-
Stop lurking! Log in to search, post in our forums, review beers, see fewer ads, and more. — Todd, Founder of BeerAdvocate
Smoked Red Ale
West O Beer
- From:
- West O Beer
- Iowa, United States
- Style:
- Smoked Beer
Ranked #21 - ABV:
- 6.5%
- Score:
- 86
Ranked #18,763 - Avg:
- 3.82 | pDev: 10.99%
- Reviews:
- 15
- Ratings:
- Status:
- Active
- Rated:
- Nov 26, 2023
- Added:
- Nov 30, 2013
- Wants:
- 0
- Gots:
- 15
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Reviewed by Mdog from Minnesota
3.82/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.82/5 rDev 0%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
From a 12oz can:
Appearance: Clear dark amber, ok head.
Smell: Some maltiness, a little metal.
Taste: Starts with some toasted bread, low sweetness. Continues toasty and maybe a hint of spice. Maybe a little touch of smoke in the finish but mostly stays toast/light roast flavor.
Overall: Picked up a 6 pack while in Iowa for Thanksgiving, hoping for a smoky treat. Not as much smoke as I was hoping for, but a very interesting beer with both low sweetness and low hoppiness. “Red ales” without those characteristics are usually boring to me, but this one is interesting.
Nov 26, 2023Appearance: Clear dark amber, ok head.
Smell: Some maltiness, a little metal.
Taste: Starts with some toasted bread, low sweetness. Continues toasty and maybe a hint of spice. Maybe a little touch of smoke in the finish but mostly stays toast/light roast flavor.
Overall: Picked up a 6 pack while in Iowa for Thanksgiving, hoping for a smoky treat. Not as much smoke as I was hoping for, but a very interesting beer with both low sweetness and low hoppiness. “Red ales” without those characteristics are usually boring to me, but this one is interesting.
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania
3.91/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
3.91/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 3.25 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
West O Beer "Smoked Red"
12 fl. oz. can without production codes or freshness dating
$1.83 @ Hy-Vee #1470, Omaha, NE
Notes via stream of consciousness: A rough pour didn't do much in bringing up a head and I figure that it was less than a half inch at best before it quickly fell. The body is a hazy crimson-chestnut in color. In the nose I'm getting sweet and caramelish malt. Will it be as malty as the nose suggests? Let's find out... it's definitely malty but it's not overdone. I'm getting sweet bread, some spiciness, golden caramel, darker reddish caramel, some dark fruit, a minor roastiness, and just a suggestion of smokiness. It's not at all what I was expecting in terms of smoke but it's quite nice. A stiff bitterness runs through it offering just enough to keep it balanced, and the roastiness and smoke help to dry it in the finish. The aftertaste is mainly where I get the smokiness but there's also some lingering caramel and a bit of breadiness. In the mouth it's medium bodied on the higher end, and quite smooth with a very limited carbonation level. It's not flat but it's close. I'm going to guess that it's around 1.5 volumes of CO2 per liter which is cask ale territory. That doesn't bother me at all, I actually like it this way but I wonder if it's supposed to be this low. That of course cuts down on head formation and there was no lacing left behind which hurts its appearance.
Review #8,479
Dec 24, 202212 fl. oz. can without production codes or freshness dating
$1.83 @ Hy-Vee #1470, Omaha, NE
Notes via stream of consciousness: A rough pour didn't do much in bringing up a head and I figure that it was less than a half inch at best before it quickly fell. The body is a hazy crimson-chestnut in color. In the nose I'm getting sweet and caramelish malt. Will it be as malty as the nose suggests? Let's find out... it's definitely malty but it's not overdone. I'm getting sweet bread, some spiciness, golden caramel, darker reddish caramel, some dark fruit, a minor roastiness, and just a suggestion of smokiness. It's not at all what I was expecting in terms of smoke but it's quite nice. A stiff bitterness runs through it offering just enough to keep it balanced, and the roastiness and smoke help to dry it in the finish. The aftertaste is mainly where I get the smokiness but there's also some lingering caramel and a bit of breadiness. In the mouth it's medium bodied on the higher end, and quite smooth with a very limited carbonation level. It's not flat but it's close. I'm going to guess that it's around 1.5 volumes of CO2 per liter which is cask ale territory. That doesn't bother me at all, I actually like it this way but I wonder if it's supposed to be this low. That of course cuts down on head formation and there was no lacing left behind which hurts its appearance.
Review #8,479
Reviewed by Mindcrime1000 from South Dakota
4/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
4/5 rDev +4.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Poured from a can into a pub glass.
Pours a mixture of firebrick red and copper, but clear, with a nice tan head, decent retention and excellent lacing.
