Third Street Aleworks Bombay Rouge India Red Ale

Brewed by Third Street Aleworks
Style: American Strong Ale
Santa Rosa, California USA

Draught at Beer in the Plaza. Dark amber color. Floral and grapefruit hops aroma. Despite adding more dark crystal malt to an IPA to get more color and balance, this remains pretty dry and hop forward in the flavor. There is some light caramel and toasted bread with light nuttiness, but juicy citric hops still dominate. Medium-light body. Almost like a dark IPA. Very nice ASA.

Draft at the brewpub. Pours a reddish amber with a thin head. Slightly fruity hop sweet malt aroma. Taste is a nice slightly sweet malt balanced by grapefruit citrus hops. My favorite beer of the brewery.

This nice, full-bodied ale seems to be the newest strong ale from the Aleworks and it is one of their best. It is a sparkly deep red amber with a good-sized, dense light tan head with reddish hints. The head lasts a long time and leaves good, fairly even lacing that mostly lasts through the glass, making it possibly the best-looking beer from the Aleworks. The aroma is predominantly hoppy, a mix of grapefruit and pine mostly, perfumy, but on a toasty malt body. The taste is similar, with good, persistent hop bitterness but balancing malty sweetness, grapefruit and pine, caramel, toasty grain. The body is pretty full and the palate smooth, with the taste and finish long. In the end, it is definitely reminiscent of Bear Republic’s Red Rocket, if not quite up to that level.