Trail Ridge Red
Grand Lake Brewing Company

Trail Ridge RedTrail Ridge Red
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From:
Grand Lake Brewing Company
 
Colorado, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
ABV:
5%
Score:
83
Avg:
3.51 | pDev: 10.54%
Reviews:
13
Ratings:
17
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 04, 2016
Added:
Feb 16, 2004
Wants:
  0
Gots:
  2
No description / notes.
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Rated: 3.69 by Gerred from Missouri

Sep 04, 2016
 
Rated: 3.25 by Ispeakforthetrees from Colorado

Jan 19, 2013
 
Rated: 3.5 by netshark from Colorado

Sep 01, 2012
 
Rated: 3 by Huffaroma from Montana

Jan 02, 2012
Photo of GilGarp
Reviewed by GilGarp from Colorado

3.78/5  rDev +7.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
12 oz. bottle served cold into a pint glass.

Trail Ridge Red has a deep mahogany red color with good clarity. The head is short-lived but there is some nice lace left behind.

Aroma is malty sweet with caramel and apples.

Flavor is surprisingly roasty. I would almost say this is a hybrid red-porter. Nice toasty flavors over some sweet toffee and caramel. A little coffee even which seems strange but works well in this beer.

Mouthfeel is medium bodied with appropriate carbonation.

Overall not what I was expecting but a pleasant surprise nonetheless.
May 24, 2010
Photo of Haybeerman
Reviewed by Haybeerman from Colorado

3.65/5  rDev +4%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Clear orange/amber color. Poured a 1 finger tan head thatn dissipated to a thin cap. Laced in broken rings.

S: A faint floral hop aroma transitioned quickly to sweet bread, caramel and nuts.

T: Crystal malt predominant but not big. Sweet caramel and nuts with bready foundation. A little floral hop flavor as well. Mild bitter finish.

M: Light body. Low carbonation. Body and CO2 didn't match up real well. Clean, but lacked that crisp character.

D: Smooth, drinkable. Light abv certainly helps. Just a little shy on the flavor side.
May 14, 2010
Photo of Beaver13
Reviewed by Beaver13 from Colorado

2.54/5  rDev -27.6%
look: 4 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2.5 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
12 oz bottle. Pours a reddish amber with a smallish creamy off white head that retains fairly well and laces the glass.

The aroma is pretty subdued- some nutty malts and a little cola and some floral hops.

The flavor is nutty caramel malts with some slightly fruity bitterness at the finish. The mouthfeel is light to medium bodied and pretty watery.

Overall, an OK malt forward beer. It's similar to Fort Collins' Retro Red. I liked this better on tap.
Mar 21, 2010
Photo of Rayek
Reviewed by Rayek from Colorado

3.47/5  rDev -1.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
A: Amber with a fair amount of haze and minimal carbonation. Foamy eggshell cap starts small and quickly recedes to a ring. Leaves spots of lace.

S: Quite sweet initially. Caramel really stuck out at first. A lemon and floral hop aroma came in later.

T: Basic, but pretty decent. Again, it starts sweet with caramel and toffee. Hops provide a balanced floral bitterness that has a touch of grapefruit to it. Finishes rather clean.

M: Medium-light body could stand more fizz.

D: For me, this is a decent session beer. It goes down easily enough. A little more complexity would be nice.
Aug 20, 2009
Photo of JMBSH
Reviewed by JMBSH from Colorado

3.6/5  rDev +2.6%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3.5
A - A nice burnt orange red. A hard pour gave me about a finger of head that shrank to a thin coating. Only a little visible carbonation is seen.

S - At first a hoppy note. But then the scent is of bread, nuts, fruit.

T - Malty but light. A very light hop flavor is in the background.

M - Thin but clean and crisp. Doesn't linger in the mouth. Very light carbonation, a bit too light for my taste.

D - Easy to drink. Goes down smooth. Combined with a fairly light alcohol level, a person could enjoy more then a couple of these.
Dec 14, 2008
Photo of Wasatch
Reviewed by Wasatch from Colorado

3.85/5  rDev +9.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
Thanks goes out to Bitterbill for this brew.

Pours a nice clean/clear golden amber color, nice carbonation, tiny fizzy off-white head, some sticky lacing follows. The nose is malty, bitter, with some caramel notes. The taste is slightly sweet, malty, with some caramel. Medium body. The finish is slightly bitter and dry. Drinkable, a tasty brew, thanks Bill.
May 30, 2008
Photo of rowew
Reviewed by rowew from Colorado

3.1/5  rDev -11.7%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 2.5 | overall: 3
Presentation: 12 oz longneck, label has a drawing of a convertible on Trail Ridge Road.