Aromas of toasted malts, caramel sweet regular malts, and smoke all swirl around. Just a touch of hop and honey in the background.
The flavors follow the nose and are unique and fairly bold for the style. Toasted malts again forward, with a honey-sweet steel-cut oatmeal fullness in midstream, along with some smoke (but not char). The hops arrive at the finish and are both earthy and welcome, along with a touch of booze.
A solidly medium-bodied offering that has nice carbonation and a good drying booze finish.
Overall, an excellent take on this style, and one of my favorite brews from the upper Midwest.
Jul 07, 2019Pours a mixture of firebrick red and copper, but clear, with a nice tan head, decent retention and excellent lacing.
Aromas of toasted malts, caramel sweet regular malts, and smoke all swirl around. Just a touch of hop and honey in the background.
The flavors follow the nose and are unique and fairly bold for the style. Toasted malts again forward, with a honey-sweet steel-cut oatmeal fullness in midstream, along with some smoke (but not char). The hops arrive at the finish and are both earthy and welcome, along with a touch of booze.
A solidly medium-bodied offering that has nice carbonation and a good drying booze finish.
Overall, an excellent take on this style, and one of my favorite brews from the upper Midwest.
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri
3.96/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 4
12oz bottle. Poured a dark amber/red color with a one-finger, tan head of foam. It smelled smokey with toffee. Nice smoked flavor with toffee and caramel.
Apr 10, 2018Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana
3.96/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
3.96/5 rDev +3.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
12oz bottled 5/11/17 poured into a teku glass at just above fridge temp no ABV listed on bottle. The beer pours bright red amber with light brown sticky head. Retention and lacing are above average. The aroma is caramel malt and just a whisper of smoke. The taste is more of the same. Nice caramel complemented by a subtle smoke and clean finish. Mouthfeel is medium bodied, adequately carbonated and dry in the finish. Overall, very good. This is just a really nice, balanced beer that easy to drink.
Nov 05, 2017Reviewed by beergoot from Colorado
3.75/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.75/5 rDev -1.8%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Review from notes dated 5-18-17
Bottle info: BOTTLED ON 12 06 16
Brownish red color. Caramel malt aroma wit a slight charred wood smell. Caramel flavor, mild smoke; Dr. Pepper. Medium body.
An enjoyable, lightly smoked flavored ale.
May 29, 2017Bottle info: BOTTLED ON 12 06 16
Brownish red color. Caramel malt aroma wit a slight charred wood smell. Caramel flavor, mild smoke; Dr. Pepper. Medium body.
An enjoyable, lightly smoked flavored ale.
Reviewed by InLukinsFridge from Nebraska
3.91/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
3.91/5 rDev +2.4%
look: 4 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 4
12oz Bottle purchased at HyVee in Omaha 4/22/17. The bottled on date on the label is left blank, and I'm unable to decipher a date from the collection of numbers inked on the bottle.
L: A lightly hazy, ruby amber with a half finger of thin white foam. Leaves few laces as the glass is enjoyed.
S: Light smoke along with herbal dark fruit and toasted caramel malt.
T: Well balance malt backbone with smoke, dark fruit, more toasted caramel, some earthy coffee and banana.
M: Crisp, almost thin mouthfeel, moderate carbonation.
O: Really enjoyed this beer. Not excessively smoky, well balanced. I'll take another. Cheers.
Apr 29, 2017L: A lightly hazy, ruby amber with a half finger of thin white foam. Leaves few laces as the glass is enjoyed.
S: Light smoke along with herbal dark fruit and toasted caramel malt.
T: Well balance malt backbone with smoke, dark fruit, more toasted caramel, some earthy coffee and banana.
M: Crisp, almost thin mouthfeel, moderate carbonation.
O: Really enjoyed this beer. Not excessively smoky, well balanced. I'll take another. Cheers.
Rated by AleMan66 from Minnesota
3.31/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.31/5 rDev -13.4%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
I had a 4 oz. sample poured at the brewery. I give credit for trying it, but I really don't need my beer to taste like smoke.
Oct 09, 2016Reviewed by bbtkd from South Dakota
3.81/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
3.81/5 rDev -0.3%
look: 3.75 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
West O (West Okoboji) Smoked Red Ale on tap, 6.5% ABV, 20 IBU. Not too bad, another local beer, reminded me of Killian's. Decent taste, not very bitter. Supposed to be smokey - but did not taste much of that. Could smell it though.
May 01, 2016
Smoked Red Ale from West O Beer
Beer rating:
86 out of
100 with
61 ratings
We love reviews (150 characters or more)! Check out: How to Review a Beer. You don't need to get fancy. Drop some thoughts on the beer's attributes (look, smell, taste, feel) plus your overall impression. Something that backs up your rating and helps others. Thanks!