Ipswich Ruby Red IPA
Ipswich Ale Brewery

 

Darker brown than I expected, almost like a thin stout. Nice bubbly head, but dissipates fast. Leaves some lacy fingers. A bit too much chocolaty malt for me. The other Ipswich IPAs have more hoppy flavor.

 

A- Goblet pour from a 12oz bottle as the beer is revealed with a very dark ruby red body and a thick frothy light tan cap. Head retention is pretty good as a puffy, wide ring remains dropping spotty lace.

S- Piney and earthy hops rise out of the glass neck-and-neck with the malt backdrop. Malts have heavy notes of caramel, toasted nuts and even mocha. Feels like a hoppy brown here.

T- The use of toasted to roasted malts is extensive here and honestly it goes beyond the scope of a red ale with generous toasted nuts, cocoa and caramel notes from the grains. Hops are secondary but still represented with earthy, citrus and pine hints. Again, more like a brown or even pale porter.

MF- In my mind the best aspect of the beer as it is substantially creamy, even a bit chewy. The smoothness is pronounced and it really feels puffy on the palate even with fairly high carbonation. Bitter and toasty sweet finish.

A tasty brew indeed and one that really actually suits my personal tastes as earthy and piney hops compliment toasted brown malts quite well. That being said, Ruby Red IPA is probably not the correct name as it falls beyond both IPA and Amber in style.

 

 

from a bottle to a beer tulip
look; a beautiful ruby red with copper, clear, not a lot of carbonation or head but covering stays and nice lacing
smell; piney earthy musty hops, but a spring pine, very bright with dark earthy must, mocha chip or nicer than coffee ground smell underneath
taste; this is delicious, as an ipa i'd give it a 2.75, hops brightness is gone, bitter hops and roast, some honey sweetness, some nondescript spice, like black pepper but not exactly
feel; smooth, bitter, mild carbonation, right for this beer
overall; something really nice about this bitter, slightly spicy, well balanced... i'd call it a bitter or maybe a hoppy bitter

 

 

 

A: crystal clear; deep ruby red - almost brown in color; 1+ finger light tan head that receded to a wispy cap; very nice lacing;

S: caramel, earthy;

T: not very complex; follows the nose; there's an odd coffee vibe in the background; mild bitterness on the finish; aftertaste reminds me of a porter; I would never guess this was an IPA;

M: medium bodied; moderate carbonation; lightly dry finish;

O: I don't know what to make of this;

 

From the bottle: "A ruby red-hued India Pale Ale with medium body and bold hop flavors. Dry hopped and abounding with aroma, this red IPA is sure to be considered a rare gem."

I'll write my own review soon as I am not drinking it now. Just wanted to add this fine beer to the historical record.