweet butterscotch malt aroma. Cloudy reddish brown color with small head. Slightly sweet butterscotch malt flavor but not nearly as sweet as the aroma would lead you to expect. Very light hops finish with smooth buttery aftertaste. A interesting brown ale - I really enjoyed it - but as the other ratings state - if you don’t like butterscotch - avoid this beer.

An almost massive exodus of butterscotch aromatics hits my nose as I pour this beer. The beer is a brilliantly clear, deep brownish amber color. It is topped by a thin, quickly disappearing tan colored head. Ok, back to the aroma; this beer is just absolutely dominated by butterscotch. I would guess it is from diacetyl, but for some reason in this beer it is not bothering me that much. I don’t get that rancid butter note that I typically would in a diacetyl ridden beer. Try as I might, I can’t pick out any other aromatic notes underneath all of the butterscotch.

The taste is lightly fruity up front, with a pretty solid berry component to it. In fact the finish reminds me strongly of strawberries. Also in the finish is a dry, toasted grain husk note that almost dries the mouth out a bit. The butterscotch diacetyl notes are not as noticeable in the flavor, or I should say that it is not singularly so dominant that I can’t taste anything else because it is quite evident in the taste as well. Again it does not really have that rancid buttery note that most diacetyl prone beers have. The notes that are here seem to amplify the fruitiness. In fact I think the over the top berry notes are a direct result of the diacetyl. This is an interesting taste experience for me, It is totally dominated by the diacetyl yet remains drinkable, which is certainly a first for me.

12 oz bottle, via Goldtwins. Pours a light mahogany with a finger sized off-white head. Sweet buttery aroma with lighter notes of toffee. Sweet caramel malt flavor with a buttery finish. Minimal bitterness in the finish. Medium bodied with low fine bubbled carbonation. Overall, I just can’t get past the lingering butter flavor that is all over this beer. A thumbs down on this one.