Rattlesnake Mountain Honey Red Ale
Rattlesnake Mountain Brewing Company

 

I was served a from the tap a pint glass at Kimo's Sprots Bar on the Columbia River in Richland, Washington.

A: It poured a clear, bright amber body with an off-white head of about one finger. The head receded to a ring around the collar and supported a moderate balanced lacing.

S: It had aromas a moderately roasted malts, cherries, graines raisins and floral hops.

T: It had a light honey flavor with grainy malts, toffee and tangy raisins. Overall the flavors were reasonably well balanced and refreshing.

M: It was light-bodied, almost watery. There was well balanced carbonation and a wet, sweet finish. There was little aftertaste.

D: This is a pleasant, not to sweet and not to hoppy amber. It makes for a servicalbe bar session brew due to its light body, modest ABV and non-overbearing flavors. This was by far the best of the beers brewed on premise.

It’s a stretch to call this a red ale, as the body is perhaps tawny at best. But the honey elements are well played. They poke through the aroma amidst an array of red fruits, and expertly set off the bright fruity flavors. This is a predominantly sweet ale as the name might imply, with little appreciable bitterness. It has an eclipsed head, no lace, medium carbonation, and a deft touch of sugar. The aroma and taste are harmoniously integrated. Very enjoyable.

Appearance – This one was a solid brownish-red in color with a decent head.

Smell – The light, pleasing “reddish” citrus hops were complimented with, of course, honey and a modest malt balance.

Taste – The honey here is good enough, but the grainy malts are too modest to balance things out.

Mouthfeel – This medium-bodied ARA lacks the balance of a good effort at the style and has some cheap, tangy carbonation.

Drinkability – This is a light and easy session ale that isn’t all that bad but just not to my liking.

I was not very impressed with this beer. Its high point was the color, almost like a glass of red wine. Very little head that vanished at high speed. Smell was of malt and honey. Taste was very bland with a malty honey and pretty much no hops (This came from the northwest?). I've never had anything from Rattlesnake Mountain before, and this beer wasn't exactly a stunning endorsement.

Nice amber color. Very strong nutty aroma. Some nutty flavors with a dry, slightly bitter finish. The beer was not very complex at all, thus the lower score.