Ruby Ale
McMenamins Inc.

Look: Hazy peach in color with some pink hues. A sudsy head forms and finishes as a film

Aroma: Raspberries, Hawaiian bread, honey, subtle floral notes, and freshly baked bread

Taste: Raspberries come on quick but not overpoweringly and lay the foundation as layers of honey and malt follow close behind. Light honeysuckle and butterfly bush peek in and out throughout and closes with more raspberries

Mouthfeel: Full but light, clean, medium-high carbonation, and clean and smooth on the finish

Overall: I dig it. One of the PNW’s most iconic and O.G. fruit beer and still a winner. The raspberry isn’t too “in your face” and works to compliment the lighter beer base that they’re added to. Always worth a try here and there when the mood strikes

 

an easy drinking raspberry ale for the summertime, really cool art on the pint cans, the first i have seen packaged from these guys, but i have had almost no exposure to their beers. this is a little bit basic as they go, but its well made and the best part is that its on the dry side for the style, no sugary and overly fruited, so it goes down quick and holds its refreshment value across multiple beers. a little pink hue to this, some haziness, but still light looking beer to me. the aroma is a little muted, especially compared to the flavor, a little natural raspberry, but not real forward or fresh, some pale malt, no hops or yeast elements at all here. the flavor brings a lot more to the table, the raspberry pops up front and fades towards the swallow, ripe and real, but all of a sudden gone, no real residuals from the fruit at all, the malt is light throughout, and just enough hops for a little crispness on the finish, but quite easy and clean overall, nicely carbonated too which keeps it summery. tasty brew here, nice for poolside sipping in the dead of summer, i see why its one of their more popular beers.

edit: had this fresh on tap at their mcminnville hotel bar and have to raise a few scores, the fruit is even fresher than in the can, the beer more crisp and bright, and the other aspects of the beer, particularly the grain, play such cool roles even though the raspberries are the star. this is unique among fruit beers and very good!

Had it countless times on tap at countless McMenamins spots, just reviewing it now. Color is a hazy bright pink, like a pale ruby. Head is average to unimpressive, with OK lacing. The nose is very strong in raspberry and some malt hiding in there, but not much else. The body is nice and full, finishing moderately dry. The taste is tart raspberry forward, melding into some cracker esque malt on the extended finish. No hop at all that I notice.

This is a easy drinking mild raspberry ale, its a classic around these parts no doubt, but not particularly impressive either.

 

Simple raspberry fruit beer that still surprised me with its refinement. Decent carbonation without being overly tart or bitter. This still struck me as a beer and I liked it most for that reason.

 

 

 

 

One of my favorites from the lineup, smooth, light and drinkable. Nice full body, similar to German Hefe , slick and smooth. Sweet juice essence makes it refreshing.

 

 

McMennamins beers are almost uniformly dull to my palate and this is no exception. A grapefruit pink pour with a large, white head that falls off quickly leaving no lacing, this looks OK. The nose is a muddled blend of grapefruit and dull and raw wheat. Spent grain, mildly oxidized, is present. The palate opens with a mild grapefruit flavor, a little grainy wheat and some earth. Thin, watery on the palate and finish with a moderate carbonation, this is decent.