Double Mountain Brewery and Taproom IRA India Red Ale at 6.5% ABV | 60 IBU (C$7.55 at Liquor Crossing Red Deer, 500 ml, bottle date 10-Dec-2015, acquired 24-Aug-2016, reviewed 22-Sep-2016)
Appearance: slightly hazy medium amber with two fingers of rocky ivory head diminishing quickly to a thin skim, moderate lacing. (4/5) Aroma: caramel, pithy grapefruit and orange peel, cedar, tropical fruit. (7/10) Taste: moderate sweet, moderate-high bitter. (7/10) Medium slightly oily body, moderate carbonation, off-dry medium duration slightly spicy finish. (3/5)
A little elderly, perhaps, but the slightly higher ABV seems to have provided some measure of protection. The intention here is pretty clear: marry the characteristics of sweet malty red ales with those of IPAs. The execution is… slightly less clear. Although bitter and sweet are not necessarily antagonistic, they can be tough to balance – one or the other seems to always win out. In this case, malt is clearly dominant. On the plus side, the SImcoe hops don’t taste skunky or catty, so there’s that. (14/20)
7/10 #ryansbooze ryansbooze.com
