Red. Amber. Are they the same beer style? Well … the answer is by no means simple. As many authorities put it, amber ale is a term invented by American brewers to account for a stylistic gap between pale ales and brown ales. It originated on the West Coast in the 1970s during the early American craft beer movement and was originally called a red ale. While it origins lay in American pale ales it is closer to an Irish red ale in terms of appearance and mouthfeel however it’s the use of forthright flavors of malt and citrus/floral accented American hops that give it an unique flavor. Red ales live on the margin of beer styles. Historically red ale comes from Europe and tends to use roasted malts to achieve the color, while amber ales were American and used caramelized malts for color. Either way the differentiation no longer holds. Red and amber are just descriptors for a caramelly, full-bodied pale ale, often highly hopped with medium body, medium levels of the fruity aromas and flavors, medium hop bitterness and flavor, medium to full malt character. American red ales don’t even have a category at the Great American Beer Festival, the Oscars of beer, where each specimen is judged based on guidelines for specific styles. They live in the “American amber/red ale” category — a catchall for anything south of a dark ale that’s also not clearly a pale ale or a brown ale. Today, Peaks and Pints presents Craft Beer Crosscut 9.17.17: A Flight of Red, whatever that means.
Silver City Ridgetop Red
6% ABV, 15 IBU
Silver City Brewery’s Ridgetop Red brought home GABF gold in 2009, and though it takes some unexpected turns on the tongue, it’s clear why it’s a winner. There’s a beer for everyone. Ridgetop Red is everyone’s beer. Full-bodied and smooth, this ale surges hits the tongue with grainy caramel sweetness before lifting into pear and passion fruit notes. It’s never overly sweet, but it also doesn’t completely dry out in the finish: A touch of bitter Liberty hops kick in at the end, completing a well-balanced swallow.
Fish Tale Organic Red
5% ABV, 22 IBU
Fish Tale Ales expanded their portfolio of organic beers with new cans that reflects Fish Brewing‘s commitment to sustainability and adding two new styles. Organic Porter and Organic Red Ale join the Olympia brewery’s already established organic offering, India Pale Ale. “Cans are recyclable, lighter, chill faster and are often welcome where glass bottles are not, Fish Tale Ales is thrilled to provide its customers the best possible vessel to house our organic series of beers,” says Sal Leone, Fish Brewing’s president. Fish Tale Organic Red is brewed with organic pale, Munich, and crystal malts for a gentle sweet character to balance organic Hallertauer hops. On the nose, expect earthy caramel. The taste is malt-forward with caramel, cocoa, tobacco leaf and some sweet citrus thrown in for good measure.
Port Brewing Shark Attack Double Red Ale
9% ABV, 70 IBU
What started as (and still is) a small pizza chain is now a full-fledged and high-quality craft brewery — Port Brewing Company. The San Diego County brewery is also responsible for the Lost Abbey line; Shark Attack Red is their imperial red ale. Shark Attack takes the red ale style and runs with it. The scent is all honeyed pumpernickel and herbal tea, and the rich malt clings to the palate right before the back of your tongue tightens from intense hopping. It’s wonderfully rich and balanced by intense hopping, with a big bite of citrusy and piney hops.
Double Mountain Killer Red
7.2% ABV, 88 IBU
The birth of Double Mountain Killer Red happened after the choice of hops for the Hood River brewery’s Killer Green Fresh Hop IPA were a little late, so the brewers decided to craft a sister brew with fresh Perle hops to fill the thirsty void. It stuck. So the annual fresh hop trip to Sodbuster Farm in the Willamette Valley includes enough hops to brew Killer Red. Aroma is strong with hoppy overtones, piney, lemon zesty and cookie dough malt. Taste is more of the same, dry piney citrusy hops and pastry malts dominating the flavor, with a hint of sweetness. Finish is dry, but balanced and satisfying.
Avery Hog Heaven Imperial Red IPA
9.2% ABV, 104 IBU
Would you trade an elementary school teaching gig for brewing? That’s exactly what Left Hand Brewing’s Matt Thrall did when his home brewing hobby became a career path that landed him at Avery Brewing in 2003 and currently director of brewing at Left Hand. We’re giving nod to Thrall’s Hog Heaven. This beer grabbed two silver medal wins at the Great American Beer Festival in 2004 and 2007, and subsequently set the stage for the bold beers that would follow such as The Maharaja in 2005, Rumpkin in 2011, Tweak in 2014. After all this time, it is still a beloved beer by Avery Brewing employees and is frequently consumed during celebratory times at the brewery. The intense dry-hop nose and the alcohol content are perfectly balanced with a caramel malt backbone. This is a serious beer for serious beer aficionados.
