Red Wheelbarrow
Maine Beer Company

Red WheelbarrowRed Wheelbarrow
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From:
Maine Beer Company
 
Maine, United States
Style:
American Amber / Red Ale
Ranked #5
ABV:
7%
Score:
91
Ranked #7,834
Avg:
4.06 | pDev: 8.13%
Reviews:
139
Ratings:
992
Status:
Active
Rated:
Jan 14, 2024
Added:
Oct 23, 2013
Wants:
  49
Gots:
  186
Like many of our beers, Red Wheelbarrow (which started out as a pilot batch brewed by Brewer Dan Roberts) doesn’t fit neatly into a style category — think of it as a stronger, more hop-forward interpretation of a traditional red ale. Red Wheelbarrow is not, however, a “red IPA” — there is robust malt character (think raisin and fig) on both the nose and palate that temper the abundant hop presence (think citrus fruit). Hops: Amarillo, Columbus.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by sourdog:
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Rated by sourdog from California

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%

Aug 23, 2014
More User Ratings:
Photo of GuyFawkes
Reviewed by GuyFawkes from Illinois

3.67/5  rDev -9.6%
look: 4 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
I had this on draft 1/4/24 @ the Hopleaf.

Mostly opaque dark red appearance.

Small dark khaki head; a thick curtain of tree-rung lacing remained.

Celebration vibes in the nose; pine, orange peel & mild fresh soap notes in the nose.

Medium mouthfeel; a bit sticky on the finish.

Pine, orange peel & mild soap flavors up front; a hint of baking soda on the finish.

This is nice enough, but the finish is a bit harsh; close, but no cigar.
Jan 14, 2024
Photo of SLeffler27
Reviewed by SLeffler27 from New York

3.92/5  rDev -3.4%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
Pours dark auburn and is almost clear in a Pretentious Glass Company American Lager pint glass. Four inches of foamy white head seems to last forever, eventually forming a big pillow then falling. Pancake batter lace coats the glass.

Fresh pine makes a big impression with floral and citrus accents. Malt nudges its way into the middle. Orange zest and toffee round it out as it warms.

The flavor opens with a bitter bite that holds down the citrus and toffee flavors. Malt follows with a light toast and nuttiness. A quick burst of sweetness quickly passes with each sip. The finish is long, strong, and just short of harsh.

It has a full body and soft creamy texture. Alcohol is much more prominent than expected. Fine carbonation scrubs the palate. Astringency is moderately harsh and adds to the dryness.

This is a decent beer to unwind with and I imagine would work well with wings or a southwest bean dip. It is better to swig than sip.
Mar 05, 2023
 
Rated: 4.5 by LAM01833 from Massachusetts

Aug 01, 2022
Photo of ANIMOUL
Reviewed by ANIMOUL from Vermont

4.25/5  rDev +4.7%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4.25
Pours deep amber red with plenty of foamy head. Great but subtle hop bitterness with plenty of rich malty backbone. A very solid and delicious red ale. Seek!
Aug 07, 2021
 
Rated: 3.96 by Bierliebhaber3 from Massachusetts

Mar 07, 2020
Photo of Profundobaso
Reviewed by Profundobaso from New York

4.34/5  rDev +6.9%
look: 4.25 | smell: 4.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.5
Look - poured into a stemmed glass. Amber/deep red in color, slightly cloudy, with a generous foamy head that still has ~2 fingers lacing retention. Beer looks quite excellent.
Smell - an abundance of hops, mostly pine/woodsy, dried fruits, with malts presence as well. Definitely hoppier than a usual red ale, and approaching IPAs.
Taste - surprisingly largely dominated by malts. it is the first thing I detect, and lingers all the way into the finish. hop flavor creeps in after the malts, and grows stronger. the finish is long, bringing in some of the fruity flavor into the mix, adding a bit of refreshing taste to the palate.
Feel - medium bodied, high carbonation, and respectable ABV at 7%.
Overall - phenomenal red ales are not as common as IPAs, so I am giving this beer the benefit of the doubt. One word to describe it is bold: the flavors of malts and hops are equally accented in this beer, and the smell and taste are quite complex. Fans of red ale should find this one a real treat.
Jan 26, 2020
Photo of philbe311
Reviewed by philbe311 from Pennsylvania

4.02/5  rDev -1%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4.25
I always love trying new Maine Beer Company offerings... An eventful swirling pour yields two plus fingers of lush creamy medium khaki colored froth... Solid Retention... Surprise, surprise - This red ale is red in color... The nose is fairly muted but reminiscent of a strong ale... Slightly medicinal and herbal with a pungent hoppiness sitting atop a load of cereal scented malts... Simple and straight-forward on the palate but quite effective... Nothing dominates, but there is good balance and subtle complexities abound... On the fuller side of medium bodied with a good bit of prickly carbonation... Overall a slightly understated, but rather enjoyable and well executed red ale... Now I remember why I really enjoy trying new Maine Beer Company offerings...
Jan 25, 2020
 
Rated: 4.12 by PaulSlazinger from Pennsylvania

Nov 16, 2019
Photo of PSanger
Reviewed by PSanger from Connecticut

3.95/5  rDev -2.7%
look: 4 | smell: 3.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4
Had on draft. Delicious, great coloring and nice drinking not heavy for the somewhat high ABV. Beautiful color and Really complex. Definitely recommend.
Nov 10, 2019
 
Rated: 4.02 by Nunya from Ohio

Nov 09, 2019
 
Rated: 3.95 by vrbulldog22 from Ohio

Nov 09, 2019
 
Rated: 3.93 by Gman321 from New York

Nov 02, 2019
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.97/5  rDev -2.2%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
1pt.9oz bottle into a pint glass. Bottled 10/8/19, so not even 4 weeks old yet.

Looks very good in the glass. Deep amber body with hints of red big foamy cream colored head which maintains throughout leaving excellent lacing. Many fast streams of carbonation.

Not much on the nose, maybe a faint malty aroma.

Initially it's sharp and bitey on the tongue, though this smooths out later in the drink. There is a sour bitterness which maintains throughout. Lightly sweet towards the end.

Mouth closer to full than medium, finish that sour bitterness.

Overall, a decent drink, can't help but wonder if a few more weeks in the bottle would balance it out a bit more.
Nov 02, 2019
Photo of Lucular
Reviewed by Lucular from Maryland

3.68/5  rDev -9.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
5 oz pour on tap at Lures Bar & Grille. Looks like a red IPA. Aroma features citrus and pine with some woodsiness. Taste is similar but a little too sweet. Mouthfeel is moderately carbonated with some alcohol burn. Overall not as clean of a beer as I expect from Maine.
Oct 31, 2019
 
Rated: 4.24 by Rainintheface from Florida

Oct 27, 2019
 
Rated: 3.96 by WDJersey from Colorado

Oct 14, 2019
 
Rated: 3.77 by dsshuck from Delaware

Sep 29, 2019
Photo of Ronl12
Reviewed by Ronl12 from Massachusetts

3.75/5  rDev -7.6%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.75
1 pint 9 oz into IPA glass. dated 11/27/18.
Look is nice cloudy mahogany red. Smell is balanced hops and malt. Taste follows and is a nice. Feel is light. Overall nice change of pace
Jan 22, 2019
 
Rated: 4 by Patches826 from Massachusetts

Jan 04, 2019
Red Wheelbarrow from Maine Beer Company
Beer rating: 91 out of 100 with 992 ratings