Red Tao
Black Lotus Brewery

16 ounce can into tulip glass, canned on 4/9/2019. Pours slightly hazy deep orange/copper/amber/light reddish color with a 1 finger dense and rocky cream colored head with good retention, that reduces to a thin cap that lingers. Nice spotty soapy lacing clings on the glass, with a fair amount of streaming carbonation. Aromas of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread dough/crust, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of nuttiness, vanilla, cocoa, peach, plum, pear, red apple, herbal, wood, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. A bit too fruity/yeasty aromas, but not overwhelming. Slight touch of diacetyl. Nice and pleasant aromas with good balance and complexity of dark/bready malts, light-moderate fruity yeast, and light earthy hop notes; with solid strength. Taste of big caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread dough/crust, and toasted biscuit; with lighter notes of nuttiness, vanilla, cocoa, peach, plum, pear, red apple, herbal, wood, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness. Mild herbal, floral, woody, grassy, spicy bitterness on the finish. Lingering notes of caramel, brown sugar, toffee, brown bread dough/crust, toasted biscuit, nuttiness, vanilla, cocoa, peach, plum, pear, red apple, herbal, wood, floral, grass, pepper, and yeast/toasted earthiness on the finish for a while. Great complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, light-moderate fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; with a solid malt/bitterness balance, and no cloying flavors after the finish. Lightly increasing dryness from lingering bitterness. Medium carbonation and body; with a very smooth, moderately creamy/silky/bready/grainy, and lightly sticky/chalky mouthfeel that is great. Minimal warming alcohol for 6%. Overall this is a very nice amber ale. All around nice complexity, robustness, and balance of dark/bready malts, light-moderate fruity yeast, and light earthy hop flavors; very smooth and easy to drink with mildly bitter/drying finish, great soft feel. Very well rounded and nicely rich malt complexity, restrained fruity English yeast, and solid earthy hop presence/balance. Light residual sweetness with lingering dryness. A very enjoyable offering, and well made style example. Feels like more of an English style, but still delicious.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

on tap served in a pint glass. from notes.

a - came to the table with 2 fingers of dense tan head that calmed to a thin cap. deep copper in color and slightly hazy. tons of sticky lace.

s - sweet carmel malt, slightly fruity, touch of fresh baked bread.

t - starts off carmelly and bready, then a strong hop bitterness washes the malt away and hangs on the tongue for a bit before subsiding.

m - on the thinner side and lightly carbonated.

o - decent beer, but nothing to write home about. fits the style alright and would order it again.

Reviewed on 6/23/2010. On tap at the brewpub. Pours brown/amber with a white head. Aroma of caramel malt and sweet fruit. Flavor of sweet fruit (mostly apple) and lots of malty notes. Perhaps not the most exciting amber ale but it was pretty tasty and quite drinkable.

A great beer that came out a light brown with a definate redness to it. Smelled great with roasted tints of malt and maybe nut. The taste is extremely pleasant. No overpowering tastes. Roasted flavor is present in the taste also.

A great level of carbonation with a light body. This beer is very refreshing and easy going, but with plenty of flavor as well. I could put a few of these away happily.