Redfeather Session IPA
Black Raven Brewing Co.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poured from 22oz bomber into a dimpled mug.

Appearance: rich amber hue with a light-to-moderate haze and a finger of frothy tan foam. Not too bad.

Smell: sweet malt with a mild hop character and a rather bready and biscuity malt aroma. More "red" than "IPA" but not too bad.

Taste: bready malt with an earthy hop character which is a bit mild up front but develops its flavor more toward the end. Thankfully the malt is more bready than biscuity, which fits more with my taste.

Mouthfeel: medium-light body with a good, well-integrated carbonation that generates a very good creaminess for a session IPA.

Overall: this beer is well-made and a decent session ale. It's not totally tuned to my palate, but still worth a quaff if you like reds or session beers.

 

 

22oz bottle served in pint glass. Beer pours a brilliant orangish-brownish garnet, with a thin white head. Aroma is both malty and floral/hoppy. Splitting the line between red ale, IPA, and session ale is a pretty precise point to hit, so I'm interested to see where this lands. Flavor-wise, I'd say it hits it dead on. The initial sip gently massages my tongue with bitterness, but it's followed by a slightly biscuity, barley grain middle, with a hint of sweetness in the finish and a very clean aftertaste.

I think this succeeds as an American IPA, even though the grain bill is wrong (and to be fair, the color). It succeeds as a red ale, no question. And I'm finding it highly sessionable. Possibly the best self-described session ale I have tasted in recent times.

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is more like a really good Red Ale. Lovely coppery color with an abundance of foam in the big Stella goblet. Very pleasing flowery aromatics. Sudsy mouthfeel is refreshing.

Moderately bitter but more like a Pale Ale bitterness than an IPA. Piney hops with a touch of grapefruit. Really a great lighter but hoppy brew. Some bready malt with a touch of caramel. Well balanced, especially for a lower-alcohol brew with all those hops. From the 12 oz bottle purchased at Special Brews in Lynwood.

Poured into a Black Raven pint glass. Pours a medium to dark bronze amber with a nice one finger ivory head with great retention and lacing. Aroma of biscuit malt, citrus hops, tropical fruit, lightly floral. Flavor is biscuit malt, lightly crackery, citrus hops, orange family fruit. Light citrus hop and malt finish. Medium bodied with a nice lightly creamy body. A pleasant light IPA with a nice biscuit base rather than the more standard caramel, which is appropriate for a red inspired ale. Hops are fresh, but somewhat subdued. Remarkably good aroma for a session IPA and looks great. Session IPAs are a style I'm still not really sold on. A little higher ABV seems to really bring out flavors and make a more bold statement. Nicely balanced and citrusy. I would get this again if I were looking for a session ale.