Appearance: Clear amber color, average head with good retention.

Smell: Floral hops, a bit of caramel malt.

Taste: A bit thin bodied, floral hop flavor dominates with a decent mix of malt flavors in the background.

Overall impression: I wish this had a bit more body to it, but its not a bad offering, and plenty drinkable.
May 13, 2008
Photo of Oxymoron
Reviewed by Oxymoron from Colorado

3.53/5  rDev +0.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Can we just call it Hwy 34? Pours a darker hue of red with great clarity. A nice solid soft white head with ok lacing. Good retention as well.

The nose is mostly malty. A underlining of caramel throughout. Some light bready notes and a touch of toasty as well. Hops in the back end with more of a grassy and soapy smell. Some light DMS but not overly off setting. My wife picked up some cardboard but I could get it at all.

The taste is a bit richer than expected from the nose. The caramel flavor continues but is balanced with a more toasted flavor. Not to the point of astringent but some light roasty notes. The hops are toned down a bit with more of a earthy taste than grass. A touch of pine as well. Mostly in the finish with a light lingering finish. Clean yeast notes, but I do get some light oxidation in the taste (still not in the nose).

The body is closer to mid than light but somewhere inbetween. Carbonation is light but ok. Overall a good beer with some minor problems. Haggar can't drive 34.
May 01, 2008
Photo of Bitterbill
Reviewed by Bitterbill from Wyoming

3.5/5  rDev -0.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This pours a clear reddish amber with about a finger head of foam. Average head retention with little lacing.

The smell has notes of caramel, biscuit, and some grassy hops.

The taste has a big biscuit flavour up front followed by some caramel, and both piney and grassy hops that give it some balance, especially near and through the finish.

It has a medium to medium light mouthfeel with a fairly light amount of carbonation..

This is an interesting brew...not very complex but the flavours work pretty well for me. I'd probably drink this again.

Cost: Part of a mixed 6 Pack US$8.29
Apr 24, 2008
Photo of mentor
Reviewed by mentor from Colorado

3.51/5  rDev 0%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.5
Brown ale? Very dark rust brownish. Nearly clear with almost a one finger light brown head. Smells nutty brown with scroched caramel. American hops and deliciously malt sweet. Esters prominent. Solventy acetone as the beer warms.

Tastes nutty brown mixed with quite floral american hops. Fruity esters present, but lose out ot the dark grains and grassy hops. Not so much hop flavor or bitter and rough co-humulone. Drying finish from hop grassy and maybe some dark grains. Md body and moderate carbonation. Decent offering, but smack between red and brown ale categories.
Nov 28, 2007
Photo of russpowell
Reviewed by russpowell from Arkansas

4.02/5  rDev +14.5%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.5 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
22 oz bomber pours amber/orange with less than 1 head of sand colored head. Average head retention & lacing

S: Big-time biscuitty malt, not much else

T: Biscuitty malt with hints of fruityness & herbal hops up front. Caramel & piney hops surface as this warms. Finishes with caramel, piney, leafy & herbal hops, some brown sugar & touch of dryness

MF: Medium-bodied, with medium carbonation & good balance, skews malty, but it works

Drinks pretty easy, a pretty darn good amber!
Aug 24, 2007
Photo of Mebuzzard
Reviewed by Mebuzzard from Colorado

3.64/5  rDev +3.7%
look: 3 | smell: 4 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4
A deep, glossy ruby red pour. White head seemed to come and go, a bit filmy
Sweet malt smell to it. Some hints of dark fruit like black plum. I thought some grainy flavors came through in the taste. Fruit was gone and the malt was consistent.
A little thick to thin in the feel. a bit odd, perhaps it was me. It just seem to stick and then go away quickly, leaving it hard to taste.
Apr 17, 2007
Photo of mschofield
Reviewed by mschofield from Massachusetts

4.1/5  rDev +16.8%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Pours a medium red, topped with a one finger off-white head, leaves webs of lacing.
Malty aroma, with tea
Quite a malty taste for the style, lots of caramel, biscuit, flower petals, a nice rich taste for a red.
Medium bodied and very drinkable. A very good red ale.
Mar 08, 2005
Trail Ridge Red from Grand Lake Brewing Company
Beer rating: 83 out of 100 with 17 ratings