Smoked Red Ale
West O Beer

Smoked Red AleSmoked Red Ale
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
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:
61
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.
Photo of Mdog
Reviewed by Mdog from Minnesota

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, 2023
Photo of NeroFiddled
Reviewed by NeroFiddled from Pennsylvania

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, 2022
 
Rated: 4.18 by Chilmer from Iowa

Oct 09, 2019
 
Rated: 3.03 by Tanner_K

Sep 14, 2019
Photo of Mindcrime1000
Reviewed by Mindcrime1000 from South Dakota

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, 2019
 
Rated: 3.85 by omahawk from Nebraska

Apr 20, 2019
 
Rated: 4.33 by megamick from Iowa

May 20, 2018
Photo of zeff80
Reviewed by zeff80 from Missouri

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, 2018
Photo of jkblr
Reviewed by jkblr from Indiana

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, 2017
 
Rated: 3.25 by sgttibbs from Minnesota

Oct 25, 2017
 
Rated: 4.06 by Bear1964 from Nebraska

Sep 24, 2017
Photo of beergoot
Reviewed 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
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, 2017
Photo of InLukinsFridge
Reviewed by InLukinsFridge from Nebraska

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, 2017
 
Rated: 4.1 by mikerieder from South Dakota

Mar 02, 2017
 
Rated: 3.5 by scaliasux from Wisconsin

Nov 12, 2016
Photo of AleMan66
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
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, 2016
 
Rated: 3.96 by Joe_recker from Nebraska

Sep 15, 2016
Photo of bbtkd
Reviewed 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
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
 
Rated: 4.12 by craigbelly from Iowa

Mar 31, 2016
 
Rated: 4.25 by Hopstout from Minnesota

Mar 05, 2016
Smoked Red Ale from West O Beer
Beer rating: 86 out of 100 with 61 ratings