Red Rock Griswald's Big Holiday
Red Rock Brewing Company

I am yet to find a bad brew by Red Rock. It is always good. In Utah - they are the best, period IMHO. I live here, and I believe it. Not only they have unique beers, they have flavor to deliver. This is one is not different. It has lingering spice, and malt is not overpowering. Alcohol is visible, but subtle. It has very common ale color, not much here, but that is not the point. The company does excellent job labeling their product. They care. Hey, we are a cool bunch, we do cool branding - that's the message. I drink it out of the glass, room temp. Utah liquor store price 4$, but I don't mind it for a quality local brew.

Na zdorovie!

LOOK - - - great looking light copper color that is slightly hazy - nice foamy white head - decent retention - nice soapy bubbles cling to the glass
SMELL - - - malt, caramel, yeast, spices, slight grape
TASTE - - - nice slight hop bitterness at first but then you get a lot of caramel and toffee - spices kick in full force - very flavorful - slight white grape juice and bread and crackers - this is like a pumpkin ale without the pumpkin and quite a bit boozier - crisp flavor
FEEL - - - medium body - slick and oily - carbonation sticks around with some nice activity and mouthfeel
OVERALL - - - I really liked this one - it wasn't overly sweet or overly spiced - there is a nice malty backbone and flavorful - I am going to have to go back and grab a couple more of these before they are out of season - good brew

 

Maybe it was the fact I got it at the Provo State liquor store, but it was stale and not very tasty.

 

 

 

 

Clear amber colored ale with a small white colored head.

Smells strongly of caramel and spice. Nutmeg, ginger and cinnamon are the strongest scents. Smells a lot like eggnog spiced beer. Black pepper and faint vanilla.

Starts out sweet and malty leading with that big caramel flavor. Nutmeg, black pepper and cinnamon are strongest. Faint milk taste, maybe the added Lactose. Once again it tastes like beer eggnog to me.

Mouthfeel is good.

Overall not a bad beer at all. If anything the could have upped the spices a little more.

Pours a handsome dark amber with some golden tones. Decent foam in the tall glass. Plenty of carbonation with a lively mouthfeel. Body is fairly light. The spices and sweetness hit you at once. It actually tastes better after some sipping, but it will surprise your taste buds.

Tastes rather alcoholic with the sharp tang that reminds me of a strong Belgian golden ale. There is a hint of butter along with the spice shelf mix. The spice is actually not too excessive with the robust tang and sweet richness. It gets a little bitter and spicy at the end. Label says "Brewed 10/25/13." From the 500 ml bottle purchased at Utah State Liquor Store in Sugar House.

 

 

 

Smuggled home in my luggage from SLC this holiday weekend. Poured into medium snifter, and greatly appreciate the amber color, good clarity, and good sized head. Nose has the cinnamon/ginger aroma going, but the spices seem more distinct rather than mixed in with other components. Upon first sip, ginger and cinnamon noted right away, almost giving a prickly sensation at the back of the palate (and somewhat at the entry of the throat, as if someone is using pins and needles on my uvula too!). Some black tea like flavors are there, light toasty malt, but then the holiday spice takes over dramatically. Light bodied and alcohol is very disguised, as I would never have guessed 8.5% abv.

A slightly untraditional Winter seasonal from Red Rock, a brewery not really known for their "high-point" (for those unfamiliar with bassackwards Utah beer laws, over 4% ABV) beers. Drank from a pint glass at the brewery (out of a bottle) on a snowy November evening.

A - Deep copper color, clear. Very thin white head, with little lacing.

S - Cinnamon and spices very apparent, with a slightly sweet aroma. Definitely smells like a winter beer.

T - Definite citrus and cinnamon up front with a light modicum of bready sweetness, then brings on ginger before hitting with a slight spicy hop and clove flavor that balances the beer quite well.

M - Shockingly light, given the variety of flavors in the beer and 8.5% ABV rating. Drinks almost like an Oktoberfest lager.

D - See above. Even with the variety of interesting flavors, the light mouthfeel and palatable obscurity of the high ABV in the beer makes this very drinkable.

Overall, I really liked this one. Definitely a crowd-pleaser for all sorts in the colder months, I feel like both seasoned and non-seasoned beer drinkers can get into the Griswald. Bottle size is a manageable 500ml, making it easy to go for alone or share with a friend, and the $6.50 price at the brewpub (at the table) isn't bad either. Not sure if they sell for takeaway or not, I didn't ask.

500ml Bottle
$6.50 Ea.

Poured into a true pint glass a nice clean/clear golden brown color, nice carbonation, nice little creamy/fizzy off-white head, with some minimal sticky lacing left behind. The nose is malty with some cinnamon, coriander, ginger, orange peel, and cloves. The taste is malty, sweet, with lots of spices. Medium body. Drinkable, a nice holiday season brew, but definitely not worth the price by a long shot.