Red Ochre Irish Ale
Town Hall Brewery

 

I do love a good cask beer and it was either this (which I have never had) or the Masala Mamma (an epic brew, but I had a growler in hand).

Served to me on cask in a pint glass at approximately cellar temperature. This beer is a beautiful opaque reddish bronze color. A light creamy head rests on the top. The aroma of this beer was not overly evident. There was some biscuty aromas w/ a light fruity scent. The flavor is definitely reminiscent of the aroma. There is an excellent biscuty flavor and the toasted malts are ever present. I do get a hint of toffee as well. The hops are there as well even a bit of citrusy flavors. There is some fruitiness as well, but I can't characterize which fruits. The mouthfeel is velvety and smooth.

This beer is very good. Quite drinkable. I wasn't really in the mood for an Irish Red Ale, but this beer made me want another. Definitely worth a try when it's available.

On-tap at the brewpub: Nice dark orangey bronzed color, quite clear and maintaining a decent capping of off-whitened foam on top. Lace is minimal in a few small specks, spots, and thin sheets.

Aroma is fair, mild, and clean; drying with a hint of spicy hop notes adding a grassy herbalness and has a bit of pale sweet red maltyness thats a bit like a mild cherry soda or marmalade and some stale bread.

Flavor is good with a nice clean profile of tender, light malty sweetness thats dry of breads and grains with a hint of cherry and orange fruityness tugging at the middle. Nice herbal grassy finish that lasts for great length. A very nice finisher that lends itself well to being a good drinker.

Feel is broad and clean with a mediumish body. Firm on the palate with a slight tender dryness mixed with an even lighter sweetness makes for a nice start. finish is the key and by far the most complexing and subtle character of the beer where grassy herbal hop notes dry out with a miraculous noton of length and body. Yet stays even and balanced without giving away the farm.

Its no huge beer by any means. A very simple, subtle, well made beer that'll suit a whole lot of sessioning with an impressionable finishing stance.

my first taste of this new Irish Red Ale comes directly from the growler in to a glass...

Clear and completely red in appearance, with a more than adequate supply of foam up above, a creamy, puffy cap. Good.

Nose is all malt and fruit, grape and cherry, with a small quotient of hops in attendance, sweet, livley, lovely.

Tasting: juuuust right, a nice meld of hops and malt, just enough of both for the style...well, maybe enough for me, too much for others...easy drinking, lean bodied, fully flavored, sleek, yet multi-faceted, much going on here, more than a mere drinker, this....nothing wrong with that, nay, so much the better...a tasty malty, hoppy toss 'em backer just meant for what I now discover is known as the St. Patrick's Season. (Why on Earth should the Irish get only a day, when Germany gets a whole month?)(Quick, Belgium, invent a holiday!)

'tis a good red ale, tickles my tastebuds plenty.