Charlotte
Red Brick Station

A straight-up old school brewpub red. Brings me back.

Pours a very dark red, at first I think it's cloudy but it's just the intense shade. Nice head.

Smells of red ale malt and medium strength US hops. Caramel dominates, and the hops lend everything a nice tang and bitterness.

Tastes more strongly of earth and peat than the aroma had led me to anticipate. Sweeter, too. Toffee up front; grass, peat, and clay in the middle; and the finish is some bitter hops of older-school alpha strength. Nicely balanced.

Not as immediately accessible as newer, fruitier hoppy beers. But after a few sips it becomes perfectly sessionable.

One of the better beers at Red Brick Station. They've increased the hop profile for this year. Too bad it's not year round.

Served at the General Sutter's cask festival.

A: The ale is a coppery amber color, still clear, with a thin band of eggshell white.

S: Toffee and caramel aromas are fast to waft out of the glass. It takes some time before a gentle citrus hop aroma makes it's way through. Those hops are balancing only; they don't drive the aroma.

T: Sweet toffee continues in the flavor, amplified thanks to the cask. Caramel joins the mix, a very sweet malty flavor all around. Hops are low, an afterthought, although they do balance the flavor out. A clean maltiness, fleshy fruits included, delivers a strong finish.

M: The mouthfeel is low-key, relaxed like a good amber should be. Nice to see Red Brick make its way up north for the festival.

Appearance: clear amber in color with a one finger head that slowly fades to a surface foam. Nice lacing paints the glass during the session.

Smell: caramel and some hop bitterness is all that is detectable.

Taste: bready caramel profile with some ripe fruit sweetness and a pretty hearty bitterness for the style.

Mouthfeel: medium bodied beer. Slightly crisp throughout. Bit of dryness at the finish. The breadiness and bitterness linger for a bit.

Drinkability: nice flavorful ale almost leaning towards the pale ale style. One can easily enjoy a few of these in a session.

Also on tap at Mahaffey's...
Charlotte pours a mahogany body with orange highlights beneath a creamy off-white head that drops shortly to an average collar and half-surface covering. The nose is nutty, buttery, fruity and caramelish; and in the mouth it's medium-bodied with a crisp carbonation. The flavor delivers caramelish malt; yeasty butteriness, nuttiness, and fruit; and leafy/grassy and tea-like hops backed by a solid bitterness. It finishes dry with some residual fruit, a touch of diacetyl, and some lingering bitterness.

Enjoyed on tap recently at Mahaffey's in Baltimore. This was brewed by the White Marsh folks in celebration of someone's new baby.
Pours a beautiful amber red with loads of carbonation. A decent off white/tan head and nice lacing.
Smells sugary sweet with loads of malts
Medium bodied brew with a complex mix of malts going on. Sometimes caramelly, other times full of ripe, over ripe, and dried fruits. Not much hops to speak of, but who cares?
Very drinkable, which is dissapointing, I think this one will be a one time deal